Shropshire villagers demand answers on drilling

The scheme, proposed for Dudleston, near Ellesmere, has sparked concerns from residents about the impacts it would have on the environment and their homes.

More than 100 of them were at a meeting last night organised by Frack Free North Shropshire in the village hall, with many expressing their anger at not finding out about the proposal earlier.

The scheme has been put forward by Dart Energy which says a planning application could be submitted in about a month if Shropshire Council waives the need for an environmental impact assessment.

A spokesman from the firm faced a barrage of questions from residents at the meeting but expressed the importance of extracting gas.

The proposals have outraged campaigners who say exploratory drilling for coal-bed methane gas could open the door for controversial "fracking", or hydraulic fracturing, for shale gas in future years.

But the firm denies it has any plans to use fracking for shale gas in the county even though north Shropshire sits on both coal and shale, saying it is interested in coal-bed methane only.

Graham Ford, 65, from Ellesmere, said: "The first I knew about it was when I read about it in the local press.

"This is a big issue and it could have big impacts on the area."

A 71-year-old resident of Dudleston Heath, who did not wish to be named, added: "I don't want this on my doorstep."

Steve Davenport, Shropshire councillor for St Martins said: "I have spoken to Dart Energy and they have agreed to come to a meeting of Ellesmere Rural Parish Council – hopefully in the next week or so."

Andrew West, spokesman for campaign group Frack-Off, who gave a presentation at the meeting, said: "They have already started this in the UK and it is expanding. The time to stop this is now. We have seen success around the world in fighting this."

But Peter Reilly, consultant for Dart Energy, said: "This is for a single vertical exploration and there will be one well. We will take samples, cap it off and send the samples away. There is nothing extreme about it. The country still needs gas."

Another public meeting will be held at Hermon Chapel, Chapel Street, Oswestry, tomorrow at 7.30pm.