local issues
STOP GATWick expansion
An Planning Inspectorate Examination is currently underway looking at Gatwick’s Northern Runway Proposal. These plans would see Gatwick increase to the size of Heathrow, doubling passenger numbers to around 80 million and increasing the number of flights by 100,000 per year.
We joined other local campaign groups, CAGNE and GACC, along with Stop Airport Expansion and Safe Landing to show our opposition on the day of the first Open Hearing. We are now awaiting the outcome from the Planning Inspectorate – expected in November.
Join the Stop Gatwick Expansion Telegram group to find out more about how to get involved
The river mole
In March we brought together local residents who are concerned about the levels of pollution in our local river for a series of walks along the River Mole. The Leatherhead to Dorking walk was repeated this October, ahead of the March for Clean Water which will take place in London on Sunday, 3rd November.
River Mole River Watch are a local group campaigning around the pollution of the River Mole. They have a team of volunteer citizen scientists who regularly monitor pollution levels in the Mole and its tributaries. Please visit their website to find out more.
brockham oil well
In April 2022 Surrey County Council approved an application from Angus Energy to produce oil from a Brockham well until 2036. This permission was granted citing reasons of energy security, despite there being no guarantee that any oil extracted would be used in this country – it will be sold on the open market to the highest bidder.
To extract more oil flies in the face of climate science, which makes clear that if we were to burn all existing known reserves of fossil fuels it will take us over dangerous climate thresh-holds. The United Nations, International Energy Agency and 700 scientists have said there must be no new oil and gas developments if we want to avoid catastrophic climate impacts.
For the latest information on Brockham oil site visit the Weald Action Group website.
horse hill
In June 2024 Surrey County Council’s granting of Planning Permission for four new wells and more than 20 years of oil production at Horse Hill well site was quashed by the Supreme Court. Local campaigner, Sarah Finch, acting on behalf of Weald Action Group argued successfully that indirect emissions resulting from the burning of fossil fuel extracted from the site should have been taken into account in the Environmental Impact Assessment as part of the planning application.
Despite this ruling from the Supreme Court it was discovered that the oil company had continued to produce oil from the Horse Hill site in July 2024 https://drillordrop.com/2024/10/02/supreme-court-oil-site-operates-without-permission/
Local campaigners blocked the gates to Horse Hill site on Monday 16th October to highlight this contravention and have submitted questions to Surrey County Council’s Planning and Regulatory Committee to get clarity on the situation.
More information about the Horse Hill site can be found on Weald Action Group website.
