BREAKING: Fracking for shale gas can proceed in the UK for the first time since 2011 as campaigner loses legal appeal

Shale gas company Cuadrilla has won permission to start fracking operations in Lancashire after a legal challenge from campaigner and local resident Bob Dennett failed at the High Court today.

The ruling means fracking can go ahead in the UK for the first time since 2011, with Cuadrilla poised to start operations within hours at its Preston New Road site in Lancashire. Drilling and flow tests are expected to be carried out for around six months, ahead of the company beginning commercial operations.

The judge turned down Dennett's request for an injunction to temporarily block the start of fracking, rejecting his lawyers' claim that the council had not planned adequately for emergencies at the site.

Francis Egan, CEO of Cuadrilla, said he was "delighted" with the result. "We are now commencing the final operational phase to evaluate the commercial potential for a new source of indigenous natural gas in Lancashire," he said. "If commercially recoverable this will displace costly imported gas, with lower emissions, significant economic benefit and better security of energy supply for the UK."

But Green party co-leader Jonathan Bartley said the ruling was "bitterly disappointing". "A new fossil fuel frontier has been opened in Britain," he said. "In the same week the UN warned we have little more than a decade to tackle climate change, this ruling has paved the way for the first fracking in seven years."

"To stand any chance of hitting climate targets we must keep all fossil fuels in the ground where they belong," he added. "Fracking is a dirty, dangerous industry and I stand shoulder to shoulder with the brave residents standing up for the safety of their community today."

The two wells at the Preston New Road site were approved by the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy Greg Clark this summer, after they were previously blocked by the local council, suspended over earthquake fears, and subjected to years of protests.

Campaigners insist fracking will result in unacceptable air pollution risks while undermining the UK's decarbonisation plans, but the government argues it will boost Britain's energy security and help the country transition to lower carbon fuels.