LIBERAL Democrat councillors are calling on Pendle Council to reject fracking for shale gas in the borough.

Tony Greaves, the Liberal leader, has tabled a motion asking the council to oppose any exploratory drilling.

Cllr Greaves said the time had come for the council to make a stand because the government has stated its intention to issue a new wave of exploratory licences, and the area put forward includes much of Pendle.

The motion asks the council to “consider that shale gas fracking in Pendle would have a serious effect on the local landscape and on the local highways network, and that there are a large number of environmental and operational questions relating to shale gas fracking that have not been answered, which must be resolved before there is any extension of areas of exploration for shale gas.”

Barnoldswick councillor David Whipp (Lib Dem) added: "Although West Craven will never be in the frontline on fracking because of the geology of the area (the Craven Fault bisects Barnoldswick), the extraction of further fossil fuels will affect us all through climate change.

"We owe it to future generations not to compound the carbon consumption of the past with expensive, environmentally-damaging processes."

The motion will be considered at the Pendle Council meeting on October 15.