Communities fighting onshore oil and gas
A day long wrangle over court procedures failed to resolve any of the main issues in the UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) injunction case, which is being opposed by five fossil fuel campaigners from Surrey and Sussex.
It also failed to involve any of the so-called possible defendants which the oil company claim to number 116, despite two having come forward to remove their names from it.
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.
The Weald Action Group has objected to IGas’s application for a new Environmental Permit for its Singleton site in West Sussex.
The new permit would allow it to reinject up to 17,000m3 of water a year, with a monthly limit of 2,500m3. The water is produced from oil and gas sites in the Weald, and would contain naturally-occurring radioactive material, known as NORM. Continue reading “Wastewater injection at Singleton threatens to pollute groundwater and trigger earthquakes”
Campaigners from the Weald Action Group reacted with disappointment as a High Court Judge refused a request for a Judicial Review of a controversial planning decision.
Sarah Finch, a campaigner from Redhill, was seeking permission 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.
Continue reading “Horse Hill: permission for judicial review refused but campaigners fight on”
The Traffic and Transport Management Plan commissioned by Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL) in support of its planning permission for 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill poses a real risk to other road users and if approved, threatens disturbance for local residents – for 20 years.
Under the plan – which is currently out for consultation – there would be no restriction on HGV permitted hours while oil production was going on – that’s 20 years of the planning permission.
Continue reading “HHDL’s Traffic and Transport Management Plan for Horse Hill is unworkable”
Alex Phillips, the Green MEP for South East England, visited Horse Hill on 11 January to meet with campaigners and hear about the campaign to stop the expansion of oil drilling in the South East.
Continue reading “Green MEP visits Horse Hill protection camp”
UK Oil & Gas Plc (UKOG) is holding a public engagement event on Monday 16th December 2019 to tell residents about the planning applications it intends to submit to the Isle of Wight Council in the new year.
Continue reading “UKOG to hold public engagement event on the Isle of Wight”
The Weald Action Group has objected to the application by Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL) to vary its permit for the Horse Hill oil production site in Surrey.
HHDL recently obtained planning permission allowing them to drill and test four new oil wells, drill a water reinjection well, and produce and store oil at the site (a decision that a local resident is seeking leave to challenge in a Judicial Review, with our support). But the operations must also be approved by the Environment Agency.
Continue reading “Horse Hill: Environmental permit should be refused”
The Weald Action Group will be going to the High Court to challenge oil company UK Oil and Gas Plc (UKOG)’s attempts to stifle protest – but not until next year.
On Friday 15 November, Weald Action Group representatives went to court to reach a decision about the interim injunction that was issued to UKOG in September 2018.
Continue reading “UKOG injunction to be challenged in the High Court”
The surprise announcement of a moratorium on fracking in England earlier this month left many people confused about which operations had been banned.
Campaigners across the Weald received celebratory messages from people overjoyed that proposed drilling at Horse Hill, Balcombe and elsewhere would be stopped in its tracks. Sadly that’s not the case. Continue reading “Why doesn’t the fracking moratorium cover acidising too?”