The Rossendale Rambler

In June, the application to site a wind farm at Hogshead Bacup and at Great Hill, Littleborough were finally submitted after a delay of nearly three years. The wind farm opposition group, Rossendale Against Wind Farms, of which I am secretary, commenced their campaign by organising a public debate at the Central Methodist Church in Bacup. This was very well-attended and, as there were speakers both for and against the proposal, it allowed the public to make up their own minds on the issue (99% of them decided that they were against it). Since then the campaign has gone well with over 700 people submitting objections to the Planning Department.

Unfortunately, I cannot say the same about the application to extract coal and clay from Heald Moor which the County Council seems prepared to approve notwithstanding the inadequate Environmental Statement submitted by the applicants, the concerns about subsidence, traffic and water pollution raised by local residents and the County Council's somewhat lackadaisical consultation on the proposal.

This application was submitted in July and is to be determined by County Council on 8 December. I am now intending to ask Burnley MP, Peter Pike, to request John Prescott to call in the application so that it can be determined by means of a Public Inquiry.

It is not my intention to continue as Rossendale's Countryside Officer for the following reasons :
Most people are familiar with the Development Plan system which is supposed to control development in an area. For Rossendale there are currently four such plans; the Local District (Rossendale) Plan, the Lancashire Structure Plan, The Lancashire Minerals and Waste Plan and the, currently in preparation, Regional Development Plan. All these plans require the publication of numerous documents, widespread consultation with the public and, finally, a Public Inquiry to determine the contents of the Plan. Needless to say, the production of a Plan entails the expenditure of vast sums of money and, for those members of the public who become involved, a phenomenal amount of work preparing and giving evidence.

If the policies set out in the Plan were adhered to, there would be some merit in the Development Plan system, despite the expense and the work load which it imposes. Unfortunately, however, they are not adhered to and the situation has deteriorated (hit rock bottom) this year following the Government's policy of "devolving planning decisions to the local people". Prior to this, if a planning authority wished to grant a planning permission which was contrary to the policies in the Development Plan, they were required to advertise their intention and to seek public comment. They were also required to refer the matter to the Department of the Environment who would examine the public's comments and, if these were deemed serious, call in the application for a Public Inquiry. Under the Government's "devolution" policy, a local authority which wishes to grant a permission contrary to the Development Plan no longer needs to advertise the fact and no longer has to refer the matter to the Department of the Environment.

The planning authority which deals with planning applications for mining, quarrying and waste disposal developments, all developments which have the most serious effect on Rossendale's countryside, is the Lancashire County Council. And there, this newfound freedom from the jurisdiction of the Department of the Environment is being used to push through developments which are not only contrary to the Development Plan, but which are bitterly opposed both by Rossendale residents and by Rossendale Borough Council. And there is not a thing which we can do about it !

The applications submitted in respect of the Little Tooter Hill Quarry and Tong Farm were both contrary to the policies of Development Plan and both were strenuously objected to by the Rossendale Council. But they were granted all the same as, no doubt, will be the current application for mining on Heald Moor.

Although I will continue to give as much assistance as possible to people opposing applications for these kind of developments in Rossendale's countryside, I do not feel that I can go out and actively encourage people to campaign against them when I know that their efforts will almost certainly be treated with contempt by Lancashire County Council. Similarly, I do not feel that I can encourage people to participate actively in the Development Plan process when I know that the Plans, which will be produced at the end, are not worth the paper they are written on.

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