Officials in northern England approved a shale gas hydraulic fracturing (fracking) application from Third Energy on May 23 in a shift indicating growing support for shale gas that Britain's government hopes can counter the decline in North Sea output. Councillors at North Yorkshire County Council voted in favor of the application 7 to 4 after two days of hearings.

"This has been a very difficult decision for the Council to make and we know it is a difficult decision for the people of this county," Richard Flinton, North Yorkshire County Council's chief executive, said.

Rasik Valand, CEO of Third Energy, said "this approval is not as a victory, but is a huge responsibility. We will have to deliver on our commitment, made to the committee and to the people of Ryedale, to undertake this operation safely and without impacting on the local environment."

With permission to carry out fracking, Third Energy will now be able to test how much shale gas it could eventually produce from its site at Kirby Misperton.

"This is an absolute travesty of a decision but the battle is very far from over," said Simon Bowens, Yorkshire and Humber campaigner for Friends of the Earth.

Third Energy is 97% owned by Barclay's Global Natural Resources Investments.

The approval gives a boost to Britain's shale gas industry nearly a year after local government officials in Lancashire rejected two permits for shale gas firm Cuadrilla to operate. Progress has essentially been brought to a standstill.

Cuadrilla has appealed against the decision and the government has since changed the rules to be able to approve shale gas permits at government level. Cuadrilla said if its permits receive government approval this summer, first shale gas from its wells could hit the British market in mid-2017.

Britain is estimated to have substantial amounts of shale gas trapped in underground rocks, and Prime Minister David Cameron has pledged to go all out to extract these reserves.