A decision over plans to drill for methane in coal seams in north Shropshire, UK, has been postponed by the local authority.
Dart Energy has applied for permission to dig a test borehole to check for coalbed methane (CBM) on farmland in Dudlestone, near Ellesmere.
The company operates a number of CBM sites across the UK, including Airth in Scotland.
According to the BBC, local councillors have said they oppose the bid, but have agreed to postpone a decision until November after following legal advice.
They unanimously said they were “minded to reject the application” but officers and a legal advisor stepped in.
Officers are now expected to carry out further research before the next planning meeting.
Dart Energy was first granted planning permission to create a test borehole at the site in 2010, but it expired last year.
Their current plans include drilling an 830 m deep (2720 ft) borehole at the site. If approved, it would remain for two months, after which it would be sealed.
Edited from various sources by Sam Dodson