Firstly I must deal with the Canatxx scheme which I believe to be the development with potentially the most serious and far reaching consequences ever to have been proposed in Wyre Borough. You will be aware that in November 2003 , TAG joined with other residents’ associations in Fleetwood, Poulton and Over Wyre in the Protect Wyre Group in order to present a united opposition to the Canatxx plan to store 3 bcm of natural gas in caverns to be created in the salt beds under the eastern side of the Wyre Estuary.
In January 2004, PWG called 3 public meetings which were packed out. Those meetings mandated PWG to represent the residents in opposing the plans. Leaflets were distributed by many many willing people, which resulted in over 10,000 objections being received by Lancashire. Wyre Borough Planning Committee recommended unanimously to recommend that Lancashire refuse the application.
During 2004 LCC repeatedly asked Canatxx for more robust information, particularly concerning the geology, but this was not produced. Because of this the LCC Development Committee did not reach a decision within the required time period. Hence in November 2004 Canatxx appealed to the Government Planning Inspectorate on the grounds of non-determination and at the same time put in a second application which differed very little from the first one. We suspect this was to reduce the number of objections from the public given that the deadline for objections was 24th December. This was later extended to the 14th January.
PWG leafletted all households within 3 miles of the proposed caverns in the first week of January. My thanks to all those many many people who delivered the leaflets. This produced an amazing response - over 12000 of you objected, of which 10,500 used the proforma which accompagnied the leaflet. In some areas one third of households wrote to Lancashire to object. The Inspector at the Public Inquiry said that he had never conducted an Inquiry where so many objections had been received. Your objections count. There is no doubt about that.
The Public Inquiry opened at the Marine Hall in Fleetwood on October 11th. At that late stage Canatxx produced a whole new dossier of evidence on the geology which necessitated the Inquiry being postponed for 2 months. This was not before PWG had rebutted the Canatxx evidence on the need for gas storage. Our contention is that there are already sufficient facilities under construction to cope with the decline of North Sea gas supplies and the winter peak of demand. Since the Inquiry opened, additional facilities to import liquid natural gas (LNG) have been proposed at Canvey Island and Teeside and additional underground storage in salt beds and depleted gas fields in Cheshire, Dorset and under the Irish Sea.
In December the Inquiry at last was able to consider the geology of the Preesall Salt Field. This was evidence which Canatxx should have submitted with the first application in November 2003 and which they did not request from the British Geological Survey until August 2005. The salt beds lie in a rift valley between 2 north-south faults, one running through Preesall, the other along the Wyre Estuary. The top of the salt bed lies at a depth of 100m near Preesall descending to 500m under the estuary.
The thickness of the salt bed increases under the estuary reaching 400m in thickness immediately west of The Heads. Caverns could be created where the salt bed is at least 200m thick and lies at a depth of at least 200m. Based on these two criteria it is possible to store gas. PWG using the geological data supplied by Canatxx, showed that the total amount of gas which could be stored amounted to 577 mcm, a third of the 1.7 bcm which Canatxx claim they can store. This 1.7 bcm had already been reduced in May from the 3 bcm in the application.
However, the geology report revealed the presence of a number of significant faults running parallel to the boundary faults of the rift valley, which would preclude the construction of caverns in these areas, because the gas could migrate along these faults.
The worry is that the gas could escape into the old mine and brine wells which riddle the area between the estuary and the villages of Preesall and Stalmine. No investigation has been carried out by Canatxx into the extent of the brine wells and mine and how far dissolution by wild brining has spread westwards along the top of the salt bed. There are indications from bore holes and subsidence that this solution along the wet rock head extends far beyond the location of the brine wells and mine.
Given these factors, PWG’s case is that the storage of any quantities of gas at pressures of up to 75 bar is unsafe. There is no cavern location which is not affected either by faulting or potential wet rockhead. In Kansas, gas migrated underground up the dip of the strata from a cavern at Yaggy and collected in old brine wells under the town of Hutchinson. In 2001 this gas exploded, 2 people were killed, properties were destroyed and fires raged all over the town. After this incident, new legislation was introduced to prevent underground gas storage within 3 miles of a municipality. There are 100,000 people living within 3 miles of these proposed caverns. The Kansas legislation also prevents gas storage within 2 miles of an old brine well. Canatxx claim that no gas will ever escape but numerous incidents in America show that this is not the case. Do we have to wait for a Hutchison disaster before similar legislation is introduced in this country?
The caverns would be created by dissolving the salt using sea water at 3% salt content pumped from Fleetwood Fish Dock. The resultant saturated brine (26% salt) would be discharged into the sea 2.3 km off Rossall School. This toxic solution would kill off all life within 50m of the outfall. The effect on plankton and hence fish would extend well beyond this. Concern was expressed about the food supplies for the common scoter and red throated diver which winter in large numbers within 400 - 700 m of the brine discharge. The Salmon and Trout Fisheries also objected because of the possible impact on migrating fish. Hyder Consultants for Canatxx presented a theoretical model which claims that impact will be minimal. But this is a specially protected area (SPA) designated under European Law. Every part of it is protected.
Over the last months evidence has been presented and arguments engaged in about noise levels, traffic impacts, ecological disturbance, economic consequences and the affect on the landscape. Between May 2nd and 5th, the summing up statements will be made. Ian Mulroy will be presenting the PWG case in the afternoon of Tuesday May 2nd at the North Euston Hotel. We would welcome as much support as possible on that occasion. This will be your last chance to show your solidarity.
Then the Inspector will go away and write his report for the ODPM and eventually (before Christmas?) the ODPM will arrive at a decision as to whether to allow Canatxx to go ahead or not. It is our belief that the Government is now in the fortunate position of being able to choose those schemes for gas storage which are safe beyond any doubt, which will impact on the fewest number of people and which will have the least impact on the environment. Preesall is not one of these. This is why PWG have put great weight on the fact that the presence of significant faults, the proximity of the old brine wells and mine and the 100,000 residents within 3 miles, means that gas storage is not safe at this location.
Could I say at this stage, how much we are indebted to Ian Mulroy, Chair of PWG. Ian has worked non stop for 3 years in bringing together the various residents’ groups; in setting up forums where people with expertise in geology, engineering, environment etc could put together evidence; in using his expertise in publishing and printing to produce professional documents to be presented at the Inquiry.
Well we are concerned about open spaces in Thornton. We want to keep our trees. We have few enough of them left. We want to improve our open spaces, places for our kids to kick a football, play areas for our younger children. These spaces have been woefully neglected by a Council which is perhaps at last beginning to wake up. Look at the quality of the play areas which Blackpool provides. In the draft new local plan for Wyre, it was admitted that the size and quality of the open spaces was unknown, the last survey having been carried out in 1993, but no matter because Thornton has sufficient since it is near the beach and the Stanah Country Park.
TAG carried out a detailed Open Space Survey in Thornton and presented this to the Planning Department. We have heard nothing since. As a TAG initiative the Hawthorne Park Trust was set up. Jenie Phillips will report later on its progress and also of the work done on the open space on Hargreaves Street.
Two years ago Thornton entered the Britain in Bloom competition and received a ‘Highly Commended’ award. Last year Thornton was runner up in the North West to Nantwich in the town category. We intend to do as least as well this year. Two of our members do a marvellous job organising Thornton in Bloom - Derek Mayes and Mellonie Thomas. Other TAG members collected up the litter which could have decreased our chances of success. Please join in this year. Give your name and telephone number to Mellonie. The more volunteers there are, the less for each person to clean up, the quicker the job can be done.
You will remember that TAG fought against (and won) at a Public Inquiry the proposal by NPL to build over 500 houses on the green fields of Poolfoot Farm. This is part of the Special Location for Development which encompasses the old ICI land, extending north to the tip and Fleetwood Docks. A comprehensive scheme for development with mixed land uses is now being considered. We presented our views to Atkins, the consultants charged with drawing up a scheme. TAG would like to see the Poolfoot fields kept and enhanced as a green space for the local community. NPL, however, have other ideas, including the building of a gated retirement village with over 200 dwellings on what is now the football fields. They propose to move the football ground and pavilion from the north of Bourne Road, to the remaining part of Poolfoot and to put yet more houses north of Bourne Road.
NPL took over the secure Hillhouse site from ICI, on which a number of industries are located. These industries have expanded and today provide employment for nearly 1000 people. But new industries are disuaded from locating here because of the delays caused by congestion on the A 585. It appears to me that given the problems of successfully developing the Hillhouse site, NPL are desperate to cash in by selling other areas of the land they own for housing. This is a short sighted policy because all that will do is to create more commuters on the A 585 because there is a dearth of local employment.
Part of the former ICI land at Burn Hall was recently sold by NPL to LCC for the waste treatment plant which will take in waste from Fylde, Blackpool and Wyre Boroughs, compost the green waste and sort and send out recyclables. Lancashire Highways deny that this will have any impact on the A 585, which is already at a standstill at peak times. Wyre Borough opposed the plans because of the traffic congestion that additional HGVs would cause. TAG supported Wyre Borough on the traffic issue as well as opposing the creation of a roundabout on Bourne Hill from which a new road would lead to the Plant. We attended a public meeting in the Little Theatre from which we gained the impression that this was good for us and it was going to happen whatever objections there might be. Subsequently LCC Development Committee passed the proposals.
What alternative sites which were more central were ever considered? Why was the use of the old railway line which runs alongside the site never realistically looked at? How do we get the views of local people taken into account? How do we get the LCC to talk to us? This was steam rollering at its worst.
Not that we are always in agreement with Wyre Borough. In particular we are unhappy about the proposals to build on the car park by the windmill on Fleetwood Road North. This is a car park for people visiting the shops both at the windmill and on Fleetwood Road. People visiting the medical centre also park here because the centre’s car park is not big enough. The whole Marsh Mill complex - shops, offices, windmill and car parks was sold by the Council to Melrose Homes who have put up a notice to say that the car park is only for visitors to the Mill complex. Where will people park when they are visiting the medical centre? If anyone wants to get involved in doing a traffic and parking survey for this area, please let me know.
The first application for buiding on the car park was for a children’s nursery. At the planning committee meeting one councillor claimed that there were only 2 nurseries in Thornton. TAG has found 10, many with vacancies, but we were not allowed to contradict. The application was given approval. Since then there has been a new application which substitutes an office block for the nursery. Melrose Homes have a notice up at the windmill, advertising business and retail space to let. Despite objections from TAG, supported by Councillor Smith of Norcross Ward, the Committee voted its approval.
It is obvious that what Melrose wants is permission to build more houses. These car parks at the Marsh Mill fall within the curtilage of the site - it is a brownfield site. The Council sold the complex to Melrose for £1.3 million. Have you read the literature from Wyre Borough which you have received recently with your Council Tax demand? Wyre have kept the increase in your Tax within the Government limits by drawing on £1.4 million from its reserves.
When the Mill complex was sold, I wrote to Alan Vincent, the then leader of the Council, asking what would happen when Melrose put in an application for housing on the car parks. The reply I received specifically avoided this point. What sort of profits are Melrose likely to get from using that land for housing? Considerably more than £1.3 million I would suggest.
We have had a more sympathetic response from Wyre over the plans by Kensington Homes to build on the land at 108 Victoria Road East, next to the Library. The old house, Villa Mar, has been demolished and outline proposals agreed by the Planning Committee for 12 dwellings. The conservation officers were content that the trees which were covered by a preservation order would not be removed and that the pond would be retained at its existing size. However, subsequent applications are for 14 dwellings. These involve removal of trees and the reduction of the pond to half its size. TAG has made representations to the Planners to reject these new proposals and stick to the outline plan previously agreed.
The Community Police Team and several members of TAG are involved in the Thornton Community Office which is located at Wignall Church Hall. Volunteers are on duty Tuesday to Thursday 10 till 2 and some Saturdays, to listen to people and pass on their concerns to the police, council departments or other official bodies. The TCO started in a small way but has plans to grow into a real focus for the welfare of the community. More volunteers are needed. Please see Irene Horner, secretary of TAG and the TCO.
We thankfully do not have a high crime rate in Thornton, but large numbers of juveniles sometimes over 100 in number, congregating in public places, with nothing to do, in themselves become intimidating. Sometimes this leads to vandalism. This had become such a problem in the Thornton Shopping Centre that the police issued a dispersal order and at the same time Network Rail erected fences to prevent youths walking along the railway line and getting into residents’ back gardens. This has worked well until recently when once again juveniles have been getting on to the railway. And we have discovered how. At the back of the Bay Horse car park, Wyre Borough have put a grid across the Hillylaid Dyke to trap rubbish. On top of the grid is a bridge of wooden planks. So thanks to Wyre Borough youths can get across the dyke and on to the railway and create a nuisance to those residents whose gardens back on to the railway line. Except that someone has made a bonfire in the middle of the bridge which has burned through the planks so we now have the potential for a serious accident.
This is just one example which is crying out for communication at a local level between the residents, the police and the Council. Involving local communities much more in the decision making progress is becoming an important objective of local government.
One of the objectives of TAG is to keep the residents of Thornton informed about what is happening in our community. We hold our meetings every 4 or 5 weeks, we have our Public Meeting once a year, we post notices on our Community Notice Board outside Somerfield, we keep in contact with the local press, but this year we have what we had always dreamed of.- the Thornton Community News which goes out to over 8000 households in Thornton and tells people what is going on. We have enjoyed a close co-operation with Chris Evans and her team and I publically thank them for what they are doing for Thornton.
I would finally like to take this opportunity of thanking the Vice Chair of TAG, Jim Stansfield and our secretary Irene Horner who have worked tirelessly on behalf of TAG. Thanks also to our Treasurer Henry Bee and to all of those members who have contributed so much and given me so much support. We look forward to the rest of 2006 and the increasing role which TAG can play in helping to make Thornton an even better place.