A plan to enable a drilling job on the edge of a Location of Exceptional Natural Charm (AONB) in Surrey is being challenged in the High Court (Royal Courts of Justice) this Thursday (8th June). Good Law Job is supporting the action being brought by the regional council and project group, Secure Dunsfold, versus the Federal government which offered the job the thumbs-up.
The energy business, UK Oil and Gas (UKOG), was provided the proceed to perform drilling operations on the Dunsfold website by the Department of Levelling Up, Real Estate and Neighborhoods in June 2022.
This choice was made regardless of 2 previous preparation rejections by Surrey County Council. The Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt, the regional MP, protested the job at the time and spoke up versus the Federal government’s intervention.
Back in March, the High Court allowed to the complaintants, Secure Dunsfold and Waverley District Council, to move on with a judicial evaluation of the Federal government’s choice.
The complaintants will provide 2 legal arguments to the High Court. The very first connects to disparity in decision-making by the Secretary of State, who offered the Dunsfold drilling website the consent on the very same day that he declined authorization for a similar website in Ellesmere Port.
For that job, greenhouse gas emissions were mentioned as the most substantial element for declining authorization in Ellesmere Port, with the Secretary of State specifying that ‘every tonne of carbon adds to environment modification’. When it pertained to Dunsfold, the Secretary of State reached a various choice.
The 2nd argument connects to the website being on the edge of Surrey Hills, a Location of Exceptional Natural Charm. National policy needs preparation choices to offer excellent weight to “saving and boosting landscape and beautiful charm” in AONBs.
The Federal government stopped working to take this requirement as its beginning point, as it ought to have done, discussed a news release from the Good Law Job.
The result of the hearing might have substantial ramifications for future on-shore nonrenewable fuel source jobs going through the preparation authorization procedure.
On the day, project groups and activists from throughout Surrey and the Southeast are anticipated to collect beyond the Royal Courts of Justice in a program of assistance.
The choice will be booked.
Legal Supervisor at Good Law Job, Jennine Walker, stated:
” Exploiting our natural landscape for nonrenewable fuel sources is merely not an alternative provided the environment emergency situation we are dealing with today. It’s a scandal that the Federal government ran roughshod over Surrey County Council to offer the plan the thumbs-up. Even the regional MP, and now Chancellor, Jeremy Hunt has actually spoken up versus the choice.
” UKOG’s strategies to drill the Dunsfold website will see permanent damage to the natural environments and landscape on the edge of the Surrey Hills Location of Exceptional Natural Charm, along with producing substantial quantities of greenhouse gas emissions.
” We hope that success in the High Court will stop this and likewise make it harder for comparable plans to acquire approval in the future. This High Court obstacle is not just a must-win for the Dunsfold neighborhood; the UK’s essential efforts to deal with the environment emergency situation likewise hang in the balance.”
Sarah Godwin, Director at Protect Dunsfold, stated:
” Secure Dunsfold are confident of a favorable result to the hearing on June 8th, so that the choice to enable UKOG 234 Ltd to perform exploratory drilling in Loxley/Dunsfold might be reversed by the Minister of State.
” This may be simply one little exploratory drilling job, however it is one a lot of. UKOG’s strategies would have a significant unfavorable effect on the natural surroundings around Dunsfold and beyond. If this job is avoided from even beginning it will be a considerable advance in genuine significant action to stop runaway environment mayhem”.
Leigh Day lawyer, Ricardo Gama, stated:
” The Secretary of State yielded in the Ellesmere Port choice that ‘every tonne of carbon adds to environment modification’, however neglected this reality when approving preparation authorization for the Dunsfold exploratory well, although he chose both appeals on the really exact same day.
” This flies in the face not just of the concept of consistency in the preparation system, however likewise of the immediate requirement to avoid environment catastrophe. Our customers hope that the court will identify the perversity of this circumstance and order the Federal government to reevaluate.”
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