The government has been accused by LibDem politicians and green groups of ‘environmental crime’ after agreeing to allow large scale drilling in the South Downs national park.
It comes after UK Oil and Gas PLC released a statement in which they announced that production was due to restart at the Avington site until 2025 – where a shut-in (in which a production cap lower than the available output of a site is implemented) was previously introduced in 2017.
They also said that they were hoping to recover ‘potentially significant’ oil resources for future use via the best performing well at the site, Avington 3-z.
Further drilling may also take place in the Surrey Hills, a designated area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, after campaigners lost an appeal to plans to sink an exploration well near the village of Dunsford.
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Speaking to The Guardian newspaper, The LibDem leader Ed Davey said: “Selling off national park land to rich oil barons is an environmental crime and must be stopped. Yet this conservative government is making a habit of it”.
“The government risks destroying wildlife habitat and ruining a popular walking route just to let this firm make a quick buck.”
“It is scandalous that Conservative ministers have ignored the concerns of local people and environmental impacts when making this decision.”
The local Conservative MP Steve Brine also told The Guardian that he was concerned about the drilling, amid local opposition.
Meanwhile, Greenpeace policy director Doug Parr said: “This government is so hell-bent on fossil fuels that it’s now willing to trash many of the things it is said to hold dear, like our cherished National Parks and community consent.”
“Despite being the cheapest, cleanest energy source there is – onshore renewable projects are blocked if so much as one person objects. It beggars belief then that the government can overrule the very sensible decision of a council to reject an application for more oil drilling in a national beauty spot, during a climate crisis.”
“It’s time the Tory’s got their priorities in order, stopped obsessing over oil and gas and undermining democracy and actually started delivering policies that will benefit people and the planet.”
A protest about drilling, led by Extinction Rebellion, also took place at Boomtown Festival, which takes place on the Matterley Estate in the South Downs, on August 17.
Speaking to independent news site Drill or Drop at the time, Mike Nell of Extinction Rebellion Winchester said: “Permission for further extraction of climate-destroying oil is inexcusable. Every day we see unprecedented wildfires around the world from Greece to California, caused by human-created climate change.”
“When will our politicians make the right decisions, perhaps not until their houses are on fire?”
Photo post: Boomtown protest against Avington oil production https://t.co/y1o2beyPVE via @ruthhayhurst
— Peter Watson (@akamalaccas1) August 17, 2023
The news also comes amid much criticism of Rishi Sunak for his decision to allow oil and gas drilling in the North Sea, and criticism of his approach to Ulez in the Uxbridge byelection.
