Friends of the Earth is warning that drinking water and national parks are now in the “fracking firing line” following yesterday’s vote by MPs to allow fracking for shale gas 1,200m below national parks and other protected sites.

A vote in the House of  Commons vote earlier this year, when ministers also pledged an "outright ban" on fracking in national parks, also saw MPs overwhelmingly reject a proposal to suspend drilling for shale gas.

The leading environmental organisation said the new Government rules would  mean that fracking will now be permitted in the protected areas that surround and feed water into drinking water aquifers.

Under the new regulations while drilling will not be allowed on national parks exploration companies will now in theory be able to set up rigs on the boundaries of the protected areas, drill vertically and then drill horizontally beneath them.

Although drilling for shale gas is only at an exploratory phase in the UK , the government looks set to issue more shale gas licences. To date over 100 licences have been now awarded by the government to allowing exploration companies to undertake a range of oil and gas exploration activities,

Earlier this week United Kingdom Onshore Oil and Gas (UKOOG), the body which represents the UK onshore oil and gas industry welcomed the final report from the independent Task Force on Shale Gas which concluded that "shale gas can be produced safely and usefully in the UK", as well as finding that there is "no more risk to the public from fracking than other comparable industries."

The Task Force has recommended that "baseline monitoring is essential to reassure local populations" and that monitoring of air, land and water should begin as soon as a site has been identified. In its second report  the Task Force concluded that the existing planning stipulation that the drilling of boreholes for groundwater monitoring can only begin once planning permission is granted did not benefit anyone. The Government recently announced a change to planning procedures to amend this.

The MPs voted by 298 – 261 in favour of fracking under national parks, Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONBs), Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSIs), World Heritage Sites, and Groundwater Protection Zones.

However, the new measures mean the Government will continue to face considerable opposition from a number of quarters, including the Labour Party which is calling for a moratorium on fracking until "we can be sure it is safe".

Greenpeace said the Government has broken its promise, having previously committed to an “outright ban” on fracking in protected areas.

Hannah Martin, Energy Campaigner at Greenpeace, said:

‘What we have seen today is the Government breaking its promise and forcing through regulations which will allow fracking underneath some of the most fragile and treasured landscapes in Britain. These areas have been protected for a reason: stunning areas like the Peak District, the North York Moors and the South Downs.”