FRACKING in the UK has been put back two years by the county council's decision to refuse industry giant Cuadrilla the right to drill for shale gas at two sites in Lancashire, it has been claimed.

The assertion, made in a national newspaper, came shortly after Cuadrilla announced it will appeal the decision, made by the authority's Development Control Committee last month.

The paper quoted a Whitehall source, who said the appeal process could take 16 months — and scare off other fracking companies from applying before a decision in this case is made.

The applications sought permission to drill, hydraulically fracture and test the flow of gas from up to four exploration wells at two sites on Preston New Road and the other at Roseacre Wood, between Blackpool and Preston.

The Green Party's environment and climate change spokesman, Keith Taylor, welcomed the news about the delay and said communities were 'refusing to be bullied' by fracking firms.

He said: "It's not just people in Lancashire who’ll be breathing a sigh of relief over this announcement. Everyone in the UK will take delight that these Tory plans are being postponed.

“The public’s view of fracking is becoming more and more negative and this will continue to grow as more people learn the risks of what fracking can do to their city, town or village.

“Communities are refusing to be bullied or bribed by the frackers and the government needs to listen to public opinion on this and stop putting corporate wealth before public health.

"The more this government extols the virtues of shale gas extraction, the less the public will believe them.

“Fracking is a distraction from investing in clean energy sources and we must leave the majority of fossil fuels in the ground to have a good chance of avoiding the impact of extremely dangerous climate change.”

A spokeswoman for Cuadrilla said: "We are not in charge of the timeline or procedures of which appeals will be heard.

"That responsibility rests with the planning inspectorate."

Its chief executive officer Francis Egan also said in an earlier statement: "We have given careful consideration to appeal the planning decisions taken by Lancashire County Council.

"This is a natural step in the democratic process for deciding any planning application."

Ian Barnett, convenor of the Burnley, Pendle and Rossendale Green Party, said the group would be stepping up its campaign to stop fracking in the county.

In 2013, a study found the M65 corridor north of Blackburn, through Burnley to Colne, and down the Rossendale valley had enough shale gas to make fracking there viable.

Mr Barnett said: "If Cuadrilla win their appeal, East Lancashire will be next on the list for fracking for shale gas."