Campaigners allowed to challenge Lincolnshire Hills oil field plans

Campaigners have been given permission to challenge plans to build a new oil field in an area of ​​outstanding natural beauty, saying it threatens one of England’s “hidden rural treasures”.

The proposed oil drilling operation is located at Biscathorpe in the Lincolnshire Hills, an important habitat for nature and wildlife that has been officially designated an Area of ​​Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB).

The plans were rejected by the local council in 2021, but oil company Egdon appealed the decision and it was overturned by the government’s Planning Inspectorate in November, angering locals and environmentalists.

Now campaigners have been allowed to seek a judicial review of the High Court ruling.

Amanda Suddaby, local campaign group biscathorpe for helpsaid: “It’s absolutely stunning countryside. There’s this myth that Lincolnshire is flat but you have to see the Lincolnshire Moors to understand that it’s not at all, it’s beautiful rolling hills and valleys… … It’s scary to think about being in danger here.”

The government has been widely criticized for pushing ahead with new oil and gas exploration amid the climate emergency, with their own climate advisers, the International Energy Agency and hundreds of scientists and experts saying new oil and gas exploration cannot proceed if the world is set to heat up Limit to 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures.

Rishi Sunak has nonetheless vowed to “maximize” Britain’s oil reserves, with a major push to develop massive new fields in the North Sea and launch three new onshore drilling operations in England.

Green industrialist Dale Vince, who supports Biscathorpe’s campaign, said the UK’s “fossil fuel-obsessed government” was trying to overturn local planning processes and ignore the “climate crisis, economic realities and local perspectives”.

“This is not leadership and it is not what our country needs. Why are we investing in the old economy instead of the new economy when the money we spend creates twice as many jobs and nearly triples GDP?”

Sudarbi said plans to build new oil wells were not popular locally. “At every level of local democracy, I think everyone who could have said no said no … but they still try to ignore it.”

She said the site has a rare and ecologically important chalk stream near it and when people heard the proposals they were “often upset and angry… but mostly they were shocked”.

“They thought regulators and governments had our best interests at heart, but it’s disturbing to find that’s not the case.”

Julia Eriksen of law firm Leigh Day, who represented the activists, said they believed the Secretary of State The action to overturn Lincolnshire County Council’s decision to refuse planning permission is unlawful and irrational.

Victoria Atkins, the Conservative MP for the area who came out against the plans in 2021, wrote that the proposals “represent the industrialization of the Lincolnshire Hills”, adding, “As the UK strives To achieve net zero emissions by 2050… we must be careful to ensure we do not allow an application to proceed that will cause long-term harm to the Lincolnshire Hills, its natural environment and our local communities”.

However, current Health Minister Atkins did not respond when asked if he still opposed the proposals.

The Department for Energy Security and Net Zero declined to comment on the case, instead issuing a general statement defending the UK’s decision to “maximize extraction” of oil and gas amid the climate crisis.

A spokesman for the department recommended the Guardian contact the Planning Inspectorate, but the Planning Inspectorate declined to comment as the case is being challenged legally.

Egdon chief executive Mark Abbott responded by saying the company would rather not drill at the AONB “but cannot control where the oil is”.

He added that extremely strict conservation measures were taken to protect the local environment.

“We are delighted to arrange visits to the site for the local community as we implement these important conservation measures so that they can see first-hand how seriously Egdon takes its environmental responsibilities.”