Horse Hill: Council urged to reject new oil drilling bid at controversial site near Gatwick
Campaigners are urging Surrey County Council to reject a new planning application for oil drilling at the highly controversial Horse Hill site near Gatwick airport.
Horse Hill hit the headlines in 2024 when the UK Supreme Court upheld a landmark legal challenge brought by Sarah Finch on behalf of the Weald Action Group and supported by Friends of the Earth.
The court quashed planning permission for oil extraction at the site – granted by Surrey County Council in 2019 – after ruling that it had failed to take into account the climate impact of burning the oil that would be produced.
The judgment – now widely known as the Finch Ruling – established that planning authorities must assess the full climate impact of burning the fossil fuel produced by fossil fuel developments as part of their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
New application
In May this year, Horse Hill Developments Ltd (HHDL) submitted a fresh application to extract around 600,000 tonnes of oil from Horse Hill over the next 20 years. The company estimates that this would result in more than two million tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions but argues that this would be “not significant.”
On 9 July, Friends of the Earth submitted a formal objection to Surrey County Council, urging councillors to refuse the application. The environmental justice campaigners argue that:
• The oil company’s assessment of the project’s climate impacts is flawed. It’s out of step with the landmark Finch ruling and doesn’t follow government guidance on assessing the climate impact of burning the oil that would be produced (known as scope 3 emissions). It also fails to reflect the UK’s international climate obligations.
• Emissions of more than 2 million tonnes of greenhouse gases cannot realistically be described as insignificant. Scientists are clear that there can be no new fossil fuel projects if global climate goals are to be met.
• Surrey County Council declared a climate emergency in 2019. They have an opportunity to demonstrate leadership by rejecting this fossil fuel project.
Friends of the Earth has also recently (13 July) submitted expert evidence warning of earthquake risks associated with the proposal. Their report highlights a growing body of evidence linking previous oil production at Horse Hill with earthquakes in the local area. The report concludes that earthquake risks cannot be ruled out if production resumes and recommends enhanced monitoring and assessment before any future production takes place.
Friends of the Earth’s interim head of legal Katie de Kauwe said:
“It is deeply disappointing that Horse Hill Developments Ltd is persisting with another oil drilling application, given the enormous community resistance to the previous project at this site. We continue to stand with local community group Weald Action Group in opposing it.
“Fossil fuel companies continue to profit from the climate crisis they are driving, while ordinary people pay the price. This June was England's hottest on record, putting lives, livelihoods and nature at risk. Such extreme weather is going to get worse and more frequent if governments do not take the action necessary to phase out fossil fuel projects. Approving Horse Hill would be a backwards step that we cannot afford to take.
“Oil drilling in Surrey will do nothing to help the cost of living crisis. It is clear that the UK’s continued reliance on fossil fuels leaves households exposed to volatile global markets, as the recent crisis in the Middle East has shown. The route to lower bills, greater energy security and a safer climate is a rapid transition to renewables.”
Sarah Finch of the Weald Action group said:
"The Weald Action Group defeated the previous application for Horse Hill oil production in the Supreme Court, so it is depressing to have to do it again!
"Once again the oil company has failed to recognise the impacts of this project to produce oil for 20 years. The science is clear. Any new oil and gas production will bust our chances of keeping global heating within safe limits.
“The application should have assessed the emissions from Horse Hill oil on a global basis, taking into account the emissions from other existing and committed fossil fuel projects. It failed to do so, so I believe allowing the project on this basis would be unlawful."
Friends of the Earth has also highlighted the growing impacts of climate change, with extreme weather events – such as last month’s heatwave – becoming more frequent and more severe.
The group says the UK’s dependence on fossil fuels is also driving the cost of living crisis through exposure to volatile fossil fuel markets. This echoes the Climate Change Committee’s recent progress report, which concluded:
"The UK Government is not moving fast enough to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and to protect households and businesses from volatile fossil fuel prices. The war in Iran has led to the second global fossil fuel price shock in just four years.”
Ends
Notes to editors
1. Friends of the Earth was the first intervener in the landmark Finch case, which resulted in 2024 in the quashing of the planning permission for oil drilling obtained previously by Horse Hill Developments Ltd.
2. Friends of the Earth is urging Surrey County Council to give careful consideration to authoritative reports such as the latest UN Production Gap Report, published in September 2025. This states that: “Taken together, government [as in governments collectively across the world] now plan even higher levels of coal production to 2035, and gas production to 2050, than they did in 2023. Planned oil production continues to increase to 2050. These plans undermine countries’ Paris Agreement commitments, and go against expectations that under current policies global demand for coal, oil, and gas will peak before 2030.” The report states further, that fossil fuel production as currently planned, would lead to global production levels in 2030 which are higher than the 1.5 C consistent pathway; in relation to oil, by 31% (pp12-13).
3. If you would like the full report - authored by Professor Stuart Haszeldine and submitted as expert evidence by Friends of the Earth - that highlights the link between Horse Hill oil production and seismicity, please visit Friends of the Earth's website.