A meeting to discuss oil and gas exploration near Balcombe, a village in southeast England, is expected to be at full capacity, a county council said Thursday.

The West Sussex County Council advised members of the public that space was limited to 100 people for a meeting Tuesday to discuss, among other things, temporary oil and gas exploration near Balcombe.

Last year, Balcombe was the scene of protests against drilling operations in the area by shale explorer Cuadrilla Resources.

The company announced Wednesday it would apply for permission to drill up to four exploration wells at sites near Balcombe. While last year's campaign didn't involve hydraulic fracturing, the company said it now wanted approval to proceed with the controversial drilling practice known also as fracking.

Cuadrilla Chief Executive Officer Francis Egan said his company was reaching out to members of the local community to get feedback on the proposed operations.

"Cuadrilla is committed to being a good neighbor and to talking to local residents and community representatives at every stage of the process," he said in a statement.

Fracking opponents have expressed concern that some of the chemicals used in the process will contaminate the environment.