VIDEO: Kirdford exhibition held over exploratory drilling proposals

JPCT 180513 Consultation in Kirdford Village Hall over drilling plans near Wisborough Green. Visitors L to R Connie, Vicky and James Claydon. Photo by Derek Martin

Celtique Energie’s consultation event saw more than 80 residents attend on Friday and others turn up before the event had even begun on Saturday at Kirdford Village Hall.

The London-based firm, which secured planning permission for a temporary drilling site in Broadford Bridge near Billingshurst in February 2013, is looking for similar permission for land south of Northup Copse.

It is seeking to explore for conventional energy deposits at this site, but Stuart Catterall, chief operating officer, said that if they discovered deposits of shale oil or gas it could be the first step towards fracking in Sussex.

He said: “It could be, because this is an exploration well and we are going to take the data, so it could well be.

“It’s very difficult at this stage to say any more than that.”

He added that they wanted to be open and transparent to people so if they wanted to come back it would not be a huge surprise.

For the full story see this Thursday’s County Times.