The Parish Council is not permitted to make representations at the Committee meeting but can be present (albeit virtually) to hear the arguments both for and against the proposals.

After all, why would it be allowed to have a say about such a controversial scheme right on its doorstep? Perish the thought!

Alfold Parish Council were expressly told that the application would be heard at the June meeting butwith just a few days notice heard that the application has been brought forward to Thursday May 21.

The Webcast link to the meeting is here > https://surreycc.public-i.tv/…/p…/webcast_interactive/486609 , and you should not need to register beforehand to listen in.

The Case Officers report can be viewed here > https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/…/Officer%20Loxley%20Repo…

If you have any comments to make on the application, please email Surrey County Councillors : victoria.young@surreycc.gov.uk; david.harmer@surreycc.gov.uk; nikki.barton@surreycc.gov.uk; andy.macleod@surreycc.gov.uk; peterj.martin@surreycc.gov.uk; andrew.f.povey@surreycc.gov.uk; stephen.spence@surreycc.gov.uk; penny.rivers@surreycc.gov.uk.

https://drillordrop.com/2020/05/06/covid-19-recovery-must-not-increase-climate-risk-government-adviser/

Here’s just one Alfold resident’s comments.

 

Dear Councillors

 

As you will hopefully now be aware there is significant opposition to these Proposals for UKOG for this Oil/Gas Drilling Application.

There are SO many reasons to simply say NO and you have to look at the many Neighbour, Business, Parish and Borough Objections as well. SCC has an obligation to listen to the Locals and Elected councillors and if they do not on Thursday we will all know that Democracy has left us and the 2021 elections will focus US ALL on this particular application as a strong reason to rethink previous voting decisions. There are many of us here that will ensure we do inform via social media and other sources, if this decision is taken to go ahead. I promise to do all I can to ensure that local residents are given the information they need to understand –  if you decide to go ahead with this Application.

I will not repeat the long list of Objections from the MANY that have posted on the website – Yet seem to have no impact on the Planners… I have to ask the question ( As I have on many occasions)  – What do they know that we don’t ?? Desk Based assessments are all good and well – But for goodness sakes there has to be some sort of communication – and there simply isn’t.. It leaves residents feeling their views are irrelevant and there is no Democracy.

It is incongruous that this application is being heard during this lockdown surely if footballers can play on a pitch with no contact YOU could have visited the site and seen the roads and local properties that will be affected within 500mtrs of the site, and yet you have decided  NOT to truly see the impacts it will have on the local communities and businesses in Dunsfold and the surrounding villages. This is an AGLV and adjacent to the AONB and this has to have some significance – not the insignificant impact that seems to be stated in the SCC Officers report…. Maybe if you live in Kingston it is not relevant– But it IS to those that will have to live with here in the East of the Borough.

It is well known (despite SCC Highways lack of objection) that these roads are totally unsuitable and unsafe in any sense of the word and 3 or 5 way phasing Traffic lights are not going to mitigate the chaos this is going to cause for however long this takes. It is a joke to even suggest they will be removed from 7pm – 7am (PLEASE!!)  Sites such as these should be established close to major Highways and NOT country lanes and small minor A roads – which the A281 is as we ALL KNOW.

There is has never been any sort of Cumulative Assessment of the impact on our roads from ALL the developments in the Area – each seems to have to be taken on its own merits – Surely SOMEONE in SCC Highways has to work out the TOTAL increase on the Highways (A281 and local roads) – Is that too much to ask for?

There are issues with The Water Framework Directive 2011, Light Pollution and noise which will affect the local residents and businesses. The potential of local tremors to many of the Grade II listed buildings in the areas has not been considered, nor the Environmental Habits Impact.

No consideration has been taken as to the impact on the Dunsfold Park current use as an Operational Airfield and its future use as a Business Park and Housing Village. The construction traffic alone will bring these minor roads to a standstill.

Finally SCC and WBC have all signed up to the Climate Change Emergency… How does this fit in with this? I understand that there is a need for locally sourced Gas/Oil so we are not importing from the Middle east etc… But this is not the answer – It is the destruction of the countryside that is the life and blood of THIS  country and I would have hoped that during this Pandemic that someone would have thought about this – The Countryside SHOULD be protected for what it can produce during times such as these – when we may need to look at producing our OWN food and not importing, when we can protect those Green Spaces which are the LUNGS of this great country – Do not Dig it all up for Housing/ Oil/ Gas. We need to look at sustainable means of supplying our energy – We need to look at means of making our Homes sustainable, we need to look at Building homes where people have access to all the facilities they expect and an infrastructure that supports them moving.  I happen to live in a Grade II listed building and looked at trying to be greener – But I am afraid I do not have £16K up front to do it ( You only get minimal repayments over years from the Government) We simply do not seem to have a Joined-up Policy on this it is just Build New homes regardless… Dig up the country-side for Gas/Oil – PLEASE  Think about this in a joined up way – not a piece meal way or you and this Country will fail massively

It is time we looked at the BIGGER picture and stopped looking at these short term solutions that TICK boxes.

Please Look at this with the views of the people that will have to deal with this for the next 5 years and remember that we will be voting and I really hope you can bear this in mind on Thursday

Look forward to the ZOOM event. I am just a private person who has only lived here for almost 6 years – But I love this place and I want the best for it. I have no political affiliations – I just care about what is happening here and I am afraid I am really angry about this an many other applications  and feel we have lost our Vote, our SAY in what is happening to a place we feel so much about – Please listen to us all – We care.

 

Kind regards

Denise Wordsworth

DWL ASSOCIATES