The application will be decided by the SCC Planning & Regulatory Committee. The MVDC Development Control Committee is one of the more important consultees.

You can write to SCC the most important body to object to; MVDC; any other consultee; any member of either SCC or MVDC committee or; any other councillor. All the names and addresses and e-mail addresses you may need are at the foot of this page.

You can write a letter about each separate ground for objection. If you have already written and want to raise a new issue, you can write again.

A personalised letter of objection (c.f. a form letter) carries much more weight.

Each member of a household (indeed anyone who has a view about the application) should write separately.

"Any e-mail that has your personal comments about any planning application will have as much weight as any letter delivered by the mails or by hand, provided it contains your full postal address, your name and a clear reference to which site you wish to comment on”.

For ease of reading we refer to e-mails or letters as just "letters" on this page. If you only have time to write one letter: Each household member should write a personalised letter of objection to SCC (copy MVDC) to reach both ASAP, copied to councillors as you wish.

If you know anybody who might care to object - perhaps a son or daughter away at university - please e-mail the link to this page (below) with a plea to read, register and write!

www.thevirtualvillage.com/how_and_when_to_object.cfm

You will have your own views on the aspects of the proposal that concern you most, but we list some suggestions below. Please express them in your own way if you can; if you really don't have time then you can object within 60 seconds - but this will carry far less weight. LHA has published a detailed paper of objection based on professional advice. There is nothing to stop you writing again if this raises issues you had not previously addressed.

AREA OF OUTSTANDING NATURAL BEAUTY (AONB)

• The application is located within the designated AONB protected by National, Regional and Local Planning legislation.
• Proposals will permanently damage this protected area causing destruction or disturbance of the overall landscape, local wildlife and natural serenity.
• Proposals will compromise the protected environment of the Coldharbour Conservation Area with a working rig visible 24/7 from the village and surrounding areas.
• Proposals will seriously detract from the recreational enjoyment of the AONB by over 600,000 estimated walkers, cyclists and other visitors who come to the Leith Hill area annually.
• Proposals do not accord with MVDC Development Plan which states "The Surrey Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty is of national importance and will be subject to the most rigorous protection. Development inconsistent with the primary aim of conserving and enhancing the existing landscape character will not be permitted.’’
• The proposals should demonstrate exploration is in the national need, there are exceptional circumstances to disturb an AONB and all the environmental impacts have been mitigate where possible, the planning application in this case does not address these essential criteria.

TRAFFIC & TRANSPORT

• Impossibly difficult access to the drill site for the volume of HGV and other vehicles via Coldharbour Lane, a narrow country lane and Knoll Road, a quiet residential street in Dorking. Large HGVs will be needed to transport plant and equipment the increased traffic will have a significant environmental impact on the above mentioned streets.
• Proposals will cause disturbance and threat to local residents from noise, pollution and road safety risk due to intense increase in heavy vehicle movements.
• HGV movement, noise and vibration will damage fragile road surface and historic tree lined banks. The weak geological make up of the embankments to Coldharbour lane will be damaged and eroded beyond repair.
• Proposals may result in need for road widening or tree felling to accommodate very large vehicles carrying very large items of plant and equipment.
• Proposals will potentially cause serious disruption and delay for the emergency services, particularly ambulance and fire brigade access.
• Proposals will result in inappropriate increase in traffic levels on surrounding, single track lanes seeking alternative routes e.g. Anstie Lane, Broomhall Lane and Logmore Lane. These roads are in poor repair and will get further damaged by increased traffic.
• Proposals will result in loss of amenity for local community due to inconvenience and disruption of access to homes caused by traffic control measures. Access to the area for home help and carers will become difficult in an already remote area where this sort of care is already hard to find.
• Disrupted access will intensify economic loss for local businesses e.g. pub, home workers and local enterprises.

VISUAL INTRUSION

• Rig with flashing warning lights and high lighting levels generally will be visible 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
• Proposals will result in interference with protected views and have a detrimental impact when viewed from the Coldharbour Conservation Area.
• Proposals will create significant and ugly intrusion on the long views across the AONB to Ranmore from the village approaches and from historic Wolvens Lane.
• Proposals will create ugly industrial scale intrusion in the vicinity of the site, with 2m high fencing, large steel gates and upgraded site access all within a popular walking and mountain biking area

NOISE POLLUTION

• Drill site will be operational 24 hours per day, seven days per week.
• Proposals will increase background noise disturbance for local residents and the surrounding area.
• Existing night time noise levels are extremely low and any increase is of serious concern

LIGHT POLLUTION

• Rig flashing lights and compound and access lighting will be operational throughout the night affecting the tranquillity of the natural area and disturb wildlife.
• Lighting intrusion and overspill will diminish the rare levels in an area of an intrinsically dark landscape usual in National Parks and AONB.
• Proposals will cause additional disturbance and loss of amenity for local residents.

GROUNDWATER

• The well is to be drilled with an inclined trajectory down from the site and then under the village of Coldharbour for approximately 1500 metres and 1000 metre deep.
• Pollution of the groundwater is of serious concern. This may be aggravated by the number of open springs and the history of landslips in the area.

FUTURE INDUSTRIALISTION

• Possibility of permanent development if exploration is successful resulting in intensification of industrial activity.
• Proposals could have long term consequences for Surrey Hills if approval precedent is set, resulting in permanent damage to the AONB.
• Potential environmental pollution and permanent blight for local residents and visitors alike.
• Proposals appear to set no enforceable limit on the 18 week exploratory period, which could with unforeseen overruns extend for the full 3 year approval period, with little incentive to restore the site at the end of that period.
• Proposals contradict a renewable energy policy. The exploitation of oil and hydrocarbon fossil fuels at the expense of unique natural landscapes cannot represent a sustainable long term policy

OPERATING HOURS

• A non-stop 24 hour a day 7 day a week operation is planned. This will maximise the potential disturbance, disruption and desecration of the local environment, the local road network and the adverse effects on the local community

CONCLUSION

• This is an inappropriate development in an area which is protected specifically to ensure its survival as a unique and irreplaceable environment.

You can object with a single e-mail as follows:

To: mwcd@surreycc.gov.uk
Cc: planning@molevalley.gov.uk

If you wish to copy to members of the MVDC Development Control Committee you should include any or all of the following:

cllr.Aboud@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Corden@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Dickson@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Friend@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Hunt@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Johnson@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Ladell@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Purkiss@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Reynolds@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Sharland@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.MargaretCooksey@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.MauriceHomewood@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.ValerieHomewood@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Lewis-Carr@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Murdoch@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Salmon@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Northcott@molevalley.gov.uk, bobhedgeland1@aol.com, cllr.Hedgeland@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Curran@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Davis@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.SylviaSharland@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Tatham@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Burt@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Freeman@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Howarth@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Howell@molevalley.gov.uk, cllr.Townsend@molevalley.gov.uk

If you wish to copy to members of the SCC Planning & Regulatory Committee you should include any or all of the following:

roy.taylor@surreycc.gov.uk, ian.beardsmore@surreycc.gov.uk, geoff.marlow@surreycc.gov.uk, lsealy@surreycc.gov.uk, e.Compton@surreycc.gov.uk, marisa.heath@surreycc.gov.uk, ernest.mallett@surreycc.gov.uk, michael.nevins@surreycc.gov.uk, chris.pitt@surreycc.gov.uk, denise.turner@surreycc.gov.uk, fiona.white@surreycc.gov.uk, david.wood@surreycc.gov.uk

It's vital to include your full name and address - copy and paste and get writing!

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
DATE

Planning Manager
Environment & Regulation
Surrey County Council
County Hall
Kingston-upon-Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DY

Dear Sir or Madam

Re: SCC Ref 2008/0169/PS

[YOUR WORDS GO HERE]

Yours sincerely,

YOUR NAME

You can object with a single letter as follows:

YOUR NAME
YOUR ADDRESS
DATE

Planning Manager
Environment & Regulation
Surrey County Council
County Hall
Kingston-upon-Thames
Surrey
KT1 2DY

Dear Sir or Madam

Re: SCC Ref 2008/0169/PS

[YOUR WORDS GO HERE]

Yours sincerely,

YOUR NAME

cc:

Chris Robertson
Mole Valley District Council
Pippbrook
Dorking
Surrey
RH4 1SJ

If you wish to copy members of the MVDC Development Control Committee you should include any or all of the following:

Emile Aboud
Carolyn Corden
Rosemary Dickson
James Friend
Chris Hunt
Malcolm Johnson (Chair)
Daphne Ladell
Janette Purkiss
Chris Reynolds (Vice-Chair)
Sylvia Sharland
Margaret Cooksey
Maurice Homewood
Valerie Homewood
Bridget Lewis-Carr
Iain Murdoch
Caroline Salmon
John Northcott
Bob Hedgeland
Penny Hedgeland
Clare Curran
Bryan Davis
David Sharland
Ben Tatham
Derrick Burt
Andrew Freeman
Anne Howarth
David Howell
Chris Townsend

You can send copy letters to the above at MVDC or to their home addresses which are available here.

If you wish to copy members of the SCC Planning & Regulatory Committee you should include any or all of the following:

Mr Roy Taylor (Chair)
Mr Ian Beardsmore (Vice Chair)
Mr Geoff Marlow
Mrs Lavina Sealy
Mrs Elizabeth Compton
Miss Marisa Heath
Mr Stuart MacLeod
Mr Ernest Mallett
Mike Nevins
Mr Chris Pitt
Mrs Denise Turner-Stewart
Mrs Fiona White
Mr David Wood

You can send copy letters to the above at SCC or to their home addresses which are available here.

The other consultees are listed below. The websites for most of them are on the links page.

Government Office for the South East (GOSE)
Environment Agency
Health and Safety Executive
Natural England
Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC)
Sutton & East Water
Thames Water Utilities
BAA Safeguarding
Surrey Wildlife Trust
Forestry Commission
Surrey Fire and Rescue Service
Environmental Noise Consultant
Consultant Geologist
Environmental Consultants
- Lighting
- Air Quality
County Highway Authority
- Transport Development Control
Rights of Way
Landscape Officer
County Ecologist & Biodiversity Manager
Surrey Hills AONB Officer
Archaeologist

All websites are on the links page.

Capel Parish Council
Wotton Parish Council
Holmwood Parish Council
Dorking and District Preservation Society
Ramblers' Association (Mole Valley Group)