A diary to record Angus’ Flow Test Operations and keep our members and supporters updated with the latest information and news happening onsite and in the courts.

FFBRA objects fundamentally to the presence of the oil and gas industry in our village on grounds of air pollution, industrialisation, water use, potential water pollution, earthquakes and health impacts, toxic waste, climate change, noise, traffic, and the imposition of stress and strife for over a decade on our once peaceful lives.

November 2023

1^st November 2023 Another round of fund raising is launched to fund our Appeal. Crowdfunding site launched at https://www.crowdjustice.com/case/stop-balcombe-oil/

October 2023

31^st October 2023 We lodge our application for permission to appeal to the Court of Appeal.

15^th October 2023 Judgement received from the High Court rejecting our judicial review. Our judicial review has been rejected.

July 2023

19^th July 2023 The High Court heard a judicial review of the Planning Inspector’s decision to grant permission to Angus Energy to flow test for oil at Balcombe.

June 2023

We have been given a High Court Date of 19th and 20th July 2023

March 2023

Our Resident’s Association is challenging the Planning Inspector’s decision to allow Angus Energy to flow test in Balcombe and have launched a Crowd Justice appeal.

On 27th March 2023 we served our claim for a statutory review in order to overturn the Planning Inspector’s Decision to allow Angus Energy permission to carry out oil exploration in Balcombe. Our legal counsel are asking for this review on the basis of six grounds, any one of which renders the Decision unlawful.

The defendants now have three weeks to respond to our claim; our counsel then has two weeks to reply to their response. And then a judge will decide whether or not our case is “arguable” and so should be heard in the High Court. We expect to get that ruling by the end of June 2023.

February 2023

        Angus Energy are granted their appeal

February 2022

        Angus Energy launch an appeal against the WSCC decision to refuse planning permission

March 2021

Watch the recording of WSCC Councillors decide on whether or not to allow Angus to carry out a one year well test at Lower Stumble.

WE WON – a unanimous vote by all 13 councillors to refuse permission.

February 2021

WSCC Councillors will decide on 2nd March 2021 whether or not to allow Angus to carry out a one year well test at Lower Stumble.

October 2020

The consultation has now closed and we are awaiting the planning officer’s recommendation. See latest news for the October 2020 update.

A Community Liaison Group Committee meeting was held via Zoom on 7th October 2020. This liaison meeting was held after the closure of the consultation of the recent planning application.

September 2020

Angus have submitted a new application “Remove drilling fluids and carry out an extended well test” 

Instructions for objecting to the latest application:

Online: On the West Sussex County Council Website – WSCC/045/20
Give your name, address and email, then your comment. Don’t forget to select ‘Objection’ in the final drop-down box before you submit your objection. Otherwise your objection will not count.
By email: planning.applications@westsussex.gov.uk, including your postal address
In writing: County Planning, West Sussex County Council, Chichester, PO19 1RH

See our Objection Guidance page for more information

May 2020

Angus have withdrawn their application for a 3 year extended well test before it reached planning committee

April 2020

The Planning Officers at WSCC recommend refusal of the extended well test application

February 2020

The Environment Agency have withdrawn their objection but will require a permit variation for work to be carried out and therefore the next step is for the WSCC Planning Committee to consider the planning application at the next committee meeting. The next committee meeting is currently scheduled for the 24th March 2020.

November 2019

A Community Liaison Group Committee meeting was held at Bramble Hall, Balcombe.

Angus Energy sent a letter to all residents including FAQs

October 2019

Angus have applied for permission to carry out an “Extended Well Test” for 3 years. They wish to:
– Pump out previously used drilling fluids
– Carry out an extended well test over 3 years using acid and nitrogen when necessary to release and lift the oil trapped in the shale rock.

Instructions for objecting to the latest application:

Online: On the West Sussex County Council Website – WSCC/071/19
Give your name, address and email, then your comment. Don’t forget to select ‘Objection’ in the final drop-down box before you submit your objection. Otherwise your objection will not count.
By email: planning.applications@westsussex.gov.uk, including your postal address
In writing: County Planning, West Sussex County Council, Chichester, PO19 1RH

See our Objection Guidance page for more information

The next Community Liaison Group Meeting will be on 4th November 2019 – If you have a question you would like put to the CLG please contact us

August 2019

Angus are now planning to return and conduct an Extended Well Test at the Balcombe site.

The second Community Liaison Group (CLG) Meeting was held on the 28th August 2019

October 3rd 2018

A cement bond history and Analysis of Balcombe 2 well has been published by FFBRA following Angus’ updated that there was unexpected water in the horizontal section of the well – Flow Test Results – “Unexpected Water” – where has it come from?

Traffic

Balcombe residents are monitoring the traffic going into and out of the site on a daily basis. Movements are being checked against whether Angus are sticking to their planning conditions and subsequent promises to avoid school pickup and drop off times or not. This is vital information for fighting future planning applications.

Having a continual presence from the village down there has made them change their behaviour already. It shows them how closely they will be scrutinised by us.

We really need help with this. If you can give just an hour of your time this week, please get in touch through the closed NOFIBS Facebook page.

If you are unable to give your time to Traffic Watch but would like to help please donate to FFBRA. We need to raise funds to fight the next planning application.

October 2nd 2018

Angus have announced results from the 7 day flow test

Signage has at last been erected at the site to direct traffic

September 29th 2018

It is now a week since Angus started the flow test operation at Balcombe. The 7 days of testing should complete today and the equipment will start to be removed from the site over the next week.

Updates

• Noise – Angus installed “echo barriers” on Thursday which helped with the noise we are still waiting for the noise results to be released. Angus monitors noise 24/7 but have not released the data to either the EA or WSCC. See Noise Issues – Updated page for more information
• Traffic – Still awaiting for signage to be installed at the site as detailed in the Traffic Management Plan which has not been adhered to. WSCC stated that “the signage is on way to the site and will be erected and in place by tomorrow at the very latest.” that was on Wednesday 26th September. No signage is currently present.
• Camera at the site – Angus have responded saying “We do have security cameras at the Balcombe site for the safety of all stakeholders.”
• Minutes from the First Community Liaison Group are now available
• Some of our members questions have been answered by Angus Energy
• NoFIBS have launched a petition against the flow test

What happens to the Balcombe Field Discovery, after the Company completes the 7-Day flow test? All of the equipment is removed with the exception of monitoring equipment. The site’s appearance does not change. The company monitors the pressure of the “shut-in” well for two months to measure the rate of pressure recovery and any residual pressure depletion seen in the well. At the end of this period, the monitoring equipment is then removed.

September 27th 2018

FFBRA has received a number of emails from our members regarding excessive noise from the Angus Flow Test keeping residents awake at night.

We would encourage anyone who is being affected to report the issue to the relevant authorities who will be able to take action.

Despite Angus’ assurance there would be no noticeable noise, and the traffic would be minimal we are finding that again like in 2013 we are having to monitor and report issues ourselves. The escalation path is confused with so many authorities involved and with partial responsibility for noise, and the emphasis is on Angus the operator regulating themselves.

Update –  An “abundance of caution” has coincidentally caused Angus to install echo barriers at the site.

September 26th 2018

FFBRA sent a number of questions to the Angus community email address on Friday 21st September. So far no response has been received.

Minutes from the first CLG meeting have been received by Balcombe Parish Council.

A camera has been setup at the site. The following email has been sent to Angus to ask why.

A camera has been setup at the Balcombe site. Can you please explain what this is monitoring? We were told in the CLG meeting that cameras/webcams could not be setup due to potentially sensitive information.

The permits that Angus Energy has received in order to flow test have been published on the Angus Energy Website

September 24th 2018

Angus Energy have confirmed in a Tweet that the flow test has started

https://twitter.com/angusenergyplc/status/1044152875394486273

September 22nd 2018

When can the flow test start?

There are 5 conditions of the Environment Agency (EA) permit which will need to be met; The EA visited the site at Balcombe on 20th September and indicated in the Community Liaison Group (CLG) meeting on that date that sign off was imminent.

The 21 conditions in the planning decision document have been discharged by West Sussex County Council (WSCC),

The Oil and Gas Authority (OGA) will need to give consent after that. FFBRA has contacted the OGA and Angus to explain this process more fully.

• The conditions of the planning decision can be seen on the planning decision document – WSCC 040 17 BA Decision Notice.pdf – within the WSCC planning portal
• The conditions of the EA permit can be seen on the EA Decision Notice.

The well test commenced on 22nd September 2018 as confirmed by the Oil and Gas Authority

September 20th 2018

The first Community Liaison Group Committee meeting was held at Bramble Hall, Balcombe. Before the meeting representatives were invited to a site visit at Lower Stumble

The next meeting date was set for Thursday 18th October where results would be shared with the group.

September 19th 2018

“Angus Watch” is setup by local Balcombe residents to monitor the amount of traffic passing the local primary school.
Traffic has been missing the site entrance, and going through Balcombe a number of times before finally entering the site. Large articulated lorries have also been spotted in the centre of the village trying to find the site.

September 18th 2018

A group of 50 local Balcombe mothers and concerned residents walked to the site to show their displeasure at Angus’s presence. They carried placards and banners denouncing oil exploration in the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, and read limericks criticising Angus Energy.

September 17th 2018

The Community Liaison Group representatives are chosen at an Extraordinary Meeting of Balcombe Parish Council

September 15th 2018

Angus protects Balcombe site with injunction

Angus was granted an injunction by the High Court on Thursday 13 September and it will be formally served shortly.

September 14th 2018

Deliveries are spotted entering the Lower Stumble site through the Balcombe Sawmill entrance which is against the Traffic Management Plan agreed as part of the Planning Conditions. The following response was received from West Sussex County Council

“Following our investigations, the vehicle movements in question do not appear to be part of the planning permission site set-up activities. As I understand, these movements are part of permitted development activities resulting from requirements of the Environment Agency.
In conclusion, no breaches of planning conditions have occurred.”

September 12th 2018

Angus gives notice that they are returning to flow test the well drilled in 2013