Weald Action Group

The environmental organisation Friends of the Earth and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government have been granted permission to participate in a local campaigners’ legal challenge over oil production at Horse Hill, near Gatwick in Surrey.

Campaigner Sarah Finch is bringing a Judicial Review of Surrey County Council’s decision to grant an onshore oil company planning permission for four new oil wells and 20 years of oil production. Friends of the Earth had applied to make a legal intervention to support the challenge; the Secretary of State applied to be joined in order to oppose the challenge.

Continue reading “Friends of the Earth and Government minister to take part in Horse Hill judicial review”

Campaigners are celebrating as a cohort of onshore oil firms have been forced to walk away from the controversial proposed oil drilling site at Leith Hill in Surrey.

The consortium of UK Oil & Gas Plc (UKOG), Angus Energy and Egdon Resources Ltd has decided to relinquish the licence after concluding that “the required long-reach/shallow target-depth wells are neither technically viable or economically feasible”.  

Continue reading “Campaigners celebrate as oil companies walk away from Leith Hill”

UK Government energy policy and local planning rules on onshore oil developments need to change, say campaigners.

The Weald Action Group has published a briefing Why we don’t need more onshore oil in the UK, which refutes claims made by the onshore oil industry that their developments are needed to maintain energy security, that UK oil has a lower carbon footprint than imported oil, that they provide local jobs and that they are needed for plastic production. 

Continue reading “New briefing: Why we don’t need more onshore oil in the UK”

The public consultation period for the Arreton site formally closed on July 24th but the portal has remained open for responses which have continued to be submitted.

We can confirm that, as of 3rd September there were 2225 opposition and 68 supporting comments.
The Don’t Drill The Wight campaign team decided to track  and record the public comments for a variety of reasons.  Essentially the Isle of Wight Planning Office Portal does not truly reflect accurate numbers and types of responses,  for a variety of reasons,  and we wanted to ensure we did.

Continue reading “Arreton Public Consultation: Comments Analysis and Report.”

Works by established artists go on sale today to raise funds for an important legal challenge supported by the Weald Action Group.

Contributing artists including Ackroyd and Harvey, Merlyn Chesterman RE and Surrey-based Kiri Jones and Ali Tomlin are taking part in the sale, organised by Ann Stewart, which is found at artatwag.artweb.com

Work on sale includes paintings, woodcuts, photographic prints, ceramics and glassware, at prices ranging from £25 to £1,000. Artists will donate 33% of the sale price – and in some cases 100% – to the cause.

Continue reading “‘Art for the Earth’: Online sale to raise funds for Horse Hill legal challenge”

Pat Smith, a 71-year-old grandmother from Dorking, is walking over 100 miles to raise funds for a legal challenge to Surrey County Council.

Continue reading “Dorking campaigner to walk 100 miles for Horse Hill legal challenge”

The Weald Action Group is calling for artists to submit work for a special online art sale in October 2020.

The sale is to raise funds for a legal challenge to Surrey County Council’s decision to allow the drilling of four more oil wells – and 20 years of oil production – at Horse Hill, near Horley in Surrey.

Continue reading “Call for Artists!”

 

Sarah Finch, a campaigner from Redhill, has been granted permission by the Appeal Court for a Judicial Review of Surrey County Council’s decision to allow the drilling of four new oil wells and 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill, near Gatwick in Surrey.

Sarah Finch and many others had objected to the proposed development by UK Oil and Gas for a range of reasons, including climate change. When Surrey County Council approved the plans in September 2019, Sarah issued a legal challenge, with support from the Weald Action Group. She claimed that the Council had failed to consider the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions of the project, and the government’s Net Zero target for carbon emissions.

Continue reading “Green light for legal challenge to Surrey County Council’s support for 20 years’ oil production at Horse Hill”

Update 3 August 2020:  The decision to refuse planning permission for oil and gas exploration at Dunsfold has now been ruled invalid following technical problems during the committee meeting, which was conducted online. There will now be further training for councillors and the decision will be taken again. 

Continue reading “UKOG’s application to drill at Dunsfold refused”