Officials have suggested that applications from Cuadrilla to explore for shale gas on two sites in Lancashire should not be approved.
The county council's planning officers have given some of the reasons for this refusal including an unacceptable increase in noise from drilling and heavy traffic. This recommendation will be considered next week by councillors ahead of deciding votes.
A member of anti-fracking group Residents Action on Fylde Fracking feels the recommendation is a positive step and commented: "It feels like a huge victory. But we are very pragmatic about it. We are still planning our mass demonstration next week."
Other issues have also been raised to oppose the application such as possible risks to public health, air and water pollution, subsidence and earthquake risk.
If these plans are approved on 28 and 29 January, it will be the first full scale shale gas exploration in the UK.
David Cameron continues to argue that the negatives are far outweighed by the positives, and claims fracking would create jobs and cut the country’s reliance on gas imports.
A spokesman for the Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) said: "The government continues to support the development of the shale industry in the UK [but] this is a matter for the local planning authority to determine."
