January 25, 2019 3.15 pm This story is over 62 months old

Oil firm wins appeal against council

The company will now submit another appeal against the council
Centre: Mark Abbott, managing director of Egdon Resources. Picture: Calvin Robinson

Egdon Resources has won an appeal against North Lincolnshire Council over a time extension at an oil well site.

The company made the appeal after the council’s planning committee refused permission back in August 2018.

Egdon had lodged plans to extend its time at Lodge Farm, near Wressle, by a further 12 months ahead of an application to continue drilling at the site.

But councillors said the firm had not complied with a previous decision by the government’s planning inspector to dismantle the site in April 2018.

Members of North Lincolnshire Council’s planning committee. Picture: Calvin Robinson.

Egdon then submitted plans to continue to drill at the well which were also refused by the council.

Now, the government have ruled in favour of the company and granted extra time at the well until January 2020.

Planning inspector, Elizabeth Pleasant, said in her decision notice that restoration of the site should be made without delay.

She added that the “absence of any significant harm” to the environment “adds weight” to the approval of a time extension.

The oil well near Wressle, North Lincolnshire.

Mark Abbott, managing director of Egdon, said the firm was pleased with the decision and that the company would submit another appeal against the council in the coming weeks.

“We are pleased and encouraged that the inspector supported our position in relation to this appeal,” he said.

“We look forward to a planning inspector considering at a public inquiry our appeal against the refusal in November 2018 of our revised development proposals for the Wressle oil field.

“We strongly believe that the new proposals for the development of the Wressle oil field comprehensively addressed the reasons highlighted by the planning inspector in his dismissal of our original appeals in January 2018.

“This position was supported by the recommendation for approval given by the council’s planning officer as reinforced by an expert third party review undertaken on behalf of the council.

“We plan to submit the appeal documentation in relation to this in the coming week.”

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