West Sussex County Council (WSCC) in the UK has rejected an application by Celtique Energie for oil and gas exploration near Wisborough Green.
The application is for exploring oil and gas in Wisborough Green for three years and creating an access track within the site. The council turned down the application on concerns about noise and the impact on the environment.
Seismic and drilling operations on the licences are all subject to planning approval, as is the construction of temporary well sites needed to start drilling to test for the presence of gas or oil.
WSCC chairman Heidi Brunsdon said: "There were simply too many highways issues and other issues of concern for any decision other than refusal in this instance."
Celtique Energie chief executive officer Geoff Davies said: "WSCC members have not followed the spirit or the letter of government policy or good practice in dealing with this planning application. We believe this application was totally compliant, comprehensive and of high quality and would stand up to further scrutiny by the Planning Inspectorate or the Secretary of State in the event of an appeal."
The company is considering further options and plans to make a decision in due course.
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By GlobalDataCeltique Energie holds 16 licenses for exploratory drilling in five countries across Europe and operates 11 of these.
