Victory for climate change activists as council rejects mass oil exploration in East Riding

Local climate protesters have claimed a historic victory as East Riding Council’s planning committee today rejected an application to create Europe’s largest oil field at the village of West Newton in Mid-Holderness.

The application from energy giant Rathlin Energy included a provision to drill up to 8 oil wells on land close to Burton Constable Hall in East Yorkshire but was rejected by councillors on the Conservative-dominated East Riding planning committee.

The  campaign group, pictured outside County Hall in Beverley (above) say this decision is the culmination of seven years work monitoring the operation at West Newton and working with independent experts to document the environmental impact that further oil exploration would have caused.

During the occasionally heated planning meeting held in Beverley, councillors were urged by East Riding planning officers to waive the application through, however, councillors voiced serious concerns that the scale of the site, likely traffic problems, industrialisation of the area and the overall environmental impact were been underestimated and therefore the application should be rejected.

Many councillors also warned against the application on the basis of wider climate change issues and the the fact that East Riding  Council recently declared a climate emergency.  However solicitors for the council advised that these issues could not currently be taken into account in a planning application.

Following a lengthy debate, committee chairman Cllr David Tucker of South Holderness called the meeting to vote on a motion to reject the application which was voted on by a  majority of 7-5. Following the vote there were scenes of relief and jubilation from those present including many of those involved in the campaign to prevent the plan from going ahead.

After the meeting, campaigner, Pippa Hockey said “many people have worked hard on this and commissioned independent reports to show the terrible impact of this plan, and finally it seems like we have been listened to”.

There has so far been no comment from Rathlin Energy but it is thought that they may appeal the decision. But in the meantime, it is a victory for the campaigners, residents, ward councillors and many generations to come.

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