More than seven years of controversial oil exploration in the West Sussex village of Balcombe could be at an end after councillors blocked plans for a well test.
The county council’s planning committee today unanimously refused proposals for the site which saw mass daily protests and arrests during drilling in the summer of 2013.
The vote, against the advice of planning officers, decided the application for a one-year well test was not in the public interest and would have minimal benefit to the local economy.
More than 800 people had objected to the proposal by the site operator, Angus Energy.
The local campaign group, Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association, welcomed the decision. Spokesperson Sue Taylor said:
“This verdict is such a relief. Thanks to all the hard work of so many people is looking positive for Balcombe.”
Balcombe resident Jon Millbanks said:
“We shall be heartily glad to see the back of oil companies in the village
“They have blighted village life for 10 years and threatened us with increased HGV traffic, noise and fumes from drilling and flaring.
“Now the children at our excellent local primary school will not have to put up with idling HGVs spewing out noxious fumes, metres from their classrooms and playground.”
Malcolm Kenward, a resident and supporter of the local renewable energy cooperative, Repower Balcombe, said:
“We’re far better off generating electricity from solar panels than looking for more fossil fuels.
“The world needs to change the way it thinks about how we generate energy.”
Balcombe resident and campaigner Helen Savage reflects on the lessons from the committee’s decision
In a statement, Angus Energy said it was disappointed with the decision.
“The company is presently evaluating all the options available with its partners”.
At 2.15pm, the share price was down 8% at 0.825p.
Today’s decision is the latest chapter in the saga of oil development in the village. The 2013 protests increased awareness of fracking in the UK and helped to launch a nationwide campaign against the process.
This is the sixth time in just over 10 years that oil companies have sought permission to test the viability of oil production at Balcombe. So far, only a short test has been carried out, in 2018, when unexpected water was found in the well.
Last year, Angus withdrew an application for a three-year test after council planners recommended refusal.
Then officials said the proposal would compromise the protected landscape of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. There were no exceptional circumstances that would be needed in planning law to justify consent, they said.
The application decided today shortened the duration of the test to one year and Angus Energy proposed to install a new membrane on the well pad.
But councillors said nothing had changed since last year and there were still no exceptional circumstances to approve the plans.
Unless Angus Energy appeals against the decision, the Balcombe site should now be restored to its previous forestry use.
Villagers question benefits
Angus Energy’s managing director, George Lucan, told today’s online meeting that the well test was a “modest development”. But he estimated that it could bring £800,000 in local benefits.
Oil was an important source of energy and an industrial feedstock, the company said. Impacts of the well test would be minor, temporary and reversible, it added.
Council planners said the well test would contribute to national energy security and supply and the application was in the national interest. They accepted there would be adverse impacts but they could be dealt with by planning conditions.
The meeting heard that a 40m crane would be on site for up to 10 days and 13.8m flare to burn waste gas would be installed for the duration of the well test.
Local people and councillors questioned the planners U-turn.
John Millbanks, speaking to the committee as chair of Balcombe Parish Council, said:
“Considering there have been no material changes in the application, in our opinion, the planning officer has misdirected himself in reaching many of the conclusions in his recommendation
“There are no exceptional circumstances to this application and it is not in the public interest.”
Local people said the test was not needed and claims about local benefits were misleading. The potential contribution to national supply was negligible. They said the costs to the local community and environment in noise, pollution, traffic and impacts on nature far outweighed any benefit.
John Butcher, a Balcombe resident and director of a multinational company, said the application failed to meet the tests of sustainable development. The benefits were overstated, he said. The oil industry in Balcombe had caused physical and mental strain to local people.
“Our community has been weakened and worried since 2012.”
Local mother Rachel Hall told the committee she was speaking on behalf of her son. She said one of her main worries was that lorries going to the site would pass the primary school in the village.
“I have witnessed first-hand the sheer number and size of some of those vehicles when Angus was last on site in 2018. Honestly, they are the length of the school itself
“The school lies directly below the pavement and now, especially due to Covid, the windows in my son’s class open straight out towards that road and every day they play in the small space between the class and the road, so we are naturally concerned about the children’s exposure to pollution.”
Rachel Hall said 20-32 heavy goods vehicles were expected to pass the school, local scout hut, church and play area every day for more than five months.
“it only needs ONE of these to be idling outside the school, because they have to wait there before weaving through the parked cars on the residential London Road, to deliver the children a MASSIVE dose of particulate matter.”
There are no safe limits for particulate matter, she said. It is a potential cause of short and serious long-term illness.
“The planner mentions locals will be ‘adversely affected’, this feels like too big a price to pay.”
The traffic noise would disrupt lessons, she said. During the 2018 flow test, people had been kept awake at night she said.
Gary Marsh, a member of Mid Sussex district Council, said the committee should take into account the government’s green agenda.
Bill Acraman, the local West Sussex County Councillor, quoting from the film Casablanca, said:
“The reasons for doing it are not worth a hill of beans.”
- Plans for a six-month well test at Balcombe in April 2014 was approved by all but one of the planning committee members (DrillOrDrop report)
Balcombe resident and campaigner Helen Savage reflects on the lessons from the committee’s decision
Categories: Regulation, slider
DRILL OR DROP? 
What can I say, superb speakers and a council that understands that the insignificant contribution proposed by Angus/ Cuadrilla doesn’t outweigh the damage to the local area and overall climate commitment. Now get it gone forever 🥳🥳
Thanks Jono. It’s a massive understatement to say that we’re ecstatic in Balcombe. Pure joy and relief. All the children, teachers and everyone who works and supports our primary school, which is on the route every one of the site traffic HGVs would pass, can breathe a bit more easily.
Excellent news! A unanimous decision no less!
Congratulations to everyone who opposed this Angus Energy Test plan for Balcombe oil well and have opposed the controversial oil exploration industry invasion for more than seven years in the West Sussex village of Balcombe.
And also to the Councillors who said quite rightly said nothing had changed since last year and there were still no exceptional circumstances to approve the plans and that the operations would compromise the protected landscape of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.
Perhaps someone can tell us what the accumulative cubic capacity and CO2 pollution from 20-32 real world heavy goods vehicles which were expected to pass the school, local scout hut, church and play area every day for more than five months?
[Text added at poster’s request]
We pushed for a full Transport Assessment, for the level of traffic forecast by Angus Energy actually exceeded WSCC’s own definition of what constituted “significant HGV movements”, requiring such a report. So far our questioning has not been answered. But we got the right result.
It was Balcombe that started it for me , it’s so good to see a result such as this , the unanimous decision was a hint for other companies that might try to hoodwink councils into believing that paying a CEO huge salaries doesn’t make an oil company let alone a profitable company.
Angus has such a bad track record at Brockham with their illegal drilling as was pointed out by the chairman of the council, they can’t be trusted and we are well rid of them.
I’m so happy for all those who have worked so hard on this , I wish we weren’t locked down as I would love to visit the village. Maybe when they restore the site I will pop over to wave at the workers . Well played Balcombe.
Looks like another Wressle situation developing.
Angus don’t do wrestling, sour grapes Martin? At least say congratulations 🥳
Congratulations would be a little premature, Jono. There is the little matter of an Appeal to be decided upon, when and if, national planning policy would be the issue, not the wishes of a few locals. And, if that happens, then, maybe like Wressle, the locals will pick up the large bill.
The market doesn’t seem to think that this is a very big issue for Angus.
If there is such a desire for any temporary structure above a certain height to be excluded, the church tower, which has been there for a very long time, will have to come down?
Congratulations Balcombe
Congratulations FFBRA and all those in Balcombe who have fought oil drilling for the past decade. It was wonderful to hear Councillor after Councillor today talk about the climate, the net zero target, and the lack of need for this oil. Our message is getting through. There are still battles to win but the fossil fuel age really is ending. On days like this, I dare to hope that staying within 1.5 degrees is still within hope.
Hopefully now the people of Balcombe can close the book (much more than a chapter) on a decade of life, intruded by oil and gas companies and continue their focus as a decentralised community of whats right for them. The time for the industry to give up is now.
Damn Pollution….
The World has Too Many People, Hence Too Much Pollution, Requiring more resources, but don’t worry we’ll just import all our energy the good old stiff upper lip British way!!
Cheerio heavy industry, and employment for those children you are protecting from pollution.
At least the children of the UK, who receiving health protection, but not elsewhere in the world, The Can, kicked down the road…. 😂
I cannot wait when human we colonise Mars!!,
You would only mess Mars up too, so bitter .
Maybe the ecologically extinct state of Mars shows precisely what would happen here, if we let the insane continue their pollution for greed and profit. Not to mention their apparent ignorance of the consequences of their actions Jono?
Feel free to leave asap Eli. Take your drill with you :0)
Ironic,
I’ll leave dr dave, but I’m sure you will enjoy retirement with the benefits of diverse fossil fuel investments on your portfolio, 😂😉
This ones for you IAN R CRIAN . R,I,P. my Dear Friend.
Congratulations and well done for all the years of campaigning … I know how much it takes so a massive pat on your collective backs xxx
Hi Ruth, I have just come across an article in The New Yorker, I thought you (and others who are against fracking) might be interested in: https://www.newyorker.com/news/dispatch/when-the-kids-started-getting-sick
I am with you Rachel this one is definately for you Ian Crane. I am a grandmother and was with katy dunn whose amazing energy and passion for clean water and resident of Balcombe with her father and family pioneered this with vanessa vine and oh so many brave warriers climbing towers, yes jamie you and so many others who have kept me sane over these years. Knowing how many people want clean water legacy for our children grandchildren and to protect our abused mother earth our one planet. Keep uniting together we have more in common than our divisions and our masks!!! we are connected and water is of course LIFE.
Frances Ocean grandma activist and yes well done Balcombe and all the dear people i met when on your grass verge that summer.