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March 15th, 2011 520690 – Response to letter before claim
520827 – Restoration Scheme
Due to legal reasons we do not wish to offer further commentary at this time.
A large fence has been erected on the skyline around Montcliffe Quarry  - would someone who wants to blend in the community realy do this !
The great plan to turn Rivington into a mountain of waste continues.
Thanks to information provided following the last public meeting, we will be able to present the full facts.
This is not just about the Plan to Replace Winter Hill With a Mountain of Rubbish, this is about Horwich, Blackrod, Heaton and Lostock.
The next public meeting is March 22nd @7.30pm at the Horwich RMI Club, Ramsbottom Rd, as thousands of leaflets are distributed around Horwich ( if you can help contact RAGE at ragequarry@gmail.com )
We will be asking for your help.
Please bring along friends, family or colleagues who may be interested.
Download your window poster here (green or white paper) Now in PDF format GREEN WHITE
February 15th, 2011
Since the last public meeting of RAGE(Rivington Against Greenbelt Exploitation) numerous people have come forward to provide information.
The result – the dots have been joined. We have been able to answer the various questions raised at the last meeting. The affect to Winter Hill and Horwich more damaging than you could ever imagine :-
- Plans exist to convert Montcliffe & Pilkington quarries into a huge waste recycling & landfill operation in our precious Greenbelt Moors.
The residents of Horwich were promised :-
Pilkington Quarry would be restored by 2008 – a broken promise
The extension to Pilkington Quarry would never be permitted – a broken promise
Montcliffe Quarry would be made a country park by 2012 – a promise in the breaking.
The residents of Horwich believed that:-
Bolton Council and the Planning Committee would make an Objective appraisal of any planning application – legal letters, failed appeals, quashed consents paint a different picture.
What do YOU think?
- Why is Bolton Council passing planning applications without following lawful process?
- £million is being spend on retaining walls on Chorley Old Road. Is this preparation for hundreds of extra HGVs to the quarries and Horwich?
- Why do important planning documents held by Bolton Council that could help stop this development go missing?
- Why are serious environmental concerns being ignored?
- Are the council so desperate for income they willing to spoil this beautiful area for ever?
- Are the Planning Committee being mislead ?
Thanks to information provided following the last public meeting, we will be able to present the full facts.
People close to the issues have been shocked !
This is not just about the Plan to Replace Winter Hill With a Mountain of Rubbish, this is about Horwich, Blackrod, Heaton and Lostock.
The next public meeting is March 22nd @7.30pm at the Horwich RMI Club, Ramsbottom Rd, as thousands of leaflets are distributed around Horwich ( if you can help contact RAGE at ragequarry@gmail.com )
We will be asking for your help.
Please bring along friends, family or colleagues who may be interested.
Download your window poster here (green or white paper) Now in PDF format GREEN WHITE
February 7th, 2011 sourced from http://www.manchesterconfidential.co.uk/250/250/City-news-in-250-words-Friday-4-February_16914.asp
Greater Manchester Waste Disposal Authority (GMWDA) is considering closing six of its 25 recycling centres in a bid to cut £1m from its budget. Two of the sites facing closure include Leicester Road in Salford and Black Horse Street in Blackrod.
Those hoping to use Rivington – if it changes to a massive recycling centre may be disappointed – there will be that many lorries coming down George’s Lane, and Chorley Road , that it may not be safe – the sad truth is we don’t know because the required Traffic Impact Assessment has been ignored, during the application to extend the quarry.
The possible advantage of Rivington as a massive recycle centre is that you could take the family around the entrance to the west Pennine Moors after – for a walk round the refuse centre / landfill / restoration works (or maybe you cant because all the public footpaths will be gone- or diverted miles away) - and reminisce what might have been if local people and Bolton Councillors had fully considered the proposal – RAGE:- Rivington Against Greenbelt Exploitation
Safe recycling ! ?
December 4th, 2010 Anyone could be confused by the raft of applications currently being submitted regarding Pilkington Quarry – the strategy may be overwhelm and conquer.
Pilkington Quarry 80931/08 is currently undergoing the appeal process, Pilkington Quarry 83299/09 and Pilkington quarry 83999/10 are currently heading towards Judicial Review, with the Council due to respond to the letter before action 08/12/2010
Yet another application Pilkington Quarry 84065/10 is being considered at 2pm, 9 Decemeber by the Planning Committee at Bolton town Hall (public are invited to attend) – this time to extend the quarry boundary.
Given that the land bank for aggregates is many times that of the target level it would appear to make sense to ensure the two existing quarries are fully restored, prior to opening new quarries in the area, thus preventing over-development and a potential HGV gridlock.
The real issue may lie in the Greater Manchester Waste strategy – we need more holes to fill with Greater Manchester Waste.
The plot to replace Rivington with a great big pile of waste.
RAGE – Rivington Against Greenbelt Exploitation – will be holding a meeting at Horwich Conservative Club, Thursday 9 Decemer at 7pm – all are invited
September 5th, 2010 Julie Hilling MP is urging residents to report any issues at local recycling plants and the quarries to the Environment Agency on 0800 807060.
Armstrong’s are in court on 17 September 2010, to enter a plea in relation to an investigation into breaches of conditions.
Two of the current planning applications regarding Pilkington Quarry will be considered by the Planning Committee 16 September 2010, at 2pm at the Town Hall
This is Lancashire
September 1st, 2010 Julie Hilling MP has expressed concerns about the recent fires and ongoing issues in the area and will be meeting the Environment Agency today.
According to the BBC, yesterday’s fire was the result of arson. The report seems to suggest that arsonist was inside the ware house before setting the plastic on fire
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-manchester-11151874
The Chorley People adds to the speculation by suggesting multiple “offenders”
http://www.chorleypeople.co.uk/crime/Police-investigating-arson-attack-Horwich/story-6982544-detail/story.html
Fire News
August 31st, 2010 
 
Residents in the Horwich area are once again subject to a significant fire at the Armstrong’s Recycling plant, on Chorley New Road. This time, residents have been warned that the fumes, which could also be smelt in Blackrod, may be toxic – and to keep doors an windows shut.
This is the third fire at local recycling plants in as many weeks, and the second at the Chorley New Road Site in the same period. The plant has also reeked havoc in previous years – with many residents still fighting damage claims.
We have been contacted by a large number of people asking for help, regarding the ongoing problems. It has been suggested that a new group could be formed, which can work alongside Blackrod and Horwich Environmental Action Group in trying to resolve the issues. Anyone interested in attending the first meeting should contact BHEAG@HOTMAIL.COM
The battle with the quarries continues.
Once again, concerns about the proposals for the massive Blue NG plant in Blackrod have been voiced.
The message is clear “ENOUGH IS ENOUGH”
August 13th, 2010 The third fire in as many years at Armstrong’s Environmental, Chorley New Road affected residents on Wednesday night.
The full story can be found here “Plant ‘a danger’ after huge blaze”
Two planning permissions by Armstrong’s, seeking extension of extraction operations at Pilkington Quarry until 2042, are to be heard by planning committee next Thursday. The applications are quite strange – as there is no stone left to extract. The officers report (see below) is equally strange – but then are so many things.
August 9th, 2010 Blackrod is a Village 3.9 miles north-northeast of Wigan and 6.6 miles west of Bolton
The name Blackrod derives from the Old English, blaec and rodu, meaning a “dark clearing”. The first mention of the town dates to 1189, when it was recorded as Blacherode. It has been suggested that “rod” may also mean Holy Rood (Cross of Christ).
There is a legend that the Romans built a fort on the northern side of the town, on what is now a residential area called Castle Croft. The A6 road built along the course of a Roman road runs below the hill on which the town sits.
The main industry of the town was coal mining (seven pits in 1869, which employed c 1000 people from the village), agriculture (thirty farms in 1902) and a weaving mill (built in 1906), but today only a few farms remain with the pits all closed. Today it is mainly a residential area, but still retains a Town Mayor and Town Council.
The population of Blackrod was 4975, from the 2001 Census, a rise of nearly 40% from the 1961 census. Population growth has been fuelled by the developments in the Greenbarn Way and Waterhouse Nook areas.
The Blackrod and Hulton Ridge is a gentle rolling ridge to the south of the Borough rising up from the lowland agricultural areas adjacent to the urban areas. Its altitude varies between approximately 120 metres rising to 165 metres above sea level.
The pattern of settlement within this area, which includes Blackrod and Westhoughton, has created a very linear landscape. It is further characterised by degraded agricultural land dissected by ribbons of development, which closely mirror the road network. Despite this, some of the largest remaining areas of open rural land in Bolton are located within this zone.
The landscape type reflects a history of coal mining in the area. It is an elevated landscape of gently sloping hills and valleys falling to the Mersey Valley in the south. It is further typified by low grade agricultural land with flashes which provide physical evidence of subsidence from former mine workings. The area is also characterised by a scattering of small ponds and broadleaved woodland. The broadleaved woods in this part of the Borough play a significant part in defining local landscapes. ”The ponds are of particular importance for supporting a European Protected Species, the great crested newt. This particular ‘pondway’ across southwest Bolton, Wigan and Salford is considered important in a regional context.
The valley at Blackrod in particular has been visually damaged by the construction of the Blackrod bypass. Furthermore, it has been dissected from the remainder of the Borough by the M61 motorway, and the railway lines, creating thin strips of agricultural and recreation land separated by the transport routes. As examples of older transport routes, the presence of the Leeds–Liverpool canal not only visually enhances the northern extremes of this landscape character area with its related features such as bridges. It is now a valuable recreation resource and is afforded protection for its nature conservation value.The area is afforded protection in the UDP by both green-belt and landscape character status.
Bolton Council’s Core Strategy, identifies the importance of the area in policy OA1
6 Ensure Protected Open Land around Horwich and Blackrod remains undeveloped, except to the west of Horwich Loco Works where development will be allowed to support the regeneration of the Loco Works site.
11 Ensure that new development does not harm the landscape setting and protects views from public areas to the surrounding landscape.
Blackrod Wikipedia
Landscape Character Appraisal of Bolton
Bolton’s Core Strategy
August 3rd, 2010 
More photographs at http://www.bheag.co.uk/j-dickinson-and-son-fire/
It is a local joke that the A6 signposts the recycling plant but not the otherwise sleepy village of Blackrod. Local residents could be forgiven for thinking that the signposts are no longer needed as the second fire, in recent weeks, in the same warehouse, swept through Dickinson’s plant on Station Road on Tuesday evening.
Indeed this is the fourth major fire at local, privately owned recycling plants in less than three years. All in built up residential areas. The other two were at Armstrong’s on Chorley New Road.
One resident asked “Do we really have local recycling businesses? The combustables seem to end up catching fire else being dumped in Pilkington Quarry and the non combustables are piling high at various sites, well above the permitted levels. The national guidance for green belt development PPG2, para 3.15 states “ The visual amenities of the Green Belt should not be injured by proposals for development within or conspicuous from the Green Belt” It doesn’t come much more conspicuous than this – the buildings aren’t even a camouflaged green colour.”
Another resident commented about the new proposal to build a power plant towards the West of Blackrod.
“The wind direction at Manchester airport is irrelevant. The wind blows either up the valley or down the valley, vortexing over our village. Imagine over 800 tonnes of biofuel (20 fuel tanker’s worth), together with a gas station igniting. The plume would rise and engulf our village. If anyone is in doubt about where the plume will travel in normal operation look at the smoke direction and height from the Dickinson’s fire. Equally concerning is that the plant will be totally unmanned. Whilst I am sure that there will be fire precautions at the proposed Blue NG plant, such precautions must also exist at the Dickinson’s and Armstrong’s sites.
It is understood that twenty fire appliances attended the fire. Crown Lane was closed in both directions and with no access to Blackrod Train Station but has now re-opened
More photographs at http://www.bheag.co.uk/j-dickinson-and-son-fire/
KEY DATES
19 August- three planning applications for Pilkington Quarry to be considered by Bolton Council Planning Committee
August – formal application expected by Blue-NG
http://www.bheag.co.uk/blue-ng/
http://www.biofuelwatch.org.uk/
Updates will be regularly posted on this site.
June 5th, 2010
Article 8 Right to respect for private and family life
1 Everyone has the right to respect for his private and family life, his home and his correspondence.
2 There shall be no interference by a public authority with the exercise of this right except such as is in accordance with the law and is necessary in a democratic society in the interests of national security, public safety or the economic well-being of the country, for the prevention of disorder or crime, for the protection of health or morals, or for the protection of the rights and freedoms of others
May 25th, 2010 As there is so much activity concerning planning applications, appeals and enforcement with respect to Pilkington Quarry, we thought we would summarise things below :-
YOUR VIEW – whether you agree or disagree with the various proposals, you should make your views known, on each individual application - especially if you are local. A significant number of comments so far are from outside the locality – but are in favour of the proposals. YOUR VIEW COUNTS
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1 Appeal. grounds of appeal
Pilkington Quarry 80931/08
Legal letter to Bolton Council 27/10/09
We are currently considering our response.
2 Extension of permission 61530/02 until 2042
Pilkington Quarry 83299/09
objection 83299/09
3 Extension of permission 50252/97 until 2042
Pilkington quarry 83999/10
Objection 83999/10
Environmental Judgement
EV1
EV2
EV3
4 Extension of Quarry, and aggregate recycling.
Pilkington Quarry 84065/10
84065/10 Objection letter
5 20 complaints to Bolton Council
Complaints
Appendix A and Document links
legal letter to council
6 Enforcement: Not expedient to pursue
March 7th, 2010 A new group has been formed in Bolton, RAGE, Residents Against Greenbelt Exploitation.
In the Greenbelt there is a presumption against development. Whilst the initial focus of the group is the development of a new house, in the West Pennine Moors Greenbelt, the omission of the West Pennine Moors in the proposed Bolton Core Strategy has not gone unnoticed. In particular the proposal to remove Rivington and Winter Hill as a key place for toursim and turn the location into probably the largest waste processing and land fill site in Greater Manchester.
Blackrod and Horwich Environmental Action Group have been asking Bolton Council seven very simple questions for nearly six months. Depite being escalated to Sean Harriss the Chief Executive since the beginning of the year, Bolton Council have refused to answer these questions.
One such question was that in October 2009, Bolton Council stated that there was an agreed restoration plan for Pilkington Quarry. The Environment Agency stated they were not aware of this plan ( despite the fact they should have been consulted). The council have now ammended their position stating “I am confident that a plan was agreed” but have so far failed to provide any evidence.
In fact the only document we can find, would allow the importation of approximately six million tonnes of Greater Manchester Waste to be imported in to Horwich Moor. The document says it is approved and yet the Environment Agency objected to it in the strongest manner. We have asked for this “error” to be corrected but as yet the council have failed to do so.
During the 2008/9 Pilkington Quarry planning application it was necessary for the group to send a legal letter to the Council, to ensure they upheld their legal obligations. A significant amount of new evidence has been identified since this letter was written. Once again the council are showing total disregard for their own rule book and democracy, by refusing to answer our questions. The motif is unclear.
Residents Against Greenbelt Exploitation
October 9th, 2009 We are concerned about the above application, as we believe it contains a great deal of misleading information, which may contribute to a favorable bias, both to the planning committee and also the supporting statements.
1. The plant is described as a biomass CHP plant ( CHP–combined heat and power ) …..these plants can be 70-90% efficient
The primary source of fuel is waste wood, not wood from agricultural waste or forestry
There is no proposal to use the thermal energy which is c 75% of the total energy output- sufficient to heat nearly 30,000 homes, as such it is not a CHP plant, this also makes it c 20% efficient
In the absence of any process detail, the report fails to mention how this thermal energy will be dissipated eg cooling tower with resultant steam cloud etc etc
2 Quantity of Wood required , and the impact on transport and noise
The QC indicates that the plant will use 85,000 tonnes per annum. However other areas of the report suggest the volume will be 150,000 tonnes. The latter figure is more likely.
It states that the wood may derive from Armstrong’s site, who are processing 120,000 tonnes of timber and 70,000 tonnes of green wood waste per annum. Figures from the environment agency show Armstrong’s as receiving only 76,000 tonnes of total waste in the last year, and an average of 71,000 tonnes per annum over the last three years. Not all of this quantity is wood.
It is therefore probable that the number of deliveries would need to be increased over 100%
The supporting statement further mentions on two occasions that the total quantity of wood may not originate form Armstrong’s, ie there would be increased deliveries of 150,000 tonnes per annum – a 200% increase. Irrespective of vehicles leaving with processed waste or empty.
This is totally inconsistent with the supporting transport and noise statement, which even suggest transport will decrease.
3 Emissions
Environmental Risk Assessment (EPR-H1 part 2) and the Waste Incineration Directive (WID) require the emissions originating from a proposed development to be defined and in what quantities. The study has just used the limits defined in the WID, even though the WID states that this should not be done.
For a new installations estimates of releases are required. where possible, estimates of releases should be backed up by information from pilot trials or similar operations. This has not been done.
The assessment should consider the Meteorology and local topography i.e.
The wind speed and direction data used is from south Manchester so it is not relevant to this location.
Rainfall levels have not been considered even though this would be a significant route for pollutants to enter the SSSI.
Temperature – no data provided
In a valley – not mentioned
EPR-H1 part 2 defines lower levels than specified in the report to protect vegetation and ecosystems in an SSSI. The adjacent Red Moss is an SSSI
• NOx value 30 µg/M3 not 40 µg/M3
SO2 value 20 µg/M3 not 125 µg/M3
In addition the background pollutant levels are measure in Wigan and Manchester, rather than Horwich / Blackrod / Bolton. No account is made of the recent planning approval on the Markland Farm Biomass plant.
The statement stresses that an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is not required, but the EIA guidance document suggests quite the opposite. Especially as the current application does not clearly identify the likely emissions and in what quantities they can de expected.
It is clear that there a number of significant errors / omissions / contradicting statements within the application. In the absence of clarification on these points the current application cannot be acceptable
Please see the Planning application link on the right hand side of thi s page
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