UK Oil and Gas PLC (UKOG) have announced this morning that they will not appeal the Isle of Wight council’s (IWC) planning committee decision to reject their application for oil exploration wells in Arreton.
The announcement was made within the company’s Annual Review and Accounts released today (25th March).
Long-running campaign
Today’s news follows a long-running campaign by among others, Don’t Drill the Wight and Frack Free Isle of Wight, opposing the plans on the Island.
The IWC planning committee rejected the application for oil exploration wells in Arreton in October 2021, going against recommendations of the planning officers.
Looking at new ventures
UKOG say appealing the decision would cost in the region of £500,000, money which they intend to use on other new ventures set out in the Annual Review and Accounts.
The company are now seeking opportunities across the water in the USA.
£500k appeal costs to be used elsewhere
The announcement from UKOG reads:
The disappointing, but not unexpected, decision by the Isle of Wight’s planning committee to refuse consent for the appraisal and testing of the Arreton discovery merely served to underscore our growing interest in the international arena for oil and gas, and our new direction into geothermal and hydrogen-based energy in the UK. The refusal went against the recommendation by the council’s planning officers to approve the project.
We took considerable care and undertook much research to minimise the potential impacts of the site, choosing a location 300m distant from the A3056 and adjacent to land with existing non-agricultural commercial uses, namely the Wight Farm Anaerobic Digestion Energy Power Station and the Blackwater Quarry for aggregates. No objections to the development were raised by statutory consultees on environmental, drinking water, landscape or health and safety grounds.
Given the number of new opportunities available to the Company, all of which are considered to offer far greater success case economic impact and higher probabilities of success than the proposed Isle of Wight project, the Company has decided not to appeal against the planning refusal. The envisaged £0.5 million planning appeal costs will therefore remain available and could be used for developing new oil & gas and geothermal/energy storage projects (see New Ventures below).
Quigley: Fracking anywhere is the wrong answer
On hearing the news today, Cllr Richard Quigley (Lab) who campaigned against the plans, told News OnTheWight,
“This is great news, not just for those of us that campaigned against it, but for the Island as a whole.
“Fracking anywhere is the wrong answer to the issue of energy supply.”
Lowthion: No foreign power can turn off our access to the sun, to the wind and to the tides
Vix Lowthion from Isle of Wight Green Party told News OnTheWight,
“It’s wonderful news for the Isle of Wight – our residents, visitors, countryside, wildlife and waterways. When we organise and focus and campaign we can win! Huge thanks must go to all at Frack Free/ Don’t Drill the Wight, Isle of Wight councillors and everyone who contributed towards this result. It has been many years in the making. Never stop believing!
“As UKOG have finally admitted, drilling for oil and gas on the Isle of Wight was never economically viable. But the government must go further than this with much more ambitious commitments to investing in clean, renewable energy from wind, solar, waves and tides.
“We have a diverse variety of renewable resources in abundance across the UK – greater than many other countries across the world. The current energy crisis illustrates that energy security must be a priority from any future government strategy. No foreign power can turn off our access to the sun, to the wind and to the tides.
“Renewables on the Isle of Wight provide many more jobs, investment opportunities and greater potential than this failed proposal to drill for limited oil supplies. Let’s look to this brighter future!”
Ellis: Great news for local residents, campaigners, and the Island as a whole
Cllr Suzie Ellis (Con) told News OnTheWight,
“As the Isle of Wight Council ward member for Central Rural – which includes the parish of Arreton where oil drilling exploration was proposed – I am delighted that UKOG has announced that it will not appeal the refusal of planning permission.
“This is great news for local residents, campaigners, and the Island as a whole.
“Securing the refusal of this application was a team effort, led by Don’t Drill The Wight. I was pleased to play my part, as the ward councillor, in making the case for refusal in my representations to the Planning Committee.
“When the application was refused, I made clear that – in the event of an appeal by the applicant – I would be writing to the Secretary of State asking that he ‘recovers’ the decision for his own determination. I also said that by making this intention clear at that stage, it would help the applicant decide whether pursuing an appeal – of a unanimous decision – would be a worthwhile step.
“Clearly, UKOG has its own publicly stated reasons for not pursuing an appeal, but I consider that the possibility of it being referred to the Secretary of State was a factor in helping them conclude that challenging the Isle of Wight Council’s decision was not worth doing.
“Either way, I am delighted at this outcome – particularly as it gives certainly to everyone concerned. My thanks to everyone who was involved and supported this campaign. Arreton is safe from oil drilling!”
DDTW: A huge relief for us all on the Island
A spokesperson for Don’t Drill the Wight told News OnTheWight,
“We are delighted to hear that UKOG has finally decided not to appeal the decision of the planning committee to reject the Arreton Oil site application. It is a huge relief for us all on the Island.
“We hope that this will give our council the confidence to include a specific statement within their upcoming review of the Island Minerals and Waste Plan rejecting all plans for fossil fuel exploration and extraction. The Isle of Wight exploration licence is still active until July 2023, but it is doubtful that it will be sold on by UKOG to another operator.
“We are continuing to monitor the Government’s policies on future plans for offshore developments, since the Isle of Wight offshore licence P1916, which was dropped by UKOG in 2018, could be included in the next offshore round of licences.”
Leader: Clear public opposition to the proposal
Following the Planning Committee meeting last October, Alliance Group Leader of the Isle of Wight Council, Cllr Lora Peacey Wilcox, said
“I agree with the Planning Committee’s decision to reject the application.
“There was clear public opposition to the proposal made by many very knowledgeable Islanders, and it plainly failed to accord with how the Island should be looking to develop in these greener times.”
Article edit
10.15am 25th Mar 2022 – Comment from RQ added
11.20am 25th Mar 2022 – Comment from VL, SE and DDTW added
Image: © Louise Hill Local Democracy Reporter
