Author Archive

As the oil drillers ramp up their aspirations to turn Horse Hill in Surrey into the second largest oil production site in the UK, get some inspiration from the fight against fracking in Australia.

This powerful documentary tells the tale of a community that stood together – and saw off the gas industry.

Come and see it at one of two screenings:

Friday 1 February, 6.30pm, at Hookwood Memorial Hall
Withey Meadows, Horley RH6 0AZ

This screening is hosted by Keith Taylor MEP, who will take questions at a short Q&A session after the screening.

It’s free, but all places must be pre-booked. Find out more and book your place

Monday 18 February, 6.30pm, at Newdigate Village Hall 
Kingsland, Newdigate, RH5 5DB

Also free – just turn up.Come and see it at one of two upcoming screenings:

Horse Hill Developments Ltd is currently testing oil flows from its two wells at Horse Hill. Now they want to add four new production wells and a well to dispose of contaminated waste water. The planning application is for 25 years.

They say they could produce more than 500 tonnes of oil a day. If achieved, this would make Horse Hill the UK’s second largest onshore oil producing site and UKOG (the parent company) the third largest onshore oil company in the UK (if you believe their claims).

This would fund further oil exploration across the Weald and the Isle of Wight.

Please object to the plans before the deadline of February 18^th (although the County Council will consider objections up to the time of the planning meeting).

HOW TO OBJECT

You can view the planning application – and object – on the Surrey County Council website.

Read the rest of this entry >>

Horse Hill Developments Ltd have submitted their planning application for the drilling of five new wells (one for water reinjection) and other infrastructure to enable the production of oil from six wells for a period of 25 years.

Read a summary of the plans on Drill or Drop

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Press release from Surrey Green Party

A campaign to get the Parliamentary Pension Fund to divest from fossil fuels has won support from 200 MPs – but none of the Surrey MPs has signed up yet.

The list includes Conservative MPs from around the country and Surrey Greens are urging the 11 MPs in Surrey to jump on board.

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The Weald Action Group has criticised the Oil and Gas Authority for disregarding the Horse Hill oil site when deciding if 14 earthquakes in Surrey were natural.

The OGA has released a report saying that the quakes, which started on April 1^st this year, were not caused by human activity. Read the rest of this entry >>

Divestment campaigners Leonard Beighton and Steve McDonald with sign reading ‘Surrey Pension Fund increases investment in climate wrecking fossil fuels’

Campaigners who have been urging Surrey County Council’s Pension Fund managers to take investments out of fossil fuels staged a peaceful protest at their regular meeting this week (Friday 16 November 16), causing the meeting to be temporarily adjourned.

Steve McDonald, of Divest Surrey, said: “I’m sick and tired of the Pension Fund Committee ignoring the urgent need to move away from dirty and polluting investments. We’ve been politely attending the committee and asking questions they fail to answer for two years and we now feel stronger action is needed.”

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Public meeting – 23 Oct, 7.45pm
Catholic Church Hall, 4 Vicarage Lane, Horley RH6 8AR

Come and hear about the new plans for four more oil wells, one waste water well and 20 years of full production at Horse Hill drill site. Impacts include air pollution, more HGVs on the roads, acidisation being used to extract oil, noise – and all in an area recently subject to an earthquake swarm.

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Time is running short to engage with two important consultations, one on Permitted Development and one on Nationally Significant Infrastructure Project (NSIP). The deadline for both is 11.45 p.m. on October 25th.

A campaigner has written a “Guide to Contacting MP’s and Councillors about Changes to Shale Gas Planning Applications” which we reduce below.

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Horse Hill Developments Ltd submitted a proposal to develop four more wells at its Horse Hill site, increasing the size of the site by a quarter and meaning more noise and HGV movements.

They say the proposals would “significantly change the landscape” and have “an adverse effect upon valued landscapes”.

Read a summary of the plans on Drill or Drop

Read the Environmental Impact Assessment Scoping Report on the Horse Hill Developments Ltd website

Public meeting

Surrey Green Party and Weald Action Group are hosting a public meeting to discuss the plans and how to oppose them.

It’s at 7.45pm on Tuesday 23 October at the Catholic Church Hall, 4 Vicarage Lane, Horley RH6 8AR

The government has two consultations running until October 25, 2018, which aim to fast-track fracking across England.

They want to treat shale gas exploration as ‘permitted development’, which means there is no need to apply for planning application to do it.

Although we do not have fracking for shale gas in Surrey, there is a high likelihood that this weakening of regulation of shale gas proposals will be extended to cover shale oil, which we do have, and acid stimulation, which is the technique used to extract it.

There is strong opposition to the government’s attempt to undermine local democracy and cut local residents out of decision-making on shale gas proposals.

At least 20 Conservative MPs are planning to rebel.

• Read more in the Financial Times

Keith Taylor, the Green MEP for South East England, has produced a briefing to help individuals respond to the consultations.

• Download the briefing