Sir,

There can be no justification for drilling for oil at Broadford Bridge, or indeed any where else in our County.

Presenting to Parliament (12 October), the Government’s new ‘Clean Growth Strategy, Leading the way to a low carbon future’’, Business and Energy Secretary, Greg Clark, said that:

“Government has put clean growth at the heart of its Industrial Strategy to increase productivity, boost people’s earning power and ensure Britain continues to lead the world in efforts to tackle climate change”  and that  “The world is moving from being powered by polluting fossil fuels to clean energy. It’s as big a change as the move from the age of steam to the age of oil and Britain is showing the way”.

It is unfortunate, that the announcement of the new policy came too late to inform the West Sussex County Councillors who in Horsham on 12 September permitted a 12 months extension of drilling-for-oil operations in countryside at Broadford Bridge, West Chiltington, in the belief that Government policies required them to permit the application.

Consequently, permission was given even though the application, contrary to regulatory requirements, lacked an up-to-date assessment of how the application could or would impact on the natural environment, including protected species and the ancient woodland that adjoins the drill site.

However, in light of the Government’s ‘Clean Growth Strategy’ there can be no justification for drilling for oil at Broadford Bridge, or indeed any where else in our County.

After all, “the world is moving from being powered by polluting fossil fuels to clean energy. It’s as big a change as the move from the age of steam to the age of oil and Britain is showing the way”.

Yours faithfully,
Dr Roger F Smith
Trustee CPRE Sussex