Revealed: Detailed plan for Arreton oil drilling

PLANS to explore whether the Isle of Wight could be the site of oil and gas drilling have been submitted.

Report by By Louise Hill

Local Democracy Reporter

UK Oil and Gas (UKOG), which owns 95 per cent interest in Petroleum Exploration Development Licence 331 at Arreton, has submitted a planning application to explore whether it would be viable for further production.

A site in Arreton, close to the New Barn Business Park, on the A3056, called Arreton-3, which was previously agricultural land, could be the site of an exploration borehole and a side-track borehole.

Previously, boreholes have been drilled on the Island, such as those UKOG are proposing, but when it was found nothing was flowing to the surface the sites were closed.

Now, following a public consultation in December and a public notice published in March, permission is sought to construct, operate and then decommission a well for three years.

The site, which would include drilling rigs, ranging from a 10m water well rig up to a 38m high hydrocarbon rig would be used to explore and appraise the site for hydrocarbons and to see if it would be viable for round-the-clock operation.

UKOG said the final design of the site minimised residual negative environmental effects through all phases of development, leaving a legacy of environmental and biodiversity ‘net gain’ and would not lead to the loss of valuable features which contribute to the landscape character.

In more than 50 planning documents, some being over 100 pages long, released yesterday (Thursday) the company stressed the Arreton-3 site, which would have 2.4m high fencing and an on-site security team, would not be the site of fracking.

In a site identification report, the company said that the exploration of hydrocarbons at Arreton represented an efficient use of natural resources in an environmentally responsible manner and that the development would not overlook neighbouring farms and dwellings - the closest houses being 600m away.

Speaking at the public consultation, Stephen Sanderson, UKOG's chief executive, said the drilling would benefit the Island's economy, providing security and transportation jobs and he pledged to give a percentage of profits to the Island if the drilling went ahead.

The work on the site has been proposed in four stages: access and well construction; drilling, testing and appraisal; well plugging, abandonment and decommissioning; and site retention or restoration.

The planning documents include a visual impact and ecology assessments, habitat survey and major accident and/or disaster risk assessment, all arguing for the proposals to be accepted.

To read more about UKOG's plans for the site, you can view the application, 20/00513/FUL, in the council's planning portal.

However, the five-week public consultation on the site will not start straight away due to coronavirus lockdown restrictions because a public site notice cannot be put up.

As planners have classified the development as a major, as well as having an environmental statement, until planning legislation or lockdown restrictions are changed, the consultation cannot start, so public comments can not be accepted.

Arreton Parish Council - IW Planning Department - Oil Drilling

Dear Resident

Please see below for information on how the IW Planning Department will be working in the present circumstances.  In view of the fact that the oil drilling application is looming, it is good news that no applications will be determined for the time being.  It will be interesting to see if UKOG does put in their application now or wait.

If you have any planning queries, then please contact me and I will forward them to the appropriate officer.

Best wishes
Sheila
Mrs Sheila Caws
Clerk to Arreton Parish Council

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Ollie Boulter (Strategic Manager Planning & Infrastructure Delivery) has confirmed that no new planning applications will be determined for the immediate future. They will, however, still be receiving applications electronically and will make them available online in the usual way. However, they will not be starting the formal public consultation period until Government guidance on non-essential movement changes and they can safely put up site notices and undertake site visits. They will then also advertise planning applications as usual in the local press. This means that the public will be able to see any new applications online, but they will not be determining them.

They will though continue to determine planning applications that are already in the system that has been subject to public consultation.

Other key points are:
Planning Services staff including Building Control are now all working from home.

They will still consult with statutory consultees if required, once we have validated your application.

They will hold virtual or telephone meetings for pre-apps or applications, but are not undertaking site visits.

They will still investigate allegations of unlawful activity in relation to protected trees and heritage assets.

They are looking at how the Planning Committee can be held virtually, in light of emergency legislation likely to be made this week. Delaying Committee or deferring items to the May Committee are options.

They will be following the Government’s approach towards relaxing some planning rules, such as the delivery times for supermarkets and pubs and restaurants to operate as takeaways.

They are providing updates through our webpages at www.iow.gov.uk/planning and will be programming further public updates as part of the Council’s wider sharing of information.

Ollie Boulter | Strategic Manager Planning & Infrastructure Delivery | Planning Services | Isle of Wight Council |