Communities fighting onshore oil and gas
Local residents and campaign groups across the South East have written to the High Court in a bid to get a draconian injunction quashed.
The interim injunction by the UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) group of companies has dragged on for two years without a trial of the evidence. It bans protest at two of its sites: Horse Hill in Surrey and Broadford Bridge in West Sussex.
Lawyers for five peaceful protesters supported by the Weald Action Group have applied to the High Court to bring an end to an interim injunction against protest at oil sites in Surrey and Sussex in line with a new Court of Appeal ruling.
A recent judgment, made on a case brought by fur company Canada Goose, says it’s unlawful to allow interim injunctions against “persons unknown” to drag on and vindicated the protesters’ argument that companies such as UK Oil & Gas (UKOG) should stop misusing Court procedures to get wide orders against lawful protesters through the unfair device of persons unknown.
A flurry of oil applications are in the process of being decided around Surrey and Sussex, including the controversial new site at Dunsfold. This is how you can get involved in opposing them:
Broadford Bridge: UKOG want a third extension to their permission at this site in West Sussex despite their promises to be off the site by now. Join campaigners outside the County Council meeting on March 24th which will decide it: gather at 0945 at County Hall, West St, Chichester PO19 1RG. Bring banners. We hope to see you there.
Balcombe: Angus Energy’s application for a three-year well test at Balcombe may also come up at the same meeting. Watch this space.
Brockham: Angus Energy is applying for an Environment Agency permit to reinject waste water, after saying it was pulling out of the site and also after the EA said it wasn’t competent to carry out reinjection. It’s also planning the same at its Lidsey site in Sussex.
Dunsfold aka Loxley: the planning decision about whether to open up this new greenfield site targeted by UKOG has been repeatedly delayed. The next Surrey planning meeting is scheduled for March 25th. UKOG has recently withdrawn a second application for the site.
Isle of Wight: UKOG has published its EIA screening report for the Arreton sight and Frack Free Isle of Wight is holding a series of public information meetings about the plans.