YP Letters: Fracking. Who should decide? Ministers or councils?

ONE of your recent correspondents raised the question of local democracy being ignored following the vote by Ryedale Council to oppose fracking in the area. There seemed to be an acceptance than although the battle was won, the war will be lost, as ultimately the Government will make the final decision.

This does raise an interesting question about democracy in general. The Government was elected by popular mandate less than a year ago with a commitment to pursue fracking in its manifesto. The question is does that democratic mandate extend to overriding local democratically expressed opposition?

Secondly, a correspondent (The Yorkshire Post, March 24) states that he has been persuaded to the anti-fracking lobby by research in the internet. Such research, on any topic, is notoriously unreliable. It was also interesting to read a letter recently from someone in the US who had first hand experience of living with fracking.

At first their community was generally opposed, but, as time went on, and their worst fears where not realised, and the benefits stated to appear, they changed their minds and embraced it. Perhaps a lesson for Ryedale, and the rest of the UK.