Public inquiry to be held over oil drilling plans

Campaigners from SOS Biscathorpe brought in a claim which led to the Biscathorpe oilfield approval getting rejected last year

A week-long public inquiry will be held in April 2026 as part of a long-running legal dispute over oil drilling in the Lincolnshire Wolds.

The decision to approve an oilfield in Biscathorpe was quashed in July last year following a Supreme Court judgement after a claim was brought in by local campaign group SOS Biscathorpe.

The developer Egdon Resources appealed the decision and the Planning Inspectorate has confirmed an inquiry will take place between 14 and 21 April at Kenwick Park Hotel, Louth.

Campaigner Amanda Suddaby believed it would be "a step up from the public hearing that was held in 2022". Egdon Resources did not want to comment when approached by the BBC.

The proposed oil drilling site is located at a former sand quarry in the Lincolnshire Wolds, a designated Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty

The application for an oil well at Biscathorpe was initially refused by Lincolnshire County Council in 2021, but the developer successfully appealed it before it was taken to the High Court.

In 2024, justices at the Supreme Court said emissions created by burning fossil fuels should be considered when granting planning permission for new drilling sites.

In July, Egdon Resources said it had submitted an assessment of the greenhouse gas emissions which was published on the Lincolnshire County Council website on Wednesday.

SOS Biscathorpe has been fighting against the oil drilling plans for years

Amanda Suddaby from SOS Biscathorpe said: "Flooding, coastal erosion, and extreme weather aren't distant problems - they're happening on our doorstep.

"They affect our homes, our farms, our local businesses, and our family budgets through rising insurance and food costs.

"Most of all, they threaten the natural environment that sustains us — the land, water, and wildlife that make Lincolnshire such a special place to live."

Egdon Resources was approached by the BBC but did not want to comment.

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