Uncategorized

We have obtained a copy of the file for planning permission 61530/02. Bolton Council has lost their copy and appear to have been unable to obtain a copy. We have therefore decided to make the documents publically available.

Links to the documents will be posted on this site. Links to several initial key documents are given below.

 We mainain that 61530/02  is not a ROMP permission, and therefore the Earthline case is not relevant. The end date is a valid condition.

 In any event extraction in the quarry is complete and no evidence has been provided otherwise to support extending the ROMP permission end date.

61530/02 Documents

Applicants supporting statement
 
http://www.bheag.co.uk/http://www.bheag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/61530-02-supporting-statement.pdf
 
Officers report (decision deferred)
 
http://www.bheag.co.uk/http://www.bheag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/61530-02-officers-report1.pdf
 
Officers report (final)
 
http://www.bheag.co.uk/http://www.bheag.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/61530-02-officers-report2.pdf

A new group has been formed in Bolton, RAGE, Rise 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 sure there is one” 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.

Rise Against Greenbelt Exploitation

Stage two of the Greater Manchester Waste Disposal consultation has clearly identified two sites at Rivington as a potential location for Greater Manchester’s waste.(In a previous document one of these sites was identified as particularly important to the strategy)

The two sites are Montcliffe Quarry and Pilkington Quarry. Both have agreed restoration plans – Montcliffe to become a place for leisure by 2012.    Pilkington quarry should  have been restored by 2008, in accordance with the 1950 and 1968,1997 and 2002 planning permissions, as stone extraction was completed several years ago.

You would think that Rivington was safe ?

Pilkington Quarry has been subject to spotlight over the last twelve months. As green waste has been allowed to be imported into the quarry (even though the planning permission allows only inert waste). This has been allowed to happen even though planning permission has expired. In 2009 this waste was found to have contaminated the surface water. There is additional contaminated land within the quarry. A new planning permission is currently seeking to extend the life of the quarry until 2042 (see 83299/09)

Montcliffe quarry is also subject to discussions by Bolton Council for use in waste disposal.

Both sites are in the Green Belt. Both sites have agreed restoration timescales. Bolton’s current UDP currently identifies the West Pennine Moors (including Rivington) as particularly important to tourism. This is about to change.

Bolton’s new Core Strategy, currently in the consultation phase until 06 March 2010, specifically excludes the West Pennine Moors as being important to tourism, removing some of the safeguard against inappropriate development in one of the most beautiful areas in our locality.

Please make your thoughts known to your local ward councillors, Bolton Council and the press.

Please make sure that anyone who loves this area, vists or lives in this area because of the landscape and the greenbelt knows about the situation.

Please see these links :-

http://www.gmwastedpd.co.uk/ 

We would like to congratulate Friends of Lever Park, on the findings by the Local Government Ombudsman against Chorley Borough Council

6 counts of maladministration

2 counts of injustice

This unfortunately does not reverse the planning decision and the injustice that this causes, including effectively closing the bridleway on Sundays.

A new application regarding the Lever Park site is expected shortly, so please watch out on the approach to Christmas and make your opinion count.

A new planning application has been made to extend the current operation until 2042

Please see the new application  update, 83299/09  (click “home”)

http://www.planning.bolton.gov.uk/DCOnlineV2/AcolNetCGI.dcgov?ACTION=UNWRAP&RIPNAME=Root.PgeResultDetail&TheSystemkey=76767

We are currently considering our position

Over the last few months, various planning applications have resulted in  residents coming together and fighting for the community. Many have formed  residents groups – something that we would encourage.

We welcome the formation of 

                          The Friends of Lever Park,

                          The  Arcon Village Residents Association,

                          The  Horwich Moor Residents Association,

                          The Montcliffe Residents Association.

     Together we can make a positive difference

I am reminded of a poem attributed to Pastor Martin Niemöller (1892–1984)

“First they came for the communists,

          and I did not speak out

         —because I was not a communist;

Then they came for the trade unionists,

          and I did not speak out

         —because I was not a trade unionist;

Then they came for the Jews,

          and I did not speak out

          —because I was not a Jew;

Then they came for me

      —and there was no one left to speak out for me

If you need support to speak out, contact us with total confidentiality at BHEAG@Hotmail.co.uk

There will be a meeting for “friends of Lever Park” and their supporters on Thursday the 10th December 2009, it will be held at HORWICH CONSERVATIVE CLUB, Church Street Horwich, with an 8-00pm start.

Agenda: (i) Report on the Ombudsman’s final decision.

(ii) Report on complaint made to the Information Commissioners Office.

(iii) Outlining our intentions following the final decision by the LGO

(iv) A-O-B