Surrey council approve plans to test for oil near Horley
Plans have been approved by Surrey County Council to test for oil in the Horley countryside.
Magellan Petroleum Limited will now be able to set up an exploratory well on land west of Horse Hill near Hookwood.
A bore hole will be drilled 8,000ft (2,438m) into the ground to test for oil and gas.
The company will be able to use the site for up to three years where there will be a plant, security fencing, buildings and equipment.
Natural England has not objected to the well site and said there would be no significant impact on the conservation of soils in the area.
However, some local residents have said they are concerned about the noise extra traffic through the area could create.
Christopher Lowe, who lives half a mile away from the well site, said: "It's not so much the visual impact because very few people will be able to see it - it's the effect on the highways and the heavy goods vehicles.
"It's going to increase traffic on a busy road which is a rat run from villages across Mole Valley down towards Gatwick."