Central Rural councillor Suzie Ellis has vowed to involve the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities if UK Oil and Gas appeal the refusal of planning permission to drill for oil at Arreton.
Cllr Ellis has reiterated her position this week so that the applicant of the application, UKOG, can decide whether pursuing an appeal is a worthwhile step.
In a statement issued on Sunday, Councillor Ellis said:
“The agreement of the historic “Glasgow Climate Pact” – at COP26 – confirms that the decision of the Isle of Wight Council to refuse UKOG’s application for oil drilling in the Arreton Valley was the right one.
“Countries – including the UK – have been asked to return to COP next year with more ambitious 2030 emissions reductions targets, in line with the 1.5C target. Given the focus on achieving such targets in the next decade, it would be completely perverse if oil drilling exploration was allowed on the Island.
“On 25th October, the Isle of Wight Council issued the refusal notice (20/00513/FUL) for the Arreton Valley oil drilling application. UKOG are now entitled to appeal this decision to the Planning Inspectorate in Bristol.
“In my presentation to the Planning Committee on 19th October, I made clear that if UKOG did appeal any refusal decision, I would write to the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities asking that he “recovers” the decision for his own determination.
“Following the Glasgow Climate Pact – and the Environment Act receiving Royal Assent in the past week – the case for the Secretary of State intervening is now even more compelling.
Article continues below this advertisement “The proposal for oil drilling in the Arreton Valley runs contrary to the direction of travel set out at COP26 and the UK Government’s own policy commitments (such as the new Environment Act).
“Having reviewed the criteria set out in 2008 (which is still in force) for the Secretary of State to apply when considering the recovery of appeals, I am satisfied that there is a sufficient basis – particularly given what I have referred to above – to request that any appeal by UKOG of the Arreton Valley refusal is determined by this route.
“Ultimately, it is down to the Secretary of State to decide whether to exercise these powers, so working with local campaigners, I would set out a persuasive case as why any appeal by UKOG should be recovered.
“As I previously stated, it is important that an application that goes to the heart of the Government’s policy agenda is decided by those who are politically accountable (which the Secretary of State is). I am reiterating this intention again now – following the issuing of the refusal notice – so that the applicant can decide whether pursuing an appeal is a worthwhile step.”
I wish Councillor Ellis every success
It is a no brainer. Fossil fuels are no longer acceptable. They are destroying the planet.
They need to be phased out as soon as possible. There is absolutely no justification for further extraction sites, full stop.
Existing sources need scaling down starting NOW. New ones are a definite No No.
Local and central government must act accordingly before it is too late
idiot – oil consumption is back at pre pandemic levels already around the world. You do realise that hydrocarbon products are used to actually make electric cars and those expensive trainers everyone likes, as well as the fact that oil based products are in 60% of the worlds clothes – think polyester, man made from hydrocarbons and doesn’t bio degrade.
oil and gas will be used for decades if not longer – the oil age is far from over.
what about that mobile phone you have – think of all the strip mining and environmental devastation, with the associated release of c02 from digging up the land, to get the minerals and metals to make it.
mMy last message has a a typo
line to – not should be deleted – should read “we do need to put a stop to “
Also all the destruction of land to get lithium for electric cars.
…not to mention the lives lost whilst extracting the minerals to make those mobile phones, in primitive unsafe mines in African and other countries.
All the while manufacturers prefer to use plastics to make our clothes, natural materials, such as wool or cotton are so undervalued – just look at how little sheep farmers get for a fleece these days.
You have made some very valid points, though you shouldn’t have called WellDone an idiot.
I would say use oil as a lubricant and recycle it too, but don’t burn it as fuel – that’s where mankind got it wrong.
of course, you will have no doubt put your heating on recently and just expected it to work – where will the heat come from, as wind and solar aren’t reliable enough to generate base load electricity and certainly won’t cope with a fundamental switch from gas to electric heating in the home.
you do realise that every computer in existence used 7 litres of oil to make the plastic in it.
I bet you are happy for oil to be imported from other countries though, so that your quality of life is unaffected, whilst demanding cuts to oil production.
do you drive – does it use oil to lubricate the engine/transmission etc
If it hadn’t been for fossil fuels, there would have been massive power cuts because the lack of wind over the last couple of months has meant that those wonderful windmills have not been able to cope with the power demand.
On my diet i could probably power them on my own!!
It’s an easy goal for her. No way this appeal will succeed. Now shes thrown her green hat in the ring need to keep her to these commitments. If she’s found to be supporting a scheme that is detrimental to the environment needs to be called out. And this goes for all councillors and politicians.
My concern is that UKOG are a tin pot company check out their dire falling share price. Unlike the oil majors such a BP and Shell, should any disaster occur, has UKOG the expertise, experience and insurance to cover ALL costs and methods of making good any such damage to our water filtered through the chalk downland which we all drink.
Chemicals are used to free oil, to lubricate the drill and any pollutants in our natural water resevoirs could be ruined so easily.
With small compaines they would fold, leaving US to face the clean up bill.
Refuse any appeal no matter how many brown envelopes arrive with thank you cards inside
our drinking water is pumped from the mainland, through a pipeline. Guess the onshore mainland UK oil fields in the south are ok though.
The UK is responsible for less than 1% of global emissions – using the terms… government must act before its too late, is an empty and pointless statement – It is the chinese/indian/american and other big polluters that must act.
The fashion industry is responsible for 10% of all global emissions – this is more than the all international flights and maritime shipping combined.
I do not consider my statement empty and pointless, thank you very much.
The UK can set an example , and so can the population by buying less fashion and disposables, as many now do.
The Government can take action – for example by trying to influence the big polluters , we did host COP26 and certainly the UK voice was listened too. Your negativity and rudeness adds nothing to the argument.
Utterly ridiculous. Fossil fuels are here for the foreseeable future until a reliable more environmental source is available and we need our own sources so we are not dependent on foreign supplies.
The main point is ALL those suits telling US to cut down, wear a couple of jumpers indoors and turn the ‘stat’ down, will ALL be living the most sumptious lives as will their loved ones, jetting around the globe to one of several homes, roaring around on jet skis, lounging in hot tubs, heated pools, and living in homes large enough and power hungry enough to house and supply a small street of people.
So WHY should WE give up anything? Let’s USE fossil fuels, then IF, and a huge IF, the climate change lot are right, then we all will HAVE to do something about it, and NOT just tell ‘others’ what to do
There has been six previous exploratory wells drilled on the Island which have had no significant effect and no lasting issues, this one is very unlikely to be any different. Fighting against this one will probably cost a lot of money and expend more hot air than the drilling will.
UKOG’s shares at 0.12 p so around 8 share for one penny!
The spread (the difference in what you pay for them to their sell price) is 8% , so the moment you buy them you are losing 16% of your cash IF they dont drop anymore in value, as you pay the spread 8% on the buying AND the selling.
NO wonder investors avoid, and because of such SO should those thinking about ‘granting’ drilling licences with such an impovrished company IMO
The island needs this oil to run the big tractors, to plough fields mow grass and corn and then deliver it to the big plant in arreton to make gas how green?
Are the big noises at UKOG that stupid or that desperate that they don’t know when they are beaten. If they ever try and drill over here after this, they will come up with a huge ground-swell of opposition, they will get nothing done.
So instead of a nodding donkey they can have a blooming great wind turbine looming over the countryside !
Let all counsellors take cold baths from now on and turn over their heating over the winter. Let then eat cake.
This councillor would rather we produced even more CO2 importing oil half way round the world rather than finding a local source which we can’t be held to ransome for. Oil is not going to disappear despite all the hot air issued by those hypocrites at COP26.
Maybe she can fight the quarry at Wootton as well!