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 on 17 and 18 November.

Over two days, in a virtual court hearing hosted online, claimant Sarah Finch’s Counsel Marc Willers QCset out her case, that the Environmental Impact Assessment should have included an assessment of the carbon emissions that would be released when the oil from Horse Hill is burned. And the lawyers for Surrey County Council, Horse Hill Developments Ltd and the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government argued that this was not necessary.

The judge said: “It’s a very interesting case, a very important case”. He is now deliberating and we expect his judgment within the next few weeks.

There is a short report of the hearing on the Weald Action Group website, and the Weald Action Group is hosting an online debrief on 1 December. You can find details at:
www.wealdactiongroup.org.uk/2020/11/horse-hill-judicial-review-reflections-and-debrief