Fracking firms push for easing of earthquake and planning rules ahead of ban lifting

Tremors above 0.5 on Richter scale should be allowed, industry says – and local objections bypassed

Fracking firms are pushing for earthquake limits to be relaxed and want local objections to be bypassed ahead of Liz Truss lifting the ban in England.

The new prime minister is expected to confirm the U-turn as early as next week – but the industry body has told The Independent the move will only kickstart the industry if new rules are brought in to make fracking easier.

They should include speeding up planning permission by allowing ministers, instead of local authorities, to approve projects as “nationally significant infrastructure”, it says.