Refusal to give the go ahead to shale gas fracking on Lancashire farmland in the past week has prompted a mixed response.

The proposals, which have split opinion within the farming community, were lodged with Lancashire County Council by energy firm Caudrilla.

The Roseacre Wood site proposal, near Preston, was unanimously rejected due to concerns over its impact on the local road network, while the application at Little Plumpton, Preston New Road, closer to Blackpool, was eventually refused on the grounds of noise and visual impact.

Caudrilla said the refusals did not mark the end of the road for its plans to frack the ’Bowland basin’ of shale gas and, in a statement released on Monday, the firm said it was ‘surprised and disappointed’ at the refusal.

It said: “We remain committed to the responsible exploration of the huge quantity of natural gas locked up in the shale rock deep underneath Lancashire.

“We will now take time to consider our options regarding an appeal for Preston New Road, along with also considering appeals for the planning applications recently turned down including last week’s decision to refuse the Roseacre Wood application.”

Lancashire county councillor Marcus Johnstone described the decision as the ‘biggest ever put before Lancashire County Council’.

Frack Free Lancashire, which opposed the applications and staged protests outside Preston’s County Hall throughout the planning committee meetings, welcomed the rejection.

It said: “We are happy Lancashire County Council has listened to the overwhelming wishes of local people and has rejected Cuadrilla’s application.

“We believe in producing the food and energy we need in a sustainable way which protects our children’s future and our beautiful countryside.”

But some groups see the refusal as a setback for local businesses and growth in Lancashire.

Babs Murphy, chief executive of north and western Lancashire Chamber of Commerce, which is part of the pro-fracking North West energy Task Force, said: “This is bad news for local businesses, a number of which have already gained new contracts from shale gas exploration.

“The decision means Lancashire is now at risk of missing the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity of establishing itself as a centre of expertise for the industry.”

Alex Madden, head of planning at Thrings solicitors, said the refusal did not mean the applications were without merit and the decisions appealed.

In terms of where Cuadrilla goes next, he suggested it has three options:

1. It could do nothing and wait for central Government to produce further guidance and policy updates which could change the mindset of the local planning authority before resubmitting an application

2. It could appeal to the Planning Inspectorate which may result in the appeal being ‘recovered’ by Greg Clark, the Communities Secretary, if he deems it to be of national significance due to the controversial nature of the application

3. It could reapply to the mineral planning authority with an amended application which addresses the reasons for refusal and start the process over again

The opportunity is there for Cuadrilla to appeal the refused scheme while resubmitting an application. This is because the timescale for an appeal decision is uncertain and could take anywhere from six to 12 months, if not longer.