The oil company, Egdon Resources, is to challenge today’s refusal of planning permission at its undeveloped North Kelsey site in Lincolnshire.

Local opponents celebrated after the planning committee voted unanimously to refuse more time for the oil exploration site.

Egdon Resources wanted another 12 months at North Kelsey, which was first granted consent in 2014.

But the committee said this would have an unacceptable impact on the amenity of local residents.

If approved, this would have been the third planning extension for North Kelsey. No work, apart from the site entrance and a layby, has been carried out in more than seven years.

DrillOrDrop report on the planning meeting

Mark Abbott, managing director of Egdon Resources plc, said after the meeting:

“The decision of the Planning Committee is disappointing given the clear current need for the UK to secure further indigenous supplies of energy to reduce its reliance on imports, the compelling case presented and the positive recommendation of Lincolnshire County Council’s Planning Officer.

“Given this, we will bring forward an appeal against this decision without delay and will provide further updates in due course.”

This is the second time in five months that Lincolnshire County Council has refused planning permission to Egdon Resources.

On the opening day of the COP-26 climate talks in Glasgow, the planning committee refused the company’s application for oil production at its Biscathorpe site in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

Amanda Suddaby, who spoke against Egdon’s application at today’s meeting, said:

“Obviously I am delighted.

“We have had seven years of uncertainty and anxiety. We should not have had to live through this.

“It has been difficult to remain hopeful in the light of the awful situation in Ukraine. We knew Egdon Resources would try to use it to their advantage.”

Councillors had warned the company in 2020 that it would get no further extensions without a good reason. They criticised it today for saying the Covid-19 pandemic and the war in Ukraine supported its latest extension application.

Ms Suddaby said the use of the crises for commercial interests may have backfired on the company.,

She also said it should not have been so difficult or taken so long to refuse planning permission for the development.

“It should be easier for councillors to make these decisions. They are still struggling to find reasons in planning law to reject unsuitable applications.