PORTSMOUTH City Council has thrown its weight behind objectors fearful that a proposed oil well could pollute household water in the city and across East Hampshire.

Arriving for their meeting in the Guildhall, councillors were greeted by placard-waving protestors opposed to plans by UKOG to drill in woodland at Forestside, near Rowlands Castle.

The campaigners say drilling there could pollute water supplied by Portsmouth Water Company to city residents, and homes in towns and villages, including in East Hampshire and parts of West Sussex.

The water comes from underground reservoirs, called aquifers, below the South Downs, and it is the purity of the aquifers the protestors want to protect.

Underground water near the proposed oil well also rises in the system of springs in Bedhampton and Havant, and forms part of the water supply used by the water company.

In the council chamber, Ross Campbell spoke about the lack of a geophysical survey by the applicants.

He also said there were fears that side effects of the drilling could pollute the area’s natural water supply.

A motion by Lib Dem councillors expressing concerns over the proposal, mainly over pollution to the aquifers, became an official objection at the suggestion of UKIP councillors.

Cllr Alicia Denny (UKIP) said the objection was important because if the UKOG plan was refused and an appeal against the decision launched, the strength of opposition might have a bearing on the appeal result.

Members agreed unanimously to support the full objection.

During the debate on the proposal, Cllr Hugh Mason (Lib Dem) said the purity of water should not be compromised.

Cabinet member for the environment Cllr Robert New said he already had made his own objection to planners.

Plans for the UKOG oil well are with South Downs National Park Authority planners, who will decide in the coming months to either approve, or refuse, them.

After the meeting, Portsmouth City Council chief executive David Williams sent the wording of the resolution to the SDNPA.

It said: "Council notes the Portsmouth Water Company’s objection to the application (by UK Oil and GAS (UKOG) for further development of the oil and gas site at Markwell’s Wood, near Rowlands Castle, pending a fuller Groundwater Risk Assessment of any possible impact on the water supply source for the City of Portsmouth.

"Council supports this precautionary approach and would be greatly concerned were planning permission to be given without the Portsmouth Water Company being entirely satisfied that the development poses no risk to the quality of water supply to the City. Consequently this Council believes the applicant should be required to take all necessary steps to ensure the continued security of pure water from its aquifers in the South Downs

"This Council requests the Chief Executive to write to South Downs National Park Authority and to both Members of Parliament also apprising the MPs for Havant and Chichester that such drilling has an unacceptable risk of potentially contaminating our water supply and surrounding conurbations and as such this Council very strongly objects to the UKOG application."