Monthly Archives: July 2020

Press release from the Weald Action Group

Campaigners outside the Royal Courts of Justice for a hearing on this case in February 2020

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.

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Press release from Extinction Rebellion Surrey. Photos by Natasa Leoni

Today, Monday 6 July 2020: 

• Extinction Rebellion ‘slow walk’ a tanker destined for the UKOG oil production site at Horse Hill, in protest at the expansion of fossil fuel development during a climate emergency.
• 20 activists gathered in front of a tanker near the junction of Horse Hill with Reigate Road, and walked slowly in front of it to delay its progress along Horse Hill to the Horse Hill Developments Ltd (UKOG) oil production site, near Horley, Surrey. 
• This is a protest against the continued expansion of fossil fuel infrastructure allowed by both the UK Government and Surrey County Council (SCC).
• The value of oil plummeted during the Covid-19 crisis and activists are calling on the Government to ‘build back better’ by investing in renewable energy instead of propping up a dirty, outdated industry.
• Activists are wearing face masks as part of COVID-19 safety and etiquette.

Extinction Rebellion activists this morning (Monday 6 July) walked in front of a container lorry destined to collect oil from the UKOG site at Horse Hill in a symbolic protest against continued investment in carbon-emitting fossil fuels. Read the rest of this entry >>