Catch up with recent UK onshore oil and gas applications and decisions with DrillOrDrop’s update.

Our list covers both planning and permitting, plus planning breaches from the past 12 months.

Please let us know if we’ve missed anything. For details of earlier decisions click here.

2025 decisions

30 January 2025

Equinor – Rosebank

DEVELOPMENT CONSENT UNLAWFUL

The development licence for the Rosebank oilfield off Shetland was ruled unlawful by the Court of Sessions in Edinburgh after a legal challenge by Uplift and Greenpeace UK. The court said the former Conservative government, which approved the development of Rosebank, had not taken into account greenhouse gas emissions from burning the oil. This was another casualty of the successful Supreme Court challenge by Sarah Finch over the Horse Hill site in Surrey (see 20 June 2024). The decision on the smaller Jackdaw gasfield was also ruled unlawful for the same reason. Details

2024 decisions

12 November 2024

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Wressle, North Lincolnshire

PLANNING PERMISSION QUASHED
PA/2024/275

Planning permission for expansion at Wressle, the UK’s second largest onshore oil producer, has been formally rescinded in another casualty of the landmark Supreme Court judgement on climate emissions. Details A new application is expected.

13 September 2024

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Wressle, North Lincolnshire

APPROVED UNDER DELEGATED POWERS
PA/2024/275 (see also 12/11/24)

Planners at North Lincolnshire Council granted planning permission for more drilling and small-scale fracking in an expansion of the Wressle oil site near Scunthorpe. The proposals include increasing the Wressle footprint by about a third and drilling and producing from two new wells. Decision

11 July 2024

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire

PLANNING PERMISSION QUASHED
PL/0037/21

Permission for oil production in the Lincolnshire Wolds was quashed following the landmark climate judgement by the Supreme Court (see 20 June 2024 below). The application was previously refused by Lincolnshire County Council but overturned on appeal by a planning inspector. It will now be reconsidered by the Planning Inspectorate.

20 June 2024

UK Oil & Gas plc – Horse Hill, Surrey

SUPREME COURT QUASHES PLANNING PERMISSION
RE18/02667/CON

The Supreme Court allowed the appeal by Sarah Finch, supported by Weald Action Group, against the grant of planning permission by Surrey County Council for four new wells and long-term oil production at Horse Hill. Report of court hearings: day 1 and day 2. Decision. The application (dating back to 2019) must now be resubmitted, including an assessment of indirect or scope emissions resulting from the burning of Horse Hill oil. The site is to be cleared.

19 March 2024

UK Oil & Gas plc -Broadford Bridge, West Sussex

PLANNING PERMISSION REFUSED WSCC/046/23

West Sussex councillors unanimously refused to extend the life of the Broadford Bridge until 2026. The site has been dormant since 2018 and its planning permission has previously been extended four times Details. Deadline for appeal passed without action in September 2024 Details. Campaigners have called for speedy restoration of the site. Details

Decisions awaited

Listed in alphabetical order by operator

Angus Energy – Balcombe, West Sussex

DECISION AWAITED ON APPEAL APP/P3800/W/21/3282246

Sue Taylor, for Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association’, challenged the government’s decision to grant planning permission on appeal for flow testing at the Balcombe well site. Her case was refused but she was granted a hearing at the Court of Appeal. Report of Court of Appeal hearing 28-29 January 2025. Report of High Court hearing (19 July 2023). Awaiting decision.

Angus Energy – Brockham, Surrey

DECISION AWAITED SCC_Ref_2024-0135

Angus Energy has applied for planning permission to transport highly saline water, possibly containing radioactive material, from other oil and gas sites to prolong production at Brockham. Consultation closed. Awaiting decision. Details

Angus Energy – Saltfleetby, Lincolnshire

WITHDRAWN PL/0055/24

Angus Energy submitted a planning application in July 2024 to drill and test four new wells at the Saltfleetby A and/or B sites near Louth. The application was withdrawn on 25 September 2024 in response to the Supreme Court ruling. Angus said it would submit a revised application but has not yet done so.

Europa Oil & Gas plc – Burniston, North Yorkshire

PRE PLANNING

North Yorkshire planners have said proposals to drill for gas and carry out a small-scale frack near the North York Moors National Park would have “significant impacts on the environment”. The council has required an environmental impact assessment. Europa Oil & Gas plc appealed to the local government secretary who said an EIA was not needed – but the company said it would do one anyway. Awaiting submission of full application. Latest DrillOrDrop report

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire

ADDENDUM IN PLANNING APPEAL APP/Q2500/W/22/3296831

Egdon Resources has submitted the UK’s first ever formal assessment of carbon emissions from burning hydrocarbons. Details The addendum to an environmental impact assessment for plans at Biscathorpe was required by the Supreme Court ruling in the Sarah Finch case on climate emissions from oil produced at Horse Hill, in Surrey. Preparation are underway for a new appeal hearing on Biscathorpe after a previous inspector’s decision was quashed (see above). Details

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Wressle, North Lincolnshire

PERMIT VARIATION APPLICATION

Application to vary the environmental permit EPR/AB3609XX/V007 to allow gas refining, drilling two more boreholes, proppant squeeze (small scale fracking) and site extension. Consultation closed in December 2024. Awaiting decision. Details

Egdon Resources UK/Heyco – Waddock Cross, Dorset

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED P/VOC/2023/02762

Egdon Resources is seeking permission for 10 more years at the Waddock Cross oil site. Currently listed to be decided by delegated powers but objections include the parish council, local CPRE group and residents. Natural England has asked for more ecological research and the decision has been delayed. Awaiting decision. Link

Rathlin Energy – West Newton-A, East Yorkshire

PERMIT VARIATION APPLICATION

Application to vary the environmental permit EPR/BB3001FT/V006 to allow reservoir stimulation/proppant squeeze. Public consultation closed on 24 January 2025. Awaiting decision. Details

Star Energy – Singleton oilfield, West Sussex

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED SDNP/24/05114/FUL

Star Energy has applied for permission for an underground power cable from its oil at Singleton to the electricity distribution network. The electricity would be generated from gas produced along with the oil at the site in the South Downs National Park. Public consultation underway until 6 February 2025. Details

2024 breaches

Listed in alphabetical order by operator

Cuadrilla – Preston New Road, Lancashire

Cuadrilla failed to meet the 8 December 2024 deadline to plug two fracked wells – putting it in breach of its planning consent, granted in June 2023. Details

UK Oil & Gas plc – Broadford Bridge, West Sussex

Correspondence between West Sussex County Council and UK Oil & Gas plc (UKOG) confirmed that the Broadford Bridge oil site had failed to meet deadlines to decommission a suspended well and restore the land to agriculture. Details

UK Oil & Gas plc – Horse Hill, Surrey

UK Oil & Gas continued to produce oil unlawfully at its Horse Hill site in Surrey following a Supreme Court ruling which quashed planning permission on 20 June 2024. The company voluntarily stopped production on 25 October 2024. Surrey County Council confirmed on 27 November 2024 it had taken no formal enforcement action.

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