Isle of Wight anti-fracking and drilling campaign group to disband

Don't Drill The Wight (DDTW) — formerly known as Frack Free Isle of Wight — is closing its website and core committee members are planning to resign at its upcoming annual general meeting next week.

Sylvia May, DDTW spokesperson, says they believe they have finally achieved all of its key goals they set out seven years ago, relating to removing the threat of drilling for fossil fuels on the Island.

In the last year, DDTW has helped lead the successful campaign against potential oil drilling boreholes in Arreton.

The Isle of Wight Council's planning committee unanimously threw out UK Oil and Gas's (UKOG) application for the site in October last year, with no subsequent appeal submitted to overturn the decision.

Read more:

• UK Oil and Gas announces drilling plans at two Isle of Wight sites — but says there will be no fracking
• UKOG reveals further details about controversial oil drilling plans
• Revealed: Detailed plan for Arreton oil drilling
• Protesters gather outside County Hall before crucial vote on Arreton oil drilling
• Councillors go against officers' recommendation and REFUSE oil drill permission
• Campaigners jubilant after victory over oil drilling
• Oil firm may appeal last night's planning refusal
• Isle of Wight oil drill plan decision not to be contested by UKOG
• Anti-oil drilling protestors 'delighted' as UKOG pulls out of Isle of Wight

Earlier this year, the oil and gas company relinquished its licence to drill on the Island and in doing so will not be able to act on its plans for two drill sites, the first in Arreton and the other in Godshill.

Despite the milestones being achieved, DDTW kept going for one more year for other reasons.

One of the reasons was awaiting the latest round of offshore drilling licences to ensure the licensed area off of Compton Bay — which UKOG also held but dropped in 2018 — was not included, which it wasn't.

The other, Sylvia said, was to see the outcome of the Fracking Moratorium, which saw MP Jacob Rees-Mogg lift the measures and relax planning permission for further new onshore exploration.

Read more: 

Frack Free Isle of Wight slams extension to oil drilling licence as 'ridiculous'

Anti-fracking campaigners gear up to oppose Isle of Wight oil drilling plans

Campaign launched to stop oil drilling on the Isle of Wight

Don't Drill the Wight campaign boosted by MP and parish council objections

Following the swift u-turn by the Conservative Party following the election of Rishi Sunak as PM, that issue has been resolved for DDTW.

Sylvia said: "We are now breathing a sigh of relief  and feel our seven-year campaign is done.

"If we need to return we hope a younger core committee will take up the reins but for now, job done!

"We have expressed our thanks on many occasions to everyone; supportive residents: councillors: our subscribers and members: campaigners and the press on the Island and across the UK, who had the patience to fight with and support us in so many ways for seven long years."

Core committee members are still supporting groups battling with other environmental challenges, climate change and fossil fuel expansion.