Anti-fracking campaigners will redouble their efforts to organise a demonstration outside Cheshire West and Chester Council’s HQ building this Thursday after the council ‘refused’ to debate the controversial topic.

Labour’s Cllr Mark Henesy had submitted a motion to full council calling for the Tory-led authority to state its opposition to any application for shale gas or coal gas methane testing or extraction in the borough ‘until such time as the council is satisfied as to the safety of the process and that the risk of adverse environmental impacts have been fully addressed’.

Cllr Henesy, whose motion reflects the Labour group’s position on the politically hot topic of fracking ahead of the May 7 elections, was allowed to explain his reasons why the debate was necessary despite an attempt by Conservative Cllr Les Ford to move on to next business.

Cllr Henesy, who is a member of an all-party working group looking at the issue, said: “We have met four times in public and I can say that the meetings have been the best attended meetings I have attended as a councillor. Hundreds have turned up during that period of time, listening intently to the evidence.

“The level of interest and concern is so significant, I believe it would be a travesty for this council not to debate the issue before we are disbanded. The public have a right to know what we as a council think about hydraulic fracturing.”

However, the Tory-controlled council decided not to allow debate and calls for a named vote were rejected with council leader Mike Jones saying the plea had come too late.

Cllr Justin Madders, the former Labour group leader who is standing as his party’s parliamentary candidate in Ellesmere Port and Neston, said later: “This council already has a reputation for ignoring the wishes of its residents, for stifling debate and for acting in a high-handed and arrogant manner. Once again you have proved it tonight.”

But council leader Mike Jones hit back: “We are not shutting down debate. The reason we did that previous debate was simply because that motion was premature, making your mind up on a working group before you have actually heard all the evidence is utterly disgraceful.”

Frack Free Upton is holding a protest outside the next public meeting of the Unconventional Gas and Oil Extraction Working Group taking place this Thursday (March 5) at 5pm at HQ.

A spokesperson said last week: “Yesterday evening, CWaC refused to even debate unconventional oil and gas extraction at a full council meeting. Thursday is the last working group meeting scheduled before the elections in May. Therefore it is even more important that we show our local council that the residents are opposed to it.”