Cuadrilla loses appeal to open second fracking site in UK

Fracking company Cuadrilla has been refused permission to operate on a new site in the Lancashire over fears for road safety and traffic concerns.

The firm appealed Lancashire council’s decision in 2015 to reject its application to drill and frack up to four wells in the region.

On Tuesday, the Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government agreed there would be an “unacceptable impact” on road safety in the area if the operation were to be the go-ahead.

The rejection is a further blow for Cuadrilla after it complained last week that it was unable to complete test of shale gas exploration due to strict government regulations.

According to the Financial Times, Cuadrilla said it was “disappointed” with the government’s decision and would “examine the details in full before reaching a position”.

“However, we continue to be focused on the shale gas exploration site in Preston New Road, where we have recently released very encouraging flow test results from the UK’s first horizontal shale gas well,” the company added.