Weston Town Council has passed a motion opposing fracking in North Somerset.

At a meeting held on Monday, Cllr Catherine Gibbons tabled a motion to support rural communities in their opposition to the controversial practice.

Cllr Gibbons said: “We speak for the people of Weston we need to say we do not want fracking and we support those rural parishes against it.”

The Government is responsible for issuing petroleum exploration and development licences.

Two of these fall within North Somerset’s boundaries between Clevedon and Brean.

Central Government has been carrying out consultation on whether to make non-hydraulic fracking, which is the exploratory drilling process, a permitted development and therefore not subject to the normal planning process, something which both North Somerset and Weston Town council oppose.

The motion was passed by town councillors.