Fossil fuels: Interactive map highlights sites where new or extended onshore extraction activity planned

• A list of planned new or extended onshore sites, including by region, is available here  
• Map includes 95 existing onshore oil, gas and coal sites.  
• Full climate impact of developments frequently ignored when planning permission sought. 
• Landmark Supreme Court legal challenge may force planning authorities to consider emissions caused by burning extracted fossil fuels. 

A new interactive map (foe.uk/fossil-fuel-map) published today by Friends of the Earth, highlights 19 sites across England and Wales where new or extended onshore gas, oil and coal extraction is planned.  

After Prime Minister Rishi Sunak gave the green light to “max out” North Sea gas and oil with 100 new licences, the environmental group’s analysis shows that more onshore fossil fuel investment is in the pipeline too.  

The world’s leading scientists are clear that any new fossil fuel developments are incompatible with preventing climate breakdown.  

Using available planning application data, Friends of the Earth has identified 19 onshore sites where new or extended extraction activity is planned. These are made up of three sites where planning applications have yet to be decided; 15 sites where applications have recently been approved (although four are being appealed) and one site where activity has been rejected but the operator has appealed.  

The list includes: 

• Two new oil and gas sites (in Dunsfold Loxley, Surrey; and Glentworth, Lincolnshire). 
• Eight currently inactive oil and gas sites where new extraction activity is planned. Six of these involve drilling new wells. The rest involve extending the site or bringing inactive wells into use.  
• Six active oil and gas sites where new extraction activity is planned. Three of these involve drilling new wells.  
• Two coal mines (both in Wales) where new activity is planned: the Aberpergwm coal mine, which got an extended licence from the Coal Authority in January 2022, and Glan Lash which is awaiting a decision.  
• A new coal mine in Cumbria which was recently granted planning permission but faces a legal challenge from Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change (SLACC). 

Analysis of the latest data by the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA) reveals there are currently 92 existing onshore oil and gas sites each with at least one operating well. There are also three coal mines currently in existence. All these sites are shown on the map. 

Full climate impact of new fossil projects frequently ignored 

Astonishingly, despite the deepening climate crisis and the UK’s commitment to net zero, the full climate impacts of proposed new or extended fossil fuel projects are not routinely considered when planning permission is sought. 

Instead, planning authorities frequently just consider the climate impact caused by the process of getting the fossil fuels out of the ground – and not the emissions that are created when the gas, oil or coal is eventually - and inevitably - burnt. Yet that is when the vast majority of the emissions are produced. 

The issue of failure to account for these "downstream" or "scope 3" emissions in the environmental impact assessment is currently the subject of an appeal in the Supreme Court. Former local resident, Sarah Finch, is challenging Surrey County Council’s decision to grant planning permission for oil drilling at Horse Hill, near Gatwick airport, without taking into account the downstream emissions. The UK government has chosen to participate in the appeal and is defending the approval of the project. A decision is expected later this year. 

If Ms Finch wins her case, it could have a profound impact on all new UK fossil fuel developments, both onshore and offshore.  

Another significant development where the climate impact caused by burning the extracted fossil fuel was not considered is the controversial new coal mine planned for Cumbria, which the government approved last year. The decision is facing a legal challenge by Friends of the Earth and South Lakes Action on Climate Change. The High Court has agreed to a "rolled-up" hearing, but the court says it will wait for the outcome of the Horse Hill legal challenge before setting a date – highlighting the critical importance of Sarah Finch’s challenge.  

Friends of the Earth – along with ClientEarth and Good Law Project – are also taking legal action against the government over its plans for tackling climate change and meeting the country’s legally-binding carbon emissions targets.  The High Court has ordered a three day ‘rolled up’ hearing for the legal challenges, but a date has yet to be set.

Friends of the Earth campaigner Danny Gross said:  

"We know that Rishi Sunak wants to ‘max out’ oil and gas extraction from the North Sea, but there are numerous onshore fossil fuel projects in the pipeline too. The UK is pursuing a dangerous addiction to dirty energy that’s incompatible with our national and global climate goals.  

"Astonishingly, despite their massive environmental impact, the emissions from burning the extracted gas, coal and oil are routinely ignored when planning decisions are made.  

"The impacts of the climate crisis are gathering pace with unprecedented heat waves, and other extreme weather events already battering the planet.  

"With scientists warning that fossil fuel investments must be avoided if we’re to tackle climate breakdown, we must pull the plug on new fossil fuel developments and instead focus on homegrown renewables and energy efficiency. This would boost our economy, create new jobs and lower energy bills.”  

Sarah Finch, whose landmark legal challenge to oil drilling at Horse Hill in Surrey is currently being considered by the Supreme Court, said:  

"The biggest climate impact from gas, coal and oil production occurs when the fuel is eventually burned. It’s outrageous that this is ignored when decisions are made over whether to allow new and expanded fossil fuel projects.  

"That's what my appeal over oil production at Horse Hill is about – and I hope the Supreme Court will confirm that no fossil fuel production – on or offshore – should be allowed without consideration of its full climate impact."   

ENDS 

1.    The map can be viewed by anyone with the link: foe.uk/fossil-fuel-map - but will otherwise not be viewable until the embargo has been lifted.  

2.    Comprehensive information on sites where applications have been made for new or extended fossil fuel production, or whether those applications have been approved or turned down, is not readily available in one place. The sites identified by Friends of the Earth are based on information from planning portals and the Drill or Drop website, which collates info from local council minutes and planning applications. Information on proposals to extend coal mines is from Coal Action Network. There may be other applications that Friends of the Earth is unaware of.  

3.    For oil and gas sites, an "extension" means that the deadline for oil and gas extraction at a given site has been extended or is being applied for. This could involve existing activity continuing for longer than originally permitted and does not necessarily indicate new wells being drilled or an inactive well being brought into use. For coal mines, the word 'extension' is used to describe the extension of a given mine's area, deadline for coal extraction, or both. 

4.    Onshore sites are subject to a different regime from offshore. For all 19 of the proposed sites on our map, licences have already been granted. They also need planning permission from local authorities in order to proceed (most – but not all - of the 19 sites where new or extended extraction activity has been planned have been given planning permission, although some are being appealed). 

5.    Friends of the Earth has identified 19 onshore sites where new or extended extraction activity is planned: 

• Three sites where applications have yet to be decided (Waddock Cross Egdon, Dorset (oil/gas), Wytch Farm, Dorset (oil/gas) and Glan Lash, Carmarthenshire (coal mine). 
• 15 sites where applications have recently been approved (13 oil/gas sites, and 2 coal mines: the Aberpergwm coal mine and Whitehaven coal mine). Of these 15 decisions to grant approval four are being appealed. These are two oil sites where an appeal has been lodged (Balcombe, West Sussex; and Horse Hill, Surrey), a gas site at Dunsfold Loxley (Surrey) and the Whitehaven coal mine.  
• One site where activity has been rejected but the operator has appealed (Biscathorpe, Lincolnshire).  

6.    The data we used identifies specific sites as “oil and gas” sites, so we have grouped these together.  When we refer to “2 oil and gas sites”, this doesn’t mean that there are 2 sites that each produce both oil and gas; instead, each will produce one or the other. 

7.    Ffos y Fran opencast mine in Merthyr Tydfil continues to mine despite the planning permission running out in September 2022 and an extension having been unanimously rejected by the local council in April 2023. The owner was appealing an enforcement notice to stop mining but has now declared that they will be closing the site at the end of November 2023. Uncertainty remains over the process and the remediation of this enormous site.   

8.    Information on existing onshore gas and oil sites is taken from Friends of the Earth’s analysis of data by the North Sea Transition Authority (known formally as the Oil and Gas Authority, it regulates the licensing of exploration and development of the UK’s offshore and onshore (England only) oil and gas resources).. Information on existing coal mines is from Coal Action Network. 

9.    The vast majority of the emissions from extraction sites come when the fossil fuels are eventually burnt. The extraction emissions reported by the developer (140,000 tonnes CO2e; residual emissions 112,000 tonnes CO2e) for the proposed oil extraction at Horse Hill – the decision to grant planning permission is currently being challenged in the Supreme Court by former local resident Sarah Finch - were only around 1% of the total emissions from the project (10.9 million tonnes): https://policy.friendsoftheearth.uk/insight/tip-iceberg-future-fossil-fuel-extraction In the case of the Whitehaven coal mine, the residual operational emissions will amount to just under 2 million tonnes of CO2e; the downstream emissions will be over 220 million tonnes CO2e. Friends of the Earth’s legal briefings on the Horse Hill and Whitehaven coal mine legal challenges are here:  

-  https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/horse-hill-oil-development-legal-briefing  

- https://friendsoftheearth.uk/climate/whitehaven-coalmine-legal-challenge-briefing-1 

10.   Regional Breakdown

North East:   

No existing oil or gas sites, and no plans for new ones. 

North West:  

• Two existing oil and gas sites.  
• A new coal mine planned for Cumbria. 

 Yorkshire and Humberside:  

• Six existing oil and gas sites. 
• New activity planned on three sites (one existing site and two inactive sites). 

 East Midlands:  

• 53 existing oil and gas sites. 
• New activity planned on 4 sites (2 existing sites and 2 inactive sites). 
• One new site proposed. 

 West Midlands:  

• One existing oil and gas site. 
• No new activity planned.  

 South East:  

• 16 existing oil and gas sites. 
• New activity planned on 5 sites (3 existing sites and 2 inactive sites). 
• One new site proposed. 

South West:  

• 14 existing oil and gas sites. 
• New activity planned on two sites (both inactive). 

Wales: 

• No existing oil or gas sites, and no plans for new ones.  
• There are three coal mines – two want an extension for coal extraction. One of these has been approved.