Sarah Finch Wins Court Fight Over Surrey Oil Emissions
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- Sarah Finch sparked the campaign after seeing a 2010 newspaper notice about a proposed oil well at Horse Hill, 6 mi from her home.
- Weald Action Group secured refusals or withdrawals for several drilling applications, but Surrey County Council approved a 2018 plan for four new wells producing >24 M barrels over 25 years.
- Surrey County Council required an environmental impact statement that omitted the 10.6 Mt CO₂ from burning the oil, prompting a legal challenge over scope 3 emissions.
- Horse Hill Developments Ltd faced a High Court judicial review led by Finch, which ruled the council’s decision was unlawful for ignoring scope 3 emissions; the company appealed.
- High Court decision forced inclusion of downstream emissions in planning decisions, setting a precedent that could affect future UK oil and gas projects.
Why it matters: The High Court’s ruling forces Surrey to consider 10.6 Mt CO₂ from burning the oil, curbing Horse Hill Developments’ 24 M‑barrel project and giving communities a legal lever to block high‑emission developments, potentially reshaping UK planning law.
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