Newsletter 15
June 8th, 2018
Cuadrilla appeal against refusal to grant planning permission for fracking at Roseacre Wood
After three weeks of Public Inquiry sessions at Blackpool Football Club the Planning Inspector appointed by the Secretary of State has now retired to consider his recommendation with regard to the Appeal by Cuadrilla Elswick Ltd. against the refusal by Lancashire County Council to grant them planning permission to carry out fracking operations at their proposed Roseacre Wood site just a mile or so as the crow flies from Inskip. This is of course the second appeal on behalf of Cuadrilla – so their application has been refused twice already! We expect a decision to be announced by the Secretary of State later this year. In the meanwhile the campaign to stop fracking continues.
The Parish Council along with Treales, Roseacre and Wharles Parish Council, other local Parish and Town Councils, and the Roseacre Awareness Group (RAG) combined to campaign together to oppose fracking at Roseacre Wood, jointly contributing the funds required to pay for the legal team who put our case at the Public Inquiry – and Parish Councillors put in a lot of time as well attending meetings, with at least one Parish Councillor attending most public sessions of the Inquiry. In particular Councillor Carol Berry spoke at the Inquiry, as at earlier Lancashire County Council hearings, on behalf of the Parish Council, and represented the local community when the Inspector ‘drove the route’.
The Inspector heard our evidence and that presented by LCC as to why the appeal should be refused on the grounds of severe highway safety concerns. He also heard from 70 members of the public who spoke with eloquence and knowledge about the flaws and inadequacies in the Cuadrilla proposals and about the impact on those living in the affected rural communities and the fear and intimidation we will feel from these proposals.
The Cuadrilla legal team worked very hard to persuade the Inspector that there will be no risks, that HGV movements will not be hugely increased and that vulnerable people will not be affected. They believe that their mitigation measures, which include 40 plus passing places along the various routes, together with permanent traffic lights on Dagger Road will make the unacceptable routes acceptable. And where there is still not enough room for two vehicles to pass then their HGV articulated juggernauts will just use the grass verges! It displays a total lack of understanding for the impact on the whole community; farmers and the agricultural supply chain, commuters, local businesses who rely on visitors and most especially vulnerable road users.
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all members of the community who have supported the campaign, whether by writing in with their objections or by speaking at the Public Inquiry. Our special thanks go to our own Tom Hastey who has contributed so much over the last few years to the campaign – and has worked constantly for some six months preparing the evidence that he has presented to the Public Inquiry showing just how dangerous the Cuadrilla transport proposals are. Let’s hope that the Inspector accepts our case and yet again recommends that Cuadrilla’s plans are refused.
Public Examination of Wyre Local Plan
And just as one battle has been fought, another one resumes. Along with the vast majority of residents the Parish Council strongly opposes the Wyre Local Plan that would allow property developer Metacre Ltd. to more than double the size of Inskip. Create Homes, who bought the land once planning permission had been granted, have already built 27 new homes at Ash Meadows and have now started work on the next 55 on an adjacent plot on both sides of Preston Road. If the Wyre Local Plan is approved in its current state developers will be allowed to build a further 200 homes at land to the north of Manor Road. The Public Examination of the Wyre Local Plan by the Planning Inspector appointed by the government opened on Tuesday 15th May at the Civic Centre in Poulton-le-Fylde.
The Parish Council has attended the Public Hearings to represent the views of residents, who overwhelmingly oppose the scale of development proposed in the Local Plan – and to support the representations put forward by the Inskip Residents Action Group (IRAG), who the Parish Council continue to work closely with and support with funding. The final session is scheduled for Tuesday 5th June and residents are encouraged to go along to demonstrate the strength of opinion locally in opposition to the proposed plans.
Carrs Green
In a Parish Council Newsletter last year we mentioned that we would like to see the Common become a greater amenity for the local community whilst preserving its unique and original nature. More recently we have canvassed Commoners and local residents at Carrs Green about a proposal to develop the Common and are currently consulting national and local conservation groups. Once these consultations are complete – and once the Parish Council is no longer focused on fighting fracking and housing developments – then we plan to hold a Public Meeting to present our plans for the Common.
A key issue is that as there has been little grazing of the Common in recent times it is tending to ‘revert’ to woodland – and decisions have to be made as to whether to allow this ‘reversion’ to woodland – and if that is not favoured, whether there are any practical means to prevent this happening.
Dog Fouling
Dog fouling is unacceptable and a few irresponsible people appear to be refusing to pick up. Just recently Wyre Council had to be called out to remove dog faeces on the footpath on the main road leading towards the School. It is clearly the responsibility of the dog owner or the person in charge of the dog to clear up any dog foul left by their dog, being unaware that the dog has fouled, or not having a suitable means of removing or disposing of the faeces is not a reasonable excuse for failing to clean up after a dog. Under the Anti-social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act 2014 it is illegal not to clean up after your dog in areas to which the public have access and offenders could be issued with a fixed penalty notice. If an owner bags the dog faeces and subsequently dumps the bag containing the faeces, they are also liable to a £100 fixed penalty for littering. If any members of the public do witness someone committing a dog fouling offence then please contact Wyre Council on 01253 891000 with any information that may help the Council to investigate the offence. To carry out enforcement action they would need a written witness statement identifying the owner or see evidence for example of a vehicle registration linked to the offence (or a statement that identifies the registration number), ideally a photograph of the dog actually fouling or as a minimum a photograph of the dog or dog and owner.
Fly Tipping
Fly tipping is another criminal offence – and another perennial problem in the countryside. Again, Wyre Council will be interested in any information that might lead to the conviction of anyone guilty of fly tipping. If you witness someone fly tipping and are prepared to give Wyre a written statement then they will be pleased to hear from you. If it is safe to take a photo then that would be a bonus, plus evidence for example of a vehicle registration linked to the offence (or a statement that identifies the registration number).
If the fly tipping is on the roadside then Wyre Council will clear it away but if the fly tipping is on private land then the landowner themselves have to pay for disposal. In the case of Carrs Green that is the Parish Council – so whether it is the Borough Council or the Parish Council who disposes of the rubbish we all pay for it through our Council Tax bill.
Wyre in Bloom
It looks like the long wet winter may be coming to an end finally. We have ordered the flowers for this year’s Wyre in Bloom competition and will be planting in early June. Every year we ask for volunteers to come forward with new ideas and extra hands when it comes to planting and keeping the beds weed free and watered if need be. If this sounds like something that you might be interested in please contact Councillor Alan Lingard, our Wyre in Bloom Coordinator, on 01995 679239 or simply attend a Parish Council meeting, we would be very pleased to see you. Help and assistance will be greatly appreciated in whatever form it comes in.
The judging is scheduled for Friday 20th July. Green fingers crossed the flowers do well and the sun shines on us all.
Parish Council Meetings
Members of the public are welcome to attend Parish Council meetings. There is a regular agenda item “Open Forum for the general public” at the start of each meeting when you can raise any issue that concerns you. Meetings are usually held on the third Thursday of the month at the YIPS Centre in Nelson Gardens at 8pm – check the Parish Council noticeboards or the Parish Council website for meeting notices.
And you can also check out other updates including Meeting Minutes, details of Parish Council accounts, and other public notices on our website at:
inskip-with-sowerby.org.uk