BATTLE lines have been drawn in the latest bid by anti-fracking campaigners to keep energy company IGas out of Ellesmere Port.

The group says it has now assembled an expert legal team to fight its corner at an upcoming appeal hearing.

It comes as drills have begun fracking at Cuadrilla’s site in Lancashire, marking the first time the process has taken place in the UK since it was linked with earth tremors in 2011.

IGas announced in July that it planned to appeal against Cheshire West and Chester Council’s decision to refuse it permission to test for shale gas in Ellesmere Port.

The firm had wanted to flow test its Portside well, to find out whether the rock formations in the area produce gas or oil.

But councillors voted overwhelmingly to refuse the plans at a meeting on January 25 this year.

News of the appeal came as no surprise to the Frack Free group, which has branches in Upton and Ellesmere Port.

On Friday (October 12) they sent off the first set of documents to be submitted in support of the council’s decision to refuse planning permission.

A spokesperson from Ellesmere Port Frack Free said: “The local community has said ‘no’ and the council has also said ‘no’. Sadly, we are having to say ‘no’ again at a Public Inquiry.

“We have assembled an excellent team or witnesses, including a top barrister, to defend the council’s decision. Our witnesses will be challenging IGas on the issues that local people raised in their objections, such as air quality, potential water contamination and the close proximity of the well to industrial units and houses.

“We are just ordinary residents who cannot stand by and let this damaging and polluting industry into our communities unchallenged.

“According to IGas estimates, the flaring operation will create up to 4,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide. Just when the world needs to take urgent action on climate change this is unacceptable.”

A spokesman from Frack Free Upton added: “The package we are sending off today represents countless hours of unpaid work, and there is still much work to be done, but as long as this threat is hanging over us our determination will not waver.

“Thank you to everyone who has already supported us by making donations through our fundraising page, which is still open! Your money will help with legal fees, witness expenses and printing costs associated with the appeal.”

Frack Free Ellesmere Port and Upton has set up the fundraising page at www.gofundme.com/ellesmere-port-appeal-fund

In a previous interview with The Standard, IGas’s well engineering director said: “I think there is a lot of misinformation that we’re going to do some hydraulic fracturing there. We’re not.

"There’s no hydraulic fracturing planned at that site. It’s a normal well test. We’ll run into an already drilled well, we’ll perforate a zone of interest and we’ll see whether it flows gas or oil.”