Britain's Truss says fracking must have community consent

LONDON (Reuters) - British Prime Minister Liz Truss said on Thursday fracking would only be allowed to take place where a community has consented and the government was working on the "detailed issues" about how support would be gauged.

"It's very important for me as prime minister that any fracking has local community consent," she told BBC Radio Lancashire, which broadcasts in the region where fracking for shale gas was halted after earth tremors.

This month, Truss's government lifted a moratorium on fracking in England that had been in place since 2019, saying strengthening energy supply was an "absolute priority".

Many communities and lawmakers and environmental groups strongly oppose fracking.

Asked what local consent looked like, Truss said: "The energy secretary will be laying out in more detail exactly what that looks like, but it does mean making sure there is local support for going ahead."

"There are various detailed issues to be worked through," she said. "But I will make sure there is local consent if we are to go ahead in any particular area with fracking."

(Reporting by Paul Sandle; Editing by Robert Birsel)