DrillOrDrop reports on the latest news on UK planning and permitting applications for onshore oil and gas.

Please let us know if we have missed an application or decision.

Last updated 11/11/25

2025 decisions

16 July 2025

Elswick, Lancashire – Cuadrilla Resources

FIVE YEAR EXTENSION APPROVED LCC/2025/0013

Lancashire County Council granted planning permission for a five-year extension to the life of Cuadrilla’s gas production site at Elswick, near Blackpool, despite local objections. DrillOrDrop article

10 July 2025

Singleton, West Sussex – Star Energy

CABLE SCHEME APPROVED SDNP/24/05114/FUL

The South Downs National Park approved plans by Star Energy to route an underground power cable from its oil site 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. Details

19 May 2025

Wressle, North Lincolnshire – Egdon Resources

EIA NOT NEEDED PA/SCR/2025/4

Planners at North Lincolnshire Council ruled that two new wells at Wressle, near Scunthorpe, would contribute to climate change but the likely impact wasn’t enough to require an environmental impact assessment (EIA). DrillOrDrop article New documents submitted to planning authority. See more on this application below.

Balcombe – Angus Energy

APPEAL DISMISSED APP/P3800/W/21/3282246

Sue Taylor, for Frack Free Balcombe Residents Association, failed to overturn the government’s decision to grant planning permission on appeal for flow testing at the Balcombe well site. Her case was refused by the High Court and the Court of Appeal.
Report of High Court hearing (19 July 2023) and appearance at the Court of Appeal (28 January 2025)

26 March 2025

Brockham – Angus Energy

PLANNING PERMISSION APPROVED SCC_Ref_2024-0135

Surrey County Council granted planning permission to Angus Energy to transport highly saline water, possibly containing radioactive material, from other oil and gas sites to prolong production at Brockham. Report of decision meeting

30 January 2025

Rosebank, North Sea – Equinor

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. The decision on the smaller Jackdaw gasfield was also ruled unlawful for the same reason. Details Equinor published a revised environmental impact assessment on 15 October 2025. A public consultation runs until 20 November 2025. The energy secretary will decide whether to support the project.

Decisions awaited

Listed in alphabetical order by site

Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire – Heyco/Egdon Resources UK

PLANNING INQUIRY AND CONSULTATION AWAITED APP/Q2500/W/22/3296831

The Planning Inspectorate has announced that a planning inquiry will decide Egdon Resources’ appeal against a refusal of planning permission for an additional well and long-term oil production. More details The inquiry starts at 10am on 14 April 2026 at Kenwick Hotel, Kenwick Park, Louth.
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.
The company was also required to submit additional information. This is due to be published on the Lincolnshire County Councill planning website. A public consultation, organised by the council is underway. The consultation closes on 5 December 2025.

Burniston, North Yorkshire – Europa Oil & Gas plc

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED NY/2025/0030/ENV

North Yorkshire planners are considering 1,500+ objections to its public consultation on proposals to drill for gas and carry out a small-scale frack near the North York Moors National Park. DrillOrDrop report on consultation responses. The council said, in its screening response, that the proposals would have “significant impacts on the environment” and said there should be an environmental impact assessment. Europa Oil & Gas plc appealed against the ruling to the local government secretary, who said an EIA was not needed – but the company said it would do one anyway. A decision is expected by the end of 2025. The next scheduled North Yorkshire Council planning committee is Tuesday 11 November 2025. The meeting is expected to be in Scarborough. Link to meeting details

PERMIT DECISION AWAITED EPR/YP3623LC/A001

Europa has also applied for an environmental permit for the Burniston proposal. The public consultation ended in September 2025. Links to DrillOrDrop reports on consultation responses here and here

DUKES WOOD (WHIPS RIDDING FARM), NOTTINGHAMSHIRE – EGDON RESOURCES

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED V/4687

Egdon Resources is seeking to vary the conditions for site restoration at its former oil production site at Dukes Wood. Nottinghamshire County Council, in response to an FOI request, said it had requested further information to determine the application.

Foxholes, North Yorkshire – Heyco/Egdon Resources UK

PLANNING CONSULTATION UNDERWAY – NY/2025/0113/FUL

North Yorkshire Council is consulting on plans by Egdon Resources to explore for gas in the village of Foxholes. The end of the consultation has been extended to 7 November 2025. DrillOrDrop article on the application and recent articles here, here and here

Kirklington, Nottinghamshire – Egdon Resources

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED V/4747

Egdon Resources is seeking to vary the conditions for site restoration at its former oil production site at Kirklington. Nottinghamshire County Council, in response to an FOI request, said it had received a further application to retain parts of the site for farm business.

Preston New Road, Lancashire – Cuadrilla Bowland Limited

PLANNING DECISION AWAITED LCC/2025/0018

Cuadrilla is seeking to extend the planning permission at its Preston New Road shale gas site, near Blackpool, by two more years. A public consultation ran until August 2025. A decision had been expected in October 2025 but the application was not listed for that month’s planning committee meeting. The next scheduled meetings of Lancashire County Council planning committee at which it could be considered are Thursday 4 December 2025 and Wednesday 17 December 2025. Recent DrillOrDrop articles here and here

Rosebank, North Sea – Equinor

CLIMATE IMPACT CONSULTATION UNDERWAY

A public consultation is underway until 20 November 2025 on the revised climate impact of development of the UK’s largest undeveloped oilfield. The development licence 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. The decision on the smaller Jackdaw gasfield was also ruled unlawful for the same reason. Details Equinor published a revised environmental impact assessment on 15 October 2025.

Waddock Cross, Dorset – Heyco/Egdon Resources

PLANNING EXTENSION DECISION DEFERRED P/VOC/2023/02762

A decision on Egdon Resources’ planning application for 10 more years at the Waddock Cross oil site was deferred on 23 September 2025. Dorset Council’s strategic planning committee wanted more information on the climate impact. Link to application. The application is expected to go before the strategic planning meeting due on 26 January 2026 at 10am at County Hall in Dorchester DT1 1XJ. Link to meeting details

West Newton A, East Yorkshire – Rathlin Energy

DECISION AWAITED ON PERMIT VARIATION APPLICATION EPR/BB3001FT/V006

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

Wressle, North Lincolnshire – Heyco/Egdon Resources UK

DECISION AWAITED ON PLANS TO DRILL AND HYDRAULICALLY FRACTURE TWO MORE WELLS

Egdon Resources submitted revised documents for its planning application (PA/2024/275) for two more wells and lower-volume fracking at the Wressle site near Scunthorpe. The consultation period closed on 2 October 2025. North Lincolnshire Council has confirmed the application will be decided by the planning committee but has not said when this will be.

A previous planning permission for the same scheme was quashed in November 2024 after a landmark ruling on climate emissions at the Supreme Court. In March 2025, Egdon submitted reports to North Lincolnshire Council on total emissions from the production process and the use of any oil and gas.

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. Details Consultation closed in December 2024 but application was withdrawn January 2025. No information on re-submission of application.

Link to DrillOrDrop’s review of selected applications dating back to 2017.

Please let us know about important missing applications from this list.