Derbyshire villagers launch campaign after application to drill for shale gas

Residents in a small north Derbyshire village are taking on a corporate giant as they challenge plans that could lead to fracking near their homes.

Chemical company Ineos, which has a worldwide turnover of 40 billion dollars, wants to drill for shale gas in fields at Marsh Lane, near Chesterfield.

The scheme has already met strong opposition from villagers, who claim it will blight their lives.

The application comes on the back of a recent bid by an energy company to drill for oil and gas in North Lincolnshire. Earlier this month councillors in Scunthorpe unexpectedly rejected the scheme which would have seen he extraction of up to 700,000 barrels from a single well near Wressle.

Ineos said they want to take samples for rock from the site to see if it has gas producing properties and that it would be a straightforward exploration well that would not involve fracking. The company will submit a planning application soon.

You can watch a video report from Martin Fisher below: