A few weeks ago, the Waverley Web asked? Will fossil fuel exploration ever happen in Dunsfold?
Now, UK Oil & Gas has decided to surrender its exploration rights on the Loxley Fields near Pratts Corner.
Campaigners DrillOrDrop have revealed that the exploration licence covering the controversial gas site at Loxley, Dunsfold, had been relinquished. Bringing to a close the long fight by Waverley Borough Council and campaigners to stop exploration.
By relinquishing the licence, UKOG (234) Ltd has lost the right to explore or produce hydrocarbons in the area.
The licence, called PEDL234, included another exploration site at Broadford Bridge, near Billingshurst, in West Sussex, also the subject of fierce local opposition.
Waverley Council and the campaign organisations, Protect Dunsfold and the Weald Action Group, have welcomed the news.
“Delighted but vigilant” – Dunsfold reaction
Protect Dunsfold Ltd said it was delighted that the licence had been relinquished, but said it remained vigilant.
In a statement, it said:
“PD [Protect Dunsfold] and fellow campaigners have been working ceaselessly since 2019 to protect the local environment and community assets from UKOG’s totally inappropriate and unsuitable proposal.
“Dunsfold is currently expecting inclusion into the enlarged Surrey Hills National Landscape (formerly known as an AONB). Such exploratory drilling would have irreparably damaged both the natural environment and neighbouring local businesses, as well as causing significant stress to local roads, with heavy vehicles navigating an incredibly narrow access lane on a blind bend.
“While we always felt that the potential at this site was overestimated by UKOG, and therefore likely to founder, we simply could not take that risk and so a huge amount of effort has been devoted to campaigning against this project.
“We are very grateful to everybody who has supported us; whilst undoubtedly there are other factors at play, this is a victory for common sense and stands as a testament to community cooperation and resilience.
“Hopefully the relinquishment of this drilling licence effectively marks the end of a long running saga, but as the planning consent for this site does not expire until June 2026 we remain vigilant and will persist in protecting the local environment should the need arise again.”
Surrey County Council confirmed that the Loxley/Dunsfold planning permission remains valid, regardless of whether a PEDL licence is in place.
Planning permission for the Dunsfold scheme was initially rejected twice by Surrey County Council, in June and November 2020. But the refusal was overturned on appeal by the then local government minister, Stuart Andrew. In 2023, Protect Dunsfold and Waverley Borough Council failed in their legal challenge at the High Court.
Cllr Steve Williams, portfolio holder for environment and sustainability for Waverley Borough Council, was part of the challenge. He said today:
“For years, Waverley Borough Council has stood alongside local campaigners and environmental pressure groups against proposals by UK Oil and Gas (UKOG) to devastate the rural heart of our borough by drilling for fossil fuels.
“As Waverley’s portfolio holder for Environment and Sustainability I have worked alongside community groups and supported the council’s legal case against the drilling, alongside Paul Follows, our council leader.
“Throughout the years of campaigning against drilling for fossil fuels in Dunsfold, I have consistently spoken out against UKOG’s outrageous proposals, despite facing the personal threat of legal action from UKOG itself at one stage.
“This campaign has been long, difficult, and sometimes intimidating — but justice and common sense have at last prevailed. We must all continue to press the message that if we are ever to stand any chance of stopping the worst of our impending climate crisis, all new deposits of fossil fuels must stay in the ground.”
Kirsty Clough, of the Weald Action Group, said:
“We were heartened to hear that UKOG has finally thrown in the towel and given up its licence to carry out fossil fuel drilling near the village of Dunsfold. We are proud to have stood alongside local campaign group Protect Dunsfold who have worked tirelessly for over 5 years to stop this development. From the start it was clear that the scheme would have been bad news for the local wildlife and for the climate, and bad news for local businesses”
Uncovering the lost licence
DrillOrDrop uncovered the relinquished licence when we followed up on a missed deadline on work in PEDL234.
The industry regulator, the North Sea Transition Authority (NSTA), had given UKOG until June 30, 2025, to start drilling a well at the Loxley/Dunsfold site. This was the third time the NSTA had extended the deadline.
Drilling the well had been a condition. PEDL234 was operated by UKOG (234) Ltd, a subsidiary of UK Oil & Gas plc.
The company has carried out no construction or drilling work at the Loxley/Dunsfold site. A well was drilled at Broadford Bridge, but the site has been mothballed for seven years.
DrillOrDrop asked the parent company about the relinquishment, but has received no response.
The licence loss has been among a series of recent setbacks for the UKOG group. Others include:
- In June 2024, the flagship oil production site at Horse Hill lost its planning permission following a landmark climate ruling at the Supreme Court
- In March 2025, UKOG suspended share trading when its annual accounts were not published on time
- In April 2025, we reported council action over restoration delays at Broadford Bridge
- UKOG’s interim accounts were delayed this week
- Today, UKOG announced that it was selling a subsidiary, UKOG GB Ltd, for £400,000