The Supreme Court will hand down its judgment on the case Sarah Finch v. Surrey County Council at 9.45 am on 20 June 2024. It will be also be livestreamed on the UK Supreme Court website.
Join us outside the court from 8.45am.
The case – about planning permission granted in 2019 for 20 years’ oil production at Horse Hill in Surrey – is of major importance for future decisions by planning authorities about applications to extract fossil fuels across England and Wales.
The case was brought by local campaigner Sarah Finch, on behalf of the Weald Action Group. Sarah argues that correct interpretation of the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations 2017 means that Surrey County Council should have taken into consideration the greenhouse gas emissions arising from combustion of the oil from Horse Hill in its environmental impact assessment.
Her claim is supported by Friends of the Earth and Greenpeace UK, both intervenors in the case. The Office of Environmental Protection and West Cumbria Mining Ltd have also intervened.
The case has been widely recognised as important for all future, and some extant, planning permissions for fossil fuel production.
Tony Bosworth, Climate Change campaigner at Friends of the Earth, said: “This landmark legal challenge could have huge implications for fossil fuel developments across the country, including the new coal mine in West Cumbria. Sarah Finch’s legal case could play a huge role in building a net zero future.”