Oil drilling stops after planning permission axed

A controversial oil drilling site in Surrey has suspended production months after its planning permission was quashed in a landmark legal case.

In June Supreme Court judges ruled that the full climate impact of the fossil fuel project at Horse Hill in Horley should have been considered before being given the go-ahead by Surrey County Council (SCC).

However, the council previously said it had followed planning law, while UK Oil and Gas Plc (UKOG) - the company behind the drilling - added that the judgement did not mean work there should stop.

But now extraction has ceased, leaving campaigners who had waged a long-running legal battle against it saying they feel "thrilled".

“We are thrilled the developer has finally suspended oil drilling at the site," said Niall Toru, lawyer for environmental organisation Friends of the Earth.

"The fact it went unchecked for four months raises serious questions for Surrey County Council.

"We hope this signals the end of the Horse Hill development once and for all.”

In a statement, UKOG said its subsidiary, Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL), had been working with SCC "to find the most pragmatic way forward to achieve the required planning re-determination", including site visits.

It noted that the Supreme Court's decision was "not the result of any action, error or omission by the company or its subsidiary", and that HHDL had acted responsibly and "in full regulatory compliance during the six years of production planning consent".

"A detailed plan for a safe, full suspension of related operations and activities will be implemented following SCC's concurrence," added UKOG.

Further to last week's council announcement which deemed oil production at the site "unlawful" following the Supreme Court ruling, an SCC spokesperson said it was "pleased that commercial production of oil at the site has ceased".

"However, discussions remain on-going in relation to full suspension of the site and our planning enforcement investigation remains live."

Follow BBC Surrey on Facebook, on X. Send your story ideas to [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08081 002250.