At the meeting of North Yorkshire Council’s strategic planning committee, half a dozen public speakers opposed the scheme, including Prof Chris Garforth of Frack Free Coastal Communities.
He said: “Gas from North Yorkshire will not bring lower prices, because gas from here may well be exported.
“Energy security comes from speeding up a transition to renewable energy.
”Visitors come here for the tranquillity of the heritage coast, which this development will blight.”
Councillors also raised concerns about the impact of lighting on the North York Moors National Park’s dark skies policy.
Speaking at the meeting, Councillor Andrew Timothy said he was “concerned with public safety impacts and that should be paramount in everything we do”.
He said: “I don’t believe it’s possible for us to know if it’s safe or not and as such I can’t support this application.”
