FRACKING tests in the Lake District should not be given a free pass through the planning process, a committee has agreed.

The Lake District National Park Authority’s strategy and vision committee decided its position at a meeting at Murley Moss, Kendal.

The Government is running a 14-week national consultation on the principle of relaxing planning permission for “non-hydraulic” shale gas explorations.

It has been asking whether such projects could be given permitted developments rights in national parks. Permitted development can allow certain works to be carried out without a planning application.

The committee agreed to join National Parks England in a joint response to the consultation.

Liam McAleese, head of strategy and partnerships at the authority, said: “We strongly agree that a permitted development right for non-hydraulic fracturing shale gas exploration development should not apply to national parks and other areas of natural heritage.”

Fracking explorations involve taking samples for testing, while non-hydraulic fracking does not use water when tapping for gas.

The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government says that shale gas could play a major role in securing energy supplies and creating new jobs.

It has described previous planning decisions as “disappointingly slow.”

It said: “Any developments that would be permitted through any potential permitted development right for non-hydraulic fracturing shale gas exploration, would still be required to receive the appropriate consents from the three regulators, the Environment Agency, the Health and Safety Executive and the Oil and Gas Authority before development can proceed. “