I attended council planning meeting re Bold Quarry at St Helens last week along with members of Bold Heath Residents group.
The news isn't good as the scheme was not turned down on a majority vote as it was on the last occasion but councillors have opted for a site visit before making a decision.
The Bold Heath Residents group need to obtain professional consultancy advice if they're to be as effective as they are able to be in stopping the development. I don't think that St Helens council will consider an appeals route if it's not seen as being viable
I give a brief outline of what I think transpired at the meeting:
The developer has applied for planning permission several times in the past but has been turned down mainly on the grounds of ambiguities in the application details (ie insufficient infill material available during the time scale of operations) and on health grounds. The proposal includes the quarrying of sandstone to a certain depth and the infilling with waste building material. The developer has had previous permission to quarry on this site.
Opponents have argued on grounds of increase traffic, pollution noise and health issues (silicone dust) and water table problems in relation to the quarry being used as landfill site.
At other attempts in the past the developer has not been able to prove that there would be sufficient infill as mentioned above. However according to council officials advising the meeting the regional Waste DPD plan is indicating the need for more landfill space for inert material (do images of the second crossing come to mind!)
One of the main arguments used by opponents in the past has been the dust issue. There is a potential for crystaline silica dust, if unchecked, to be spread widely in the area. Inhalation of such dust can cause silicosis a health condition which is of course irreversible.
Ironically, officials argued that the provisions attached to the present permission that the developer had does not have the level of safety checks and enforcement re the dust that the current proposal has. Thus voting against the proposal would mean that the existing permission that the developers have would have fewer safegaurds than the proposal currently before the committee. (The quarry however has not been worked for some time)
In their arguments opponents discussed the situation in the local geographical area in relation to airborne pollutants and the relative poor health of residents in the wider St Helens and Halton communities although no direct causal inferences were expressed.
However recent reports had indicated the need for a precautionary approach with regard to any future activity which would increase the possibility of increased pollution. (e.g. a study of people's health in Halton 2001 suggested that,’… whilst monitored levels of pollutants meet national standards knowledge of impact of long term exposure to low levels of pollution from airborne and land contaminants is limited. Based on the precautionary principle it is sensible to both monitor pollution levels carefully and to seek cost effective ways to continue to reduce them to the lowest practicable levels”. Halton Health Study Lancaster University 2001p8)
Notwithstanding these arguments an officer from planning stated that the standards set by the St Helens authority re air quality in the Bold Heath area is not being exceeded!!
The argument in relation to seepage into the water table of toxins from landfilling material even inert material when mixed with existing contamination in adjacent agriculutural land was countered by officials who talked about the EA's ongoing monitoring of this problem.
At least one councillor wondered whether any 'health advice' could be provided regarding the particular issue of airborne pollution. This was not specifically responded to by officers.
If you are able to offer support to the Bold Residents Group in any way please let me know.
Wednesday 17 December 2008
Sunday 7 December 2008
I Should Have Gone Yesterday!
I should have gone yesterday. It was the climate change demonstration in London although you would never have thought it had happened as far as media coverage is concerned. Climate change is the greatest challenge we have ever faced. It hasn't gone away, it's still with us even with a new apparantly green leaning US president.
The EU is currently discussing proposals regarding tackling the issue but it has faltered in a couple of vital areas mainly through member states self interest (see www.stopclimatechange.net)
The EU situation of course is reflected in the positions we take as individuals - what's important for us is today, next week, next month, next year and how are we going to exist financially as the credit crunch finally starts biting. And if we consume less what's going to happen to the economy?
But, and it's easy for me to say this as I'm relatively well off, it's possible to tackle the challenge at whatever level we are able to. The state has a massive role to play eg developing a 'green' economy but we as individuals can also do a lot. (See this blog 117/10/08) And the good thing is there are many positives in the process of individuals saving energy,saving money.
It's not just in the area of financial benefits though. The situation that we find ourselves in pushes us to reconsider our values. Is there a need to buy this, can we do that another way? In this new mindset there’s a possibility that we’re entering into a more creative style of living. We’re not being carried along by consumerist society so much as being more in control and reaping the benefits of self assertedness.
Are these living in a daydream grand words? We’re going to find it hard. Aren’t we comfortable in doing what we’re doing? Change can be painful but do we have a choice?
I should have gone yesterday!
The EU is currently discussing proposals regarding tackling the issue but it has faltered in a couple of vital areas mainly through member states self interest (see www.stopclimatechange.net)
The EU situation of course is reflected in the positions we take as individuals - what's important for us is today, next week, next month, next year and how are we going to exist financially as the credit crunch finally starts biting. And if we consume less what's going to happen to the economy?
But, and it's easy for me to say this as I'm relatively well off, it's possible to tackle the challenge at whatever level we are able to. The state has a massive role to play eg developing a 'green' economy but we as individuals can also do a lot. (See this blog 117/10/08) And the good thing is there are many positives in the process of individuals saving energy,saving money.
It's not just in the area of financial benefits though. The situation that we find ourselves in pushes us to reconsider our values. Is there a need to buy this, can we do that another way? In this new mindset there’s a possibility that we’re entering into a more creative style of living. We’re not being carried along by consumerist society so much as being more in control and reaping the benefits of self assertedness.
Are these living in a daydream grand words? We’re going to find it hard. Aren’t we comfortable in doing what we’re doing? Change can be painful but do we have a choice?
I should have gone yesterday!
Wednesday 3 December 2008
Bennett's Lane Secure Unit given the go ahead!
The Dept for Business Enterprise and Regulatory Reform Inspectors(?) has come down in favour of giving the go ahead to the mental health secure unit in Bennett's Lane Halton View Widnes.
Although this decision was anticipated it will still be a big disappointment for residents in the area who fought long and hard to have the project changed.
There is an obvious need for these units, although I wonder about private sector involvement, but I would question a unit being built in such close proximity to a residential area and also the way the developers went about pursuing the proposal.
The other issue is the apparant lack of scrutiny that all members of the three main parties on the development and planning committee seemed to exercise.
In hindsight it's difficult to know whether greater scrutiny would have achieved a different result although we know in other areas were similar projects were on the cards such scrutiny prevented some of these developments.
One of the plusses which has occurred over the past eighteen months or so in relation to this issue is how it has brought residents together. It has shown that, with determination ordinary people can question effectively developments which are considered to be impacting on their lives.
In this case unfortunately the odds were stacked up against Halton View residents although they did hold up the opening of the unit for over 12 months.
Now its important that with the unit up and running that residents can be assured that it is as secure as it needs to be.
Although this decision was anticipated it will still be a big disappointment for residents in the area who fought long and hard to have the project changed.
There is an obvious need for these units, although I wonder about private sector involvement, but I would question a unit being built in such close proximity to a residential area and also the way the developers went about pursuing the proposal.
The other issue is the apparant lack of scrutiny that all members of the three main parties on the development and planning committee seemed to exercise.
In hindsight it's difficult to know whether greater scrutiny would have achieved a different result although we know in other areas were similar projects were on the cards such scrutiny prevented some of these developments.
One of the plusses which has occurred over the past eighteen months or so in relation to this issue is how it has brought residents together. It has shown that, with determination ordinary people can question effectively developments which are considered to be impacting on their lives.
In this case unfortunately the odds were stacked up against Halton View residents although they did hold up the opening of the unit for over 12 months.
Now its important that with the unit up and running that residents can be assured that it is as secure as it needs to be.
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