Author: Sarah Finch

Surrey resident Sarah Finch is taking her legal challenge over Horse Hill oil to the Court of Appeal. To do this, she needs to raise an extra £25,000 for legal fees and court costs – and the Weald Action Group is supporting her all the way.

Campaigners from across the south-east are helping with a series of fundraising initiatives which kick off this month. First up, two campaigners, Simon and Sam, are embarking on a 1,000-mile bike ride from Kingston to Barcelona to help with raising funds and awareness for the campaign ahead.  You can Sponsor Simon and Sam here.

Continue reading “Horse Hill fundraiser kicks off with a 1,000-mile sponsored cycle ride”

Campaigners defending the right to peaceful protest are celebrating as an injunction against persons unknown at the Horse Hill oil site in Surrey was finally laid to rest.

Continue reading “‘Persons Unknown’ Injunction at Horse Hill oil site finally laid to rest”

IGas are proposing to install hydrogen generation systems at two of their sites in Surrey, at Albury and Bletchingley.

Hydrogen burns without producing any carbon dioxide and other emissions except water. Consequently, IGas are claiming that their hydrogen production can be part of the transition to the UK Net Zero.

This is misleading on a number of grounds. Their plans will lead to a significant increase in emissions at their sites in Surrey.

Continue reading “IGas hydrogen proposal will increase greenhouse gas emissions in Surrey”

Continue reading “Acid stimulation: Fracking by stealth continues despite moratorium – report from Brockham Oil Watch”

A climate campaigner’s fight to prevent the development of oil wells in Surrey – which is supported by the Weald Action Group – will go to the Court of Appeal.

Sarah Finch, of Redhill, Surrey, has been given permission to take her battle against Surrey County Council’s decision to grant Horse Hill Developments Ltd planning permission for the drilling and production of oil at a site in the Surrey Hills to the Court of Appeal.

Continue reading “Climate campaigner to take Horse Hill challenge to Court of Appeal”

The five Weald Action Group campaigners who planned to continue their challenge to get a draconian injunction quashed in the High Court at a hearing starting next week are celebrating as the UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) group of companies concede that they have to radically scale back the Injunction and agree a much reduced draft Order which they have now made public.

Continue reading “Campaigners celebrate as oil companies cave in on injunction against ‘persons unknown’ at sites in Surrey and Sussex”

Press release from A Voice for Leith Hill

The licence to drill for oil and gas in the area covering Leith Hill in Surrey will still be offered to exploration companies, even though successive companies have failed to drill there.

Leith Hill, an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, was the site of controversial plans to drill for oil by successive companies over a 12 year period. Europa Oil and Gas pulled out of the site in 2018 after a lengthy legal battle to get planning permission to drill at the site.

Continue reading “Oil licence to continue to blight Leith Hill, regulator confirms to campaigners”

A judge has found that Surrey County Council was not required to consider greenhouse gas emissions arising from the combustion of the oil to be produced at a site at Horse Hill, Surrey, when considering a planning application for massive expansion of oil drilling at the site over the next 25 years.

In a written ruling issued today, the Hon Mr Justice Holgate dismissed a legal challenge brought by Redhill resident Sarah Finch, who was supported by the Weald Action Group.

Continue reading “Judge finds against Horse Hill legal challenge”

The world’s governments must wind down fossil fuel production by 6% per year to limit catastrophic warming. This means reducing the supply of fossil fuels as well as demand for them.

These are key findings from the 2020 Production Gap, a new report from the United Nations. The report also finds that the UK is in a strong position to transition from fossil fuels, and to assist other countries in doing so.

Just a day later the UK Government announced a new target of cutting greenhouse gas emissions by 68% on 1990 levels. But the target doesn’t go anywhere near far enough.

Continue reading “Carbon cuts: latest UN warning and Government’s new target”

The long-awaited Judicial Review of Surrey County Council’s decision-making over the planning permission for 20 years oil production at Horse Hill took place over two days this week.

Join a debrief with barrister Estelle Dehon

Continue reading “Horse Hill Judicial Review: reflections and debrief”