Allowing fracking companies to drill under peoples' homes without their permission and watered-down standards for zero-carbon homes are expected to be the key green measures in the Queen's speech on Wednesday.



The proposals in the speech, which sets out the legislative programme for the year and is the last before the 2015 general election, marks a further hardening of the Conservative party's attitude against environmental measures.

Their coalition partners, the Lib Dems, see the survival of any zero-carbon home policy as a victory but failed to get other green proposals into the speech.

Current laws of trespass require land- and home-owners to give permission for shale gas and oil drilling under their land, but the government intends to end this requirement in order to speed up fracking. Drilling can extend up to 3km horizontally underground from a central well pad.

Green Party MP Caroline Lucas said: “Not only does this bill defy public opinion, it denies people a voice. To allow fracking companies to drill under people’s homes and land without their permission is to ignore public interest in pursuit of the vested interests of a few.”

Tory ministers argue that fracking can deliver improved energy security for the UK but opponents warn of safety concerns and the need to cut carbon emissions to tackle climate change. The former Conservative energy minister Lord Howell has also warned fracking will cost the Tories thousands of votes in crucial rural constituencies.

The shale gas industry welcomed as “very timely” the change in the trespass law, which is considered a major obstacle to exploration. It argues the changes update the law and will give fracking companies the same drilling rights already held by utility companies.

Marcus Pepperell, spokesman for Shale Gas Europe, said: “We are only able to consider shale gas as a commercially viable energy source because of important advances in modern technology [including] horizontal drilling. Shale gas drilling will be deep underground and far less intrusive than many other energy sources. Utility facilities are far closer to the surface and their facilities can be much larger.”

The Queen's speech will also see the coalition effectively abandon a pledge to make all new homes "zero-carbon" by 2016. The new legislation will not apply to housing built in “small” developments – perhaps as large as 50 homes - and companies would be allowed to buy exemptions from the new green standards.

However, the inclusion of any zero-carbon home legislation at all is seen as a major victory by the Lib Dems, who saw off Conservative attempts to kill the plan entirely.

“This change simply would not be happening without the Liberal Democrat half of the coalition fighting tooth and nail to make it a reality,” said Lib Dem minister Stephen Williams, who has responsibility for building regulations and climate change at the Department for Communities and Local Government (DCLG).

He said just 11% of homes built in 2013 met the standard that will be set for 2016, "so this is a massive leap forward in terms of environmentally friendlier housing.” He said the new standards for insulation would cut energy bills for the homes by £200 a year.

Paul King, chief executive of the UK Green Building Council, agreed with Williams that allowing paid exemptions did not let developers of the hook. But he said: “It is deeply worrying to hear suggestions that ‘small sites’ could be exempt from the zero carbon standard. This decision could cause confusion and lead to perverse outcomes, for example the slowing down of housing supply as developers phase the delivery of ‘small sites’ to avoid regulations.”

Nina Skorupska, chief executive of the Renewable Energy Association, said: “The Lib Dems are celebrating this as a green victory, but in reality it’s one of the worst row-backs on green policy of the whole coalition government. First emissions from TVs and kettles were excluded [from the zero carbon home target], then DCLG started dismantling existing new build energy efficiency policies, and now they are focusing on offsets and hefty exemptions. Our energy bills, our climate and the domestic renewable energy supply chain will all lose out as a result.”

Leonie Greene, at the Solar Trade Association, said the changes would save developers only a small percentage of the building's cost but means the homeowners' energy bills would be significantly higher.