Planning chiefs say the American firm, which wants to store 1.2 million tonnes of gas in caverns, has failed to provide enough information to ensure the Preesall geology is capable of accommodating the development.

The company has also been criticised for failing to prove gas could not migrate through the geology or via former mining activities.

Concerns were also raised that the £300m development would be "detrimental to the quality of the open character of the countryside, coastal plain, estuary landscape and Wyre Way".

Jubilant MPs and neighbours, who have fought two previous planning applications, welcomed the recommendation and said they now hoped Canatxx would "pack up and go home".

Ian Mulroy, chairman of Protect Wyre Group, said: "We are very pleased and we feel the refusal has been recommended for all the right reasons – because of the lack of information from Canatxx.

"We have still got to go before the committee but we feel confident they will uphold the planning officers' recommendation. Canatxx may pack up and go home now."

The recommendation comes just a week before the county council's development control committee is due to make a decision on the planning application.

For more on this story see Thursday's Gazette.