The Queen’s Speech revealed a bill which will make it easier for fracking to take place across the country.

The bill aims to change trespass laws to allow unconventional gas exploration companies to drill on private land without first requiring a landowner’s permission.

Fracking companies would still need planning permission to drill for shale gas, but the new bill would enable them to install pipes to transport gas under private land.

But South West organsation Frack Free Somerset is hugely opposed to the bill as they feel it removes the laws which protects ordinary people from their land being affected.

Greenpeace also made a stand against the proposal by demonstrating outside David Cameron’s house in the Cotswolds near Oxford yesterday monring.

Following the speech Frack Free Somerset said: “We regard the government’s bill as cynically designed to remove laws that protect ordinary people and to increase the profits of big business and ministers with vested interests.

“It follows complaints made last August against leading fracking company, Cuadrilla, when it was forced to settle legal action with at least one Lancashire homeowner.

“Although affected landowners may be compensated, Frack Free Somerset believes that this will be insufficient to address the severe impacts on water, soil and air quality, and on human and livestock health, which scientific research in the US and Australia demonstrates to be caused by fracking.

“Fracking has no democratic mandate in the UK, with polls showing less than 50 per cent of the population now in favour of this harmful technology.”

But despite the opposition the Government is pushing for the development of a shale gas industry in the UK, claiming it would create jobs and growth, reduce energy prices and cut the country’s reliance on gas imports.

Opponents have raised fears the process causes earthquakes, and can pollute water supplies, lead to inappropriate development in the countryside and damage house prices.