The oil rig four miles off Bournemouth beach must be stopped and the Government should commit to a permanent ban on all offshore drilling in the area. Bournemouth, Poole and the wider coastal area is reliant on tourism and the natural beauty of the coast.
A blowout could result in 20,000,000 gallons of leaked oil over thousands of square miles, devastating UK coasts, and their economies. Drilling offshore Bournemouth is a reckless gamble with our precious coastlines. It does not meet ALARP (as low as reasonably practicable) principles because there is an alternative - a nearby land-based extended reach drilling facility, where an oil spill could be contained and considerably reduced compared to a subsea leak directly into the sea.