February 14, 2019 3.59 pm This story is over 61 months old

Oil drilling firm’s fresh appeal against council

A fresh challenge to the council

Egdon Resources has formally submitted a fresh appeal against North Lincolnshire Council over the right to drill for oil in the region.

The local authority turned down a bid from the company to continue drilling at a well at Lodge Farm near Wressle back in November 2018.

It was the third time the council had rejected plans from the oil firm.

Councillors said they had “deep concerns” about the proposal and were hailed as “heroes” by local campaigners.

But, Mark Abbott, managing director of Egdon, said the proposal “comprehensively addressed” any concerns about the proposal.

The oil well in Wressle, North Lincolnshire.

The firm recently won an appeal against the authority to extend its time at the Wressle site by 12 months.

Mr Abbott said in a statement that the company will look forward to putting its case forward.

“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,” he said.

“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.”

A date for the public inquiry will now be set by the government’s Planning Inspectorate.


SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEKLY, our exclusive email newsletter with highlights from our coverage every week and insights and analysis from our local democracy reporters.