The decision on plans for drilling and long-term oil production at the Horse Hill oil site in Surrey is unlikely to be made this year (2026).

DrillOrDrop asked Surrey County Council when the application was likely to be considered by its planning committee. The council told us this morning:

“The January [2027] meeting is currently looking the most likely but is still to be confirmed”.

The January 2027 meeting is likely to be on Wednesday 27 January 2027 at 10.30am. The committee usually meets in the council chamber at county council headquarters, Woodhatch Place, 11 Cockshot Hill, Reigate, Surrey, RH2 8EF.

Application

The application, by the site operator, Horse Hill Developments Limited (HHDL), seeks permission to drill four new production wells and extract oil for 20 years.

A previous permission for the work, granted in 2019, was quashed by the Supreme Court in the landmark Finch Ruling in June 2024.

The court said the permission had been unlawful because Surrey County Council failed to consider the climate impact of emissions from using Horse Hill oil.

Oil production at the site has been suspended since October 2024.

HHDL submitted a new application to reinstate permission in May 2026. It was published in mid June 2026.

Since then, environmental campaigners have objected to the application, particularly its claims that there would be “no significant” impact on climate change or that it had national policy support.

The most recent criticism warned the county council that approval of the application would be unlawful. Report coming soon.

• energy B, the company which agreed to buy the majority stake in HHDL, announced today a deal to buy the remaining share. More details soon.

Correction: January meeting of Surrey’s planning meeting is on Wednesday 27 January 2027 (not 2026 as previously stated)