CONTROVERSIAL drilling for shale gas could take place across swathes of Hampshire, including countryside near North Baddesley and Stockbridge.

The moves comes as the Government is set to announce new tax breaks for shale gas extraction, as well as financial incentives for local communities.

Hydraulic fracturing — known as fracking — is controversial because it involves drilling thousands of feet underground, and then pumping in pressurised water and chemicals to crack the rocks below and release trapped pockets of gas.

It is strongly opposed by green campaigners and Liberal Democrat county councillors. They say it could potentially contaminate groundwater supplies, increase dependence on fossil fuels, and cause small earthquakes.

But supporters say it could bring down fuel bills, release natural resources, pump millions of pounds into the local economy, and create jobs.

Greenpeace, the environmental group, has mapped areas covered by licences to explore for oil and gas exploration issued by the Department for Energy and Climate Change (DECC).

In Hampshire they include:

- North of Winchester, from Kings Worthy stretching west towards Stockbridge;

- East of Winchester, under Hampage Wood;

 - North Southampton, stretching east from North Baddesley all the way to Swanwick, including Eastleigh, Lakeside Country Park, Hedge End and Botley;

- Further north, reaching from Chilbolton west to Amport;

- Stretching west from Hinton, in the New Forest;

- From east of Fareham, stretching further east; -

- Two licences stretching east from the Hambledon area.

Liberal Democrat opposition spokesman for the environment, Adam Carew, said: “Communities across Hampshire must be very worried.

“We live in a beautiful county and have a duty of care towards our farmers and our residents. Is this really the sort of thing we want in Hampshire?”

The licences allow drilling to see if there is the potential for shale gas and oil extraction. Oil companies still need planning permission.

The county council, as minerals and waste authority, decides planning applications for gas and oil. To date, it has not received any applications.

Tory environment chief, Sean Woodward, said: “If exploration is permitted and is successful, the removal of the mineral would require further permissions and it is not pre-ordained that this would be fracking.

Details of the licences emerged as Lib Dem county councillors failed last week to force a vote on making Hampshire a fracking-free zone.

Mr Carew called on the ruling Tories to forbid fracking on council land and oppose it in all parts of the county.
 

But council leader Roy Perry said a ban would prejudice future planning applications. If permission was refused, oil companies could appeal for government planning inspectors to overturn the decision on the grounds their application had been prejudged.
 

Hampshire’s Minerals and Waste plan, which is due to be adopted in September, supports oil and gas development if the need outweighs any impact on the environment and local amenity.