Campaigners to stay at Jurassic Coast oil drilling site

Infrastrata said the project at California Quarry, Swanage, would not involve fracking

Campaigners have vowed to stay at a gas and oil exploration site on Dorset's Jurassic Coast despite assurances no work will take place this winter.

The Swanage Protection Camp was set up at California Quarry, near Swanage, on Sunday in a bid to halt ground works.

On Tuesday, Infrastrata, which holds the drilling licence, said it would not start any work before planning permission expires on 4 December.

The protesters said they would remain on site until the permission expired.

Dorset County Council confirmed it had been notified by Infrastrata that it did not intend to start work.

Camp spokesman Andy Kirkwood said materials had already been moved on to the site and campaigners feared landowner, Chris Suttle, could carry out the work instead.

The site owners declined to comment.

'Greater scrutiny'

Mr Kirkwood said: "We need to make sure that nothing happens before 4 December. The protection camp needs to stay there until the planning permission has been rescinded.

"Whatever happens this has got to be put to a second application which will come under much greater scrutiny."

Protesters said "a presence" would be maintained at the site 24 hours a day

Infrastrata - which was granted a licence by the Oil and Gas Authority to drill at the site - divested its interest in the Swanage project in November to a newly-formed company, Corallian.

It remains the licence holder until a new licensee is assigned by the authority.

The quarry is close to Durlston Country Park, a site of special scientific interest, and lies within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

The protesters, who are opposed to new fossil fuel exploration, have also raised concerns about protected species and the health of local residents.

The Isle of Purbeck is already home to the largest onshore oil field in western Europe at Wytch Farm. Extraction also takes place at Wareham and Kimmeridge.