Anti-fracking campaigners are jubilant after councillors rejected an energy company’s plan to ‘flow test’ its existing well in Ellesmere Port .

Earlier protesters marched to the council HQ where planning committee members refused the IGas application by 10 votes against the solitary vote of chairman Cllr Alex Black (Lab, Hoole).

TV crews captured the moment people in the public seating area took to their feet in a standing ovation as they cheered and clapped the popular decision of their elected representatives.

Activists had told the committee about their fears around water and air contamination as well as earthquakes plus the impact on health and local wildlife.

Anti-fracking protested marched on Cheshire West and Chester Council where members of the planning committee rejected a planning application by IGas to flow test its existing well at Portside North, Ellesmere Port.

IGas confirmed its latest plan at Portside North did not involve any hydraulic fracturing, known as ‘fracking’, but many worried permission would have signalled a step in that direction as the exercise aimed to determine whether shale gas production was viable.

In a joint statement released afterwards, Ellesmere Port and Upton frack free groups said: “This great decision shows that our council and hopefully our country is waking up to the serious faults and dangers of this type of fossil fuel development. We need instead to be concentrating on renewables and sustainable energy, to save our climate from the catastrophic effects of climate change.

“This is to the benefit of our children and future generations.

Anti-fracking protested marched on Cheshire West and Chester Council where members of the planning committee rejected a planning application by IGas to flow test its existing well at Portside North, Ellesmere Port.

“If this application had gone ahead it would mark the start of the development of the Cheshire gas field of which INEOS have already confirmed 4,000 wells across Cheshire. The impact on Cheshire and its environment of such a development is unimaginable.

“Of course, the big oil and gas industries with their related plastics are desperate to continue current practice but even they admit that most of our known oil and gas resources must stay in the ground.

“They say that this is a bridge to a low carbon economy but it isn’t. It’s not a bridge. It is not low carbon and it’s not economical. It’s bad for the environment, bad for society and bad economics. We will now continue our fight with the application at Ince.”

John Blaymires, chief operating officer for IGas at the firm's well site in Doe Green, near Warrington

John Blaymires, IGas chief operating officer, had argued in favour of his company’s application insisting the operation was safe when he addressed members.

He said: “We are now applying for planning permission to reenter the existing well with the intention of testing whether commercial hydrocarbon production can be established. The proposed development does not involve any drilling or deepening of the existing well and for absolute clarity does not involve any hydraulic fracturing.”

He added: “This area of Cheshire in particular employs a significant number of people who work in businesses that rely on gas not just as a source of power but also as a raw material for such things as fertilisers, chemicals and glass. We believe that the proposals before you today accord with both local and national policy.”

Anti-fracking protested marched on Cheshire West and Chester Council where members of the planning committee rejected a planning application by IGas to flow test its existing well at Portside North, Ellesmere Port.

Although planning is supposedly non-political, it was interesting the motion to refuse planning permission was proposed and seconded by Conservative planning committee members Jill Houlbrook (Upton) and Eleanor Johnson (Gowy).

But the move went against the recommendation of the council’s own professional planning and legal officers who had to quickly come up with an alternative form of words capable of supporting the members’ stance in law.

Fiona Hore, CWaC’s senior manager, planning and strategic transport, suggested the proposed development to appraise shale gas at this location was contrary to the council’s Local Plan.

Reading a hastily prepared statement, she said: “In this instance the proposal does not mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change in ensuring development makes best use of opportunities for renewable energy use and generation.”

Labour MP Chris Matheson pictured at the former anti-fracking camp off Duttons Lane, Upton.

Chester’s anti-fracking Labour MP Chris Matheson said later: “I’m pleased to see the council’s planning committee have tonight turned down an application to flow test a well in Ellesmere Port.

“Fracking has been banned by countries all over the world, yet the pro-fracking Tory government in the UK has changed the law so that government ministers can overrule decisions made by local councils and impose fracking in local communities. Let’s hope that the message is clear from the people in Cheshire West and Chester to the Secretary of State in Westminster - not here, not now, not ever.”