Residents have 21 days to send in comments and objections regarding the Eternit Derby Rd development(see earlier blogs). Letters should be sent to Glen Henry, Environmental & Regulatory Services, Rutland House, Halton Lea, Runcorn WA7 2GW or email, dev.control@halton-borough.gov.uk
The proposal will be considered by the development control committee probably early January.
Plans can be viewed at Halton Directy Link and council libraries. Also at www.halton.gov.uk by clicking on the planning applications banner which will take you to the search page.
If anyone wants to know more about the matter give Glen Henry in Environmental Services a ring 0303 333 4300 or contact me
Monday 30 November 2009
Sunday 29 November 2009
The Age of Stupid
It was a strange sort of day for me yesterday, a morning Green Party meeting in Bolton. Early morning central Bolton was cold grey and surprisingly quite deserted for a weekend in the run up to Christmas.
Early evening I saw the film 'The Age of Stupid' attended by about 16 people. It was competing with 'Strictly come Dancing' not much of a contest although I suspect numbers would not have been significantly different if the film had been shown during an hours long TV political broadcast!
Straight after The Age of Stupid it was a late attendance at a 25th wedding anniversary. We arrived of course to find joviality and that innocent cheeky fun that's so precious that you can get at such events. The contrast of course was striking with the heavy mood I'd been left with following the viewing of the film.
The film suggests we have only 6 years to plan applying the breaks solidly to halt what could be a devastated world in the last half of this century. So every possible means of reducing our carbon emissions should be pursued to the hilt.
One of the facts the Age of Stupid highlights is that only 20% of the applications for wind farms in Britain had been given the go ahead in the last ten years. If this figure had been 100% we would now be producing 10% of our energy by sustainable means.
People argue that wind farms at sea are preferrable to those on land for various reasons - maybe. But I'd argue we don't have the time and given that all the environmental and technical planning requirements are met all wind farm developments should go ahead.
Locally we have the issue of a Wind Turbine facility on Frodsham hill. There is a fairly vociferous opposition group who are fighting this proposal and whatever their sincere objections are I consider that the serious nature of the situation we find ourselves in should have a weighty bearing on the outcome of the proposal.
Early evening I saw the film 'The Age of Stupid' attended by about 16 people. It was competing with 'Strictly come Dancing' not much of a contest although I suspect numbers would not have been significantly different if the film had been shown during an hours long TV political broadcast!
Straight after The Age of Stupid it was a late attendance at a 25th wedding anniversary. We arrived of course to find joviality and that innocent cheeky fun that's so precious that you can get at such events. The contrast of course was striking with the heavy mood I'd been left with following the viewing of the film.
The film suggests we have only 6 years to plan applying the breaks solidly to halt what could be a devastated world in the last half of this century. So every possible means of reducing our carbon emissions should be pursued to the hilt.
One of the facts the Age of Stupid highlights is that only 20% of the applications for wind farms in Britain had been given the go ahead in the last ten years. If this figure had been 100% we would now be producing 10% of our energy by sustainable means.
People argue that wind farms at sea are preferrable to those on land for various reasons - maybe. But I'd argue we don't have the time and given that all the environmental and technical planning requirements are met all wind farm developments should go ahead.
Locally we have the issue of a Wind Turbine facility on Frodsham hill. There is a fairly vociferous opposition group who are fighting this proposal and whatever their sincere objections are I consider that the serious nature of the situation we find ourselves in should have a weighty bearing on the outcome of the proposal.
Thursday 12 November 2009
Eternit proposals - debate
Peter Brewin has received a response from the council to the effect that an environmental impact assessment re the site would not be necessary under schedule 2, section 10 of the Town and country planning regulations - Infrastructure Projects and (b) urban development projects.
The council also considers that with regard to the 'likely characteristics and location of the proposed development, sensitivity of the receiving environment and significance of environmental effects an Environmental Impact assessment is not required...' in relation to the proposal.
It would seem that from the information the council have to hand about the characteristics of the site and the sort of developments planned they do not consider that a full environmental impact assessment is necessary.
I think obviously its necessary now that the residents group confer with their 'expert' advisers regarding this response. I am no expert but presume that a decision by a local authority that a particular development does not justify an environmental impact assessment can be appealed against at some stage. But obviously there would have to be grounds to support such an appeal.
However I don't read from their response that council officers have come to any firm decision about the matter. They are still at the stage of considering the developers plans regarding remediation and whether these are sufficiently viable.
The council also considers that with regard to the 'likely characteristics and location of the proposed development, sensitivity of the receiving environment and significance of environmental effects an Environmental Impact assessment is not required...' in relation to the proposal.
It would seem that from the information the council have to hand about the characteristics of the site and the sort of developments planned they do not consider that a full environmental impact assessment is necessary.
I think obviously its necessary now that the residents group confer with their 'expert' advisers regarding this response. I am no expert but presume that a decision by a local authority that a particular development does not justify an environmental impact assessment can be appealed against at some stage. But obviously there would have to be grounds to support such an appeal.
However I don't read from their response that council officers have come to any firm decision about the matter. They are still at the stage of considering the developers plans regarding remediation and whether these are sufficiently viable.
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