Stop Hedge End Oil Plans, Says MEP

11.39.19am GMT Mon 28th Feb 2005

Cllrs Carol Boulton & Derek Blampied at the site of the proposed oil well

Plans to use a field in Hedge End as a major site for oil exploration should be rejected, according to Hampshire MEP Chris Huhne.

Mr Huhne, who was speaking after visiting the prospective site with local residents yesterday (Sunday) said that the drilling plans were "just as inappropriate for a residential area like Hedge End as a major industrial development". The proposed test drilling mast would be as high as a ten storey building.

Mr Huhne also said that he was worried that the Tory-controlled Hampshire county council would not be able to take a fair decision on the issue, because it stood to gain from the work on its land. "Hampshire county council has a clear conflict of interest here because it is acting as judge in its own cause" Mr Huhne said.

Mr Huhne told residents that county council officers would not even answer a straight question about whether the county had an agreement with the proposed developers, Northern Petroleum (GB) Ltd, to use county council land for the test drilling.

"Anyone who has visited this site can see that it would be far too close to two residential areas - Billington Gardens and Stag Close in the new Lakeside development - and also to Berrywood primary school. It would also adversely impact Bushey Copse, which contains a pretty meandering brook of important amenity and environmental value.

"The extra lorry traffic during construction would disturb residents of Botley, while the drilling itself would be 24 hours a day for seven weeks for each test drilling, all in the middle of one of the most quiet and peaceful areas in the borough" said Mr Huhne.