13 September 2019
BCP's Green councillors Chris Rigby and Simon Bull have appeared on ITV regional news condemning Conservative-run Dorset Council's decision to wave through permission for further oil exploration at Wytch Farm in Purbeck, already western Europe's largest onshore oil field.
Oil reserves are estimated at 40 million barrels, but now oil company Parenco are searching for more. The seismic survey of the subsurface was approved by Dorset Council, saying its planning policies support exploration for oil and gas, and that this project meets its criteria for permitted development.
Councillor Chris Rigby told ITV News Meridian: "Dorset declared Climate Emergency before we did, and they should be following through with that declaration which they've made. They shouldn't be endorsing extraction of fossil fuels, they should be looking at ways to move beyond fossil fuels."
Councillor Simon Bull said: "We are in a situation where the climate crisis is affecting people across the world already. We should be looking at how we can reduce our oil use, rather than looking for more ways of finding oil."
Source: ITV Meridian News, 12 Sept 2019 https://www.itv.com/news/meridian/2019-09-12/company-approved-to-search-for-future-oil-reserves-in-dorset/
