The council has been urged to form an official policy on fracking.

A motion was submitted by Kirklees Green Party members at last night’s Full Council calling on the council to form an official stance to any future fracking bid affecting the borough.

Fracking opponents campaigned outside Huddersfield Town Hall prior to last night’s 5pm meeting.

But the motion was the last – bar one – agenda item out of 26 and meant time was running short for a full debate as throwing out time at the town hall approached.

Clrs Andrew Cooper and Julie Stewart-Turner called on their colleagues to vote to develop a council policy on shale gas and coal bed methane extraction.

Their motion urged the council to “seek to attract to Kirklees appropriate funding for projects which increase energy efficiency, sustainability and self-sufficiency, stabilise energy bills, and create jobs in the green economy.”

They noted the Coalition Government’s “enthusiasm” for developing fracking in the UK and the controversy and opposition to it.

The motion added: “...the large amounts of water needed for hydraulic fracturing to extract shale gas (known as fracking) would reduce water supplies in this region, which are also threatened by the impact of climate change.”

The two Greens urged councillors to note the “unavoidable increase in noise, visual intrusion and air pollution from heavy traffic in communities close to fracking sites.”

Clr Cooper has previously told the Examiner that Yorkshire could be in the fracking “firing line” due to its history of coal mining.

Tim Padmore, from Kirklees Against Climate Change, said he and other opposers of fracking were handing information leaflets about the issue to councillors before the meeting.

He said “We support the Green Party motion.

“In terms of the geology of the area there is a possibility of coal bed methane in this area. It is normally used in ex-mining areas.”

He said fracking opponents hoped Kirklees councillors would join their counterparts in Sheffield in making a stance against fracking.

To watch a video of the town hall lobby visit www.examiner.co.uk .