COUNCILLORS have said no to fracking in North Ayrshire - but that won’t stop it from being carried out.

A motion was passed at the most recent full North Ayrshire Council last Wednesday (June 15) to oppose all fracking and unconventional gas extraction across the region.

But a council boss revealed that the motion would not stop the council considering any planning application for fracking.

Council official, Andrew Fraser, said that while NAC was at liberty to consider and approve the motion, any planning applications would still require to be considered in their individual merits.

Proposing the motion, Labour Councillor Joe Cullinane said the threat of fracking in Scotland was a “real one” and warned that most of Ayrshire was a target for energy companies to explore shale gas extraction.

Fracking has proven to be a controversial issue with the Scottish Parliament voting in favour of a complete ban on extraction north of the border.

Conservative Councillor Tom Marshall lodged an amendment moving that the council take no further action pending the outcome of a report by the

Scottish Government’s Chief Scientific Advisor later in the year.

He was seconded by independent Councillor John Hunter who said he was neither for nor against fracking but did not want to make an uninformed decision.

Fellow councillors then asked questions about the subject.

Independent Councillor Robert Barr said: “I’d like to have a straw poll of everyone who has gas central heating in their homes.

“The gas that comes down the pipes from Grangemouth comes from fracking.

“I wouldn’t like to think there’s any hypocrites in this chamber.”

This drew sniggers from some within the chamber but Councillor Marshall urged members to take his point seriously.

He said: “You may smile at Councillor Barr but 84 per cent of gas in this country is used for domestic heating.

“If you don’t have gas how are you going to heat your homes? The SNP keep going on about renewables but the windmills don’t run very much, you need some kind of fossil fuel.”

Eighteen councillors voted for the motion with only seven backing Councillor Marshall’s amendment.

Councillor Cullinane later said: “I am delighted that the council has agreed to say frack off.” 

“This vote will be welcomed by people across North Ayrshire who share the environmental concerns around fracking.

“That an SNP led authority has passed this motion is significant. Whilst we have a moratorium in Scotland, which has temporarily suspended fracking, the SNP have appeared quite ambivalent about the matter.”