Campaigners opposed to drilling in the Surrey Hills said the chance of finding oil at a site near Leith Hill was small and any oil that was recovered was likely to be nationally insignificant.
The area around Leith Hill, where an oil company wants to drill, is the jewel in the crown of the Surrey Hills and deserves the highest protection, a public inquiry heard this afternoon.
It would take 25 years to restore an exploratory oil site in the Surrey Hills after it was abandoned, a public inquiry heard this afternoon.
The latest stage in a seven year planning battle over oil drilling in the Surrey Hills is due to get underway this morning.
DRILL OR DROP? 