Oil-drilling campaigners face fresh fight after Biscathorpe bombshell
Campaigners against oil-drilling at a beauty spot in the village of Biscathorpe face a fresh fight after the saga took a new and unexpected turn.
When the announcement came last month that the well is set to be fully decommissioned by oil and gas exploration and production giants Egdon Resources, it looked as if an 11-year battle had been finally won.
The action group, SOS Biscathorpe, had secured a High Court victory in 2024 to stop the drilling and, at the end of last year, Egdon withdrew its intended appeal against the decision.
But now, the group has been stunned to learn that a planning application has been submitted that could yet tarnish the celebrations.
The bombshell application is to retain the infrastructure at the well site, despite previous commitments that the site would be restored to agricultural land at the end of Egdon’s operations.
Submitted by Egdon acting as agent for the landowner Wallis and Sons, it seeks permission to retain the compound, hard-standing, earth bunds, fencing, security gates, drainage works and access track at Biscathorpe.
And it has triggered fears among campaigners that, if approved, the plan could give the oil giants a permanent foothold on the Lincolnshire Wolds landscape and licence to seek drilling again in future years.
Throughout the lengthy saga, local residents were repeatedly assured that the oil-drilling development, if approved, would be temporary and that, once operations had ceased, the site and access track would be restored to its previous use as agricultural land, as stipulated by planning permission that was originally granted in 2018.
But according to planning documents submitted with the new application, Lincolnshire County Council officers have already “agreed in principle" to the proposal to retain the site.
SOS Biscathorpe says the application raises important questions about whether commitments made when planning permission was granted are now being set aside and why, particularly in light of the legal duty to conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Landscape.
Amanda Suddaby, a spokesperson for the group, said: “The promise to restore the site to agricultural land was central to the original planning permission and seemed to offer a guarantee that any development would leave no lasting visual impact on the protected National Landscape.
“While it is unsurprising to us that Egdon would prefer to leave the infrastructure in place, rather than incur the cost and effort of restoring the site, those commercial considerations should not influence the planning decision.
"The proposal now before the council risks turning what was presented as a temporary development into a permanent foothold.
"If the site is fully restored, any future developer would need to start again and make an entirely new case for development. But retaining the infrastructure leaves the door open and preserves a platform for future proposals.
"Our principal concern is that retaining the well site pad keeps alive the possibility of future oil and gas development at Biscathorpe should political, regulatory or commercial circumstances change.
"While no such proposal is currently before the council, retaining the site would make future development proposals significantly easier.
"Additionally, retaining a substantial area of hard-standing in the National Landscape could encourage other forms of development that would not otherwise arise at this location.
"However, the over-riding issue is that infrastructure, which was expressly permitted on a temporary basis, is now being proposed for permanent retention.
"It is troubling that the planning documents state that the principle of retaining the site has already been agreed with county council officers – even before public consultation.
"If commitments that were central to the original planning permission can be set aside in this way, local residents are entitled to ask what confidence they can ever place in planning conditions intended to protect landscapes and communities.
"We believe the county council should give full weight to restoration requirements and the duty to enhance the National Landscape while also ensuring that any decision is transparent, properly justified and in the wider public interest.
"Ultimately, this application is about trust. The original permission was granted on the basis that the development was temporary and the land would be fully restored. The time has come for those commitments to be honoured."
SOS Biscathorpe is urging residents and supporters of the Lincolnshire Wolds National Landscape to object to the application.
Their views can be sent to the council or posted on the planning section of its website. The reference number for the application is PL/0023/26 and the deadline for comments is Tuesday, June 30.