Government and local communities should allow test drilling at exploratory shale sites to gauge the market size and impact, according to the final report of the Task Force on Shale Gas.
The industry-funded academics said proposed community benefit schemes needed to be defined so that local communities know what they are getting themselves into and at what price.
The report caveated most of its findings around market size, job creation and the impact on house prices, stating that a lack of evidence made concrete conclusions impossible.
Exploratory wells were the only way to gather evidence, it concluded.
Read the report here.
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