Oil drilling to start 'within 18 months' in Surrey Hills

Residents in Leith Hill have raised concerns over traffic

An energy company that won a long-running legal battle to search for oil in the Surrey Hills expects drilling to commence within 18 months.

Permission was granted for drilling in Coldharbour, near Dorking, after a government inspector overturned Surrey County Council's original refusal.

Hugh Mackay, chief executive of Europa Oil and Gas, said he expects the work to start by winter 2016/17.

The council said the company still needs to have further schemes approved.

There had been opposition to the proposal by the Leith Hill Action Group which submitted evidence at the inquiry.

'Not shale gas'

Speaking to BBC Surrey, Mr Mackay said: "This is no time for any triumphalism. We're all a bit bruised by this six-year process and while I have sat on the opposite side of the argument to the Leith Hill Action Group, they do have my respect.

"This is not shale gas - it's a conventional oil well and was first mapped by BP in 1988 and has been waiting to be drilled since then.

"The conventional oil industry has operated very discretely and a lot of people don't realise there is an oil industry in the South East."

Tim Harrold, from the Surrey Hills Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty, believes the decision to allow drilling was a great shame.

He said: "Leith Hill is a beautiful place full of tranquillity.

"In the future we will have a vertical drill site there which is 35 ft (10.6m) high - it will destroy countryside which is classified at the level of a national park."

A council spokeswoman said: "We're looking closely at this decision into conventional oil and gas drilling in Coldharbour but before any work can start the developer still needs to have further detailed schemes approved."