Lancashire County Council has rejected plans by American gas company Canatxx to store 1.2 million tonnes of gas under the Wyre countryside. The county council’s Development Control Committee  voted 13 to one to reject  the plans. Despite assurances from Canatxx UK that safety concerns had been addressed county planning officers said there had been no adequate risk assessment.

Green Party general election candidate for Lancaster & Fleetwood, Gina Dowding said ” This is the third time Canatxx has submitted plans and the third time they have been rejected. The compnay should really listen to the people of the area and stop bringing these ill conceived plans forward .”

Canatxx have said that they will appeal the decision.

The Co-operative has launched Plan Bee, a campaign and 10-point plan to help save the bee. Worried about the disappearance of bee colonies in recent years the campaign aims to get research going on the causes of the losses and to get people involved in saving bees.

As part of the Campaign the Dukes Cinema is showing the film The Vanishing of Bees on Thursday 21st of Jan at 6.30pm

The Plan BEE website has suggestions on what people can do to help including:

North Lancashire Green Party Parlimentary Candidates Gina Dowding and Chris Coates met local Wyre farmer Ian Pye and  representaives of the National Farmers Union to discuss farming issues and the NFU’s “Why Farming Matters” Election Manifesto.

Keen to learn the view of local farmers, the Green Party candidates asked about the NFU’s views on how farming can provide renewable energy, the power of supermarkets and the future of the Common Agricultural Policy. Mr Pye, who hosted the meeting at Old Holly Farm near Garstang, said that the most useful think that could be done to help farmers would be to reduce the ammount of paperwork that has to be done to qualify for enviromental schemes.

The Gina Dowding said after the meeting: “I fear there will be little discussion about farming in the run up to the next general election so I thank the NFU for this opportunity. Farming needs to be high on the agenda.”

For further info on thise story see the NFU Website

Local Organic Farmer Alan Schofield pushed the Labour Party into third place in the Wyreside County Division at the recent June elections for Lancashire County Council. Alan, who runs the Growing with Nature Organic farm at Pilling with his wife Debra, got 1147 votes nearly double the vote for the Labour party candidate. The seat was retained by the sitting Conservative Councillor.  Alan Said ” We are very encouraged by the result. This is the first time people in this area have had a chance to vote Green at local elections.”

Lancaster City Council is to place an ‘Article 4 Directive’ on the canal basin at Glasson Dock. This will protect the basin from being developed peicemeal by British Waterways and require that all works on the Marina will have to submit a planning application. Green County Cllr Chris Coates said “This is what local people have been calling for all along. “

BWB Marinas ltd had previously proposed to almost double the number of moorings in the basin, claiming that they had the right to do so under – permitted development rights. This was challenged by local residents and councillors and was ruled out of order by Government Office for the North West in March of this year.

Cllr Coates added “  Its not that everyone is opposed to the basin being redeveloped, it was just the way that BWB Marinas had gone about it without wanting to apply for planning permission that angered everyone.Lets hope that this means that any further plans will be put forward through the proper channels and not sneaked in by some back door loophole in the planning system.”

Cllr Coates has put forward Cockerham village for a review of the speed limits through the village as part of the national review of speed limits on A&B roads.

Green County Councillor Chris Coates a supporter of the Compassion in World Farming campaign against intensive farming welcomed the councils move “The County has followed the lead set by Lancaster City Council who introduced free-range eggs in the districts town hall catering earlier in the year. This is really good news especially if you are a chicken!”

In 2007, more than 573,558 eggs were used by Lancashire school kitchens and other venues supplied by commercial services. These include the Bowland Visitor Centre café at Beacon Fell Country Park, Turton Tower, Lancaster’s Adult College and County Hall itself. These will all now be serving only free-range eggs.

Gina Dowding said “ This is really good news. The ferry trip saves residents in the Knott End area a 25-mile round trip. It is a vital piece of the local public transport jigsaw.”

Times of the ferry can vary with the Tide – for up to date information see the Wyre Online Website.

The councillors plan want to use the new powers in the Act to help start a wide range of regeneration schemes in local areas as part of a wider ‘Green New Deal’ to stimulate the economy at the same time as reducing carbon emissions.

Jon Barry, who was elected chair of the Association of Green Councillors at the conference, said: “Green councillors backed the introduction of the Sustainable Communities Act, and now we plan to use it to make a real difference in our local areas. The schemes we will be looking at will aim to build stronger local economies, create jobs, reduce money spent on energy bills and cut food costs. “

2 – 4 pm Sat 9th Aug
Cockerham Village Hall

FREE WINE TASTING!