Green campaigners accused Lancashire Council yesterday of ignoring thousands in favour of gas company Cuadrilla after councillors agreed to delay proposals for two new fracking sites.

Cuadrilla applied for permission to explore for shale gas at two spots between Preston and Blackpool, but planning officers at the council recommended the firm be refused planning permission due to noise and traffic concerns.

But Cuadrilla asked for the decision to be deferred to allow it to submit new information.

After taking legal advice in private session at County Hall in Preston, planning committee members voted to defer any decision to a later date.

It will be at least eight weeks before the committee convenes to reconsider the applications.

Anti-fracking campaigners accused the government of disregarding hard evidence to allow Cuadrilla time to manipulate the planning system.

“Lancashire Council must resist Cuadrilla’s ploys to push fracking through and listen to the tens of thousands of voices of opposition and reject these plans,” said Friends of the Earth north-west campaigner Helen Rimmer.

“Failure to do so will leave Lancashire as the UK’s guinea pig for this unnecessary and polluting technology.”

Greenpeace UK energy and climate campaigner Simon Clydesdale accused Cuadrilla of aggressively lobbying the council to get its way despite public opposition.

“The councillors should look again at the mounting evidence of fracking’s environmental, health and climate impacts and put the wellbeing of their communities before the interests of the shale lobby,” he said.