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Campaigners welcome suspension of oil drilling at Horse Hill
The Surrey Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) has welcomed the suspension of oil drilling at Horse Hill but expressed concern over the length of time these “unlawful” operations were allowed to continue.
The announcement by UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) that it is suspending its drilling operations at the rural site near Horley follows a Supreme Court judgment earlier this year quashing the company’s permission to drill at Horse Hill.
In a landmark judgment, the Supreme Court had concluded that Surrey County Council (SCC) acted unlawfully in granting permission for UKOG to drill for oil because it had failed to consider the indirect environmental impact of burning fossil fuels.
CPRE Surrey welcomed the halt to oil drilling at Horse Hill, saying that campaigners will be “hugely relieved” by the news, but added that Surrey County Council (SCC) should have stopped UKOG activities on-site as soon as the Supreme Council issued its verdict in June.
John Goodridge, Chairman of CPRE Surrey, said: “It is extremely concerning to us that UKOG has been allowed to continue drilling oil at Horse Hill for more than four months after the Supreme Court decision.
“Surrey County Council should have taken enforcement action long before now to put a stop to UKOG’s unlawful operations at this site. Quite why SCC dragged their feet over this matter is unclear, and we hope there will be a full investigation into how this happened.”
He added: “At CPRE Surrey we are proud that we have supported the long campaign to end the desecration of the local countryside at Horse Hill. We hope that this is the end of the saga and that neither UKOG nor any other oil companies will be permitted to extract oil at Horse Hill in future.”
The legal challenge against SCC allowing drilling at Horse Hill was brought by environmental campaigner Sarah Finch of the Weald Action Group.
CPRE Surrey aims to protect, promote and enhance the countryside and natural environment of Surrey, working with local communities and their elected representatives to find positive and lasting ways to enable our countryside and nature to thrive.
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