Letter published by the West Sussex County Times 19 November 2015
Sir,
When is a Frack not a Frack? When is a Ban not a Ban?
When is a Frack not a Frack? When is a Ban not a Ban? When it comes to the subject of unconventional oil and gas drilling, it seems Ministers are just as confused as the rest of us. One minute fracking is allowed in National Parks, and then it isn’t. A few weeks later and drilling is allowed to take place in National Parks so long as the well pad is constructed just outside the boundary. Despite the mounting pile of conflicting statements issued by Government Ministers and Departments, South Downs MP Nick Herbert stated with some certainty in a recent article that fracking would be banned in our most protected landscapes, though horizontal drilling underneath would still be permitted, but only at great depths. In the past week, DECC have issued another consultation on proposals to restrict drilling in other protected landscapes such as SSSIs (though Ancient Woodland and local designations such as SNCIs still appear to be excluded).
The 11th November has seen the release of the long awaited review of implementation of PRNAV (sat nav for planes) at Gatwick Airport on all departing routes to the west and east.
Sussex Councils face “Mission Impossible” as developers stockpile thousands of unbuilt homes
Written by CPRE Sussex
Local councils struggling to meet government housing targets are caught in an impossible ‘catch 22’ under existing planning laws, warns CPRE Sussex.
Local councils struggling to meet government housing targets are caught in an impossible ‘catch 22’ under existing planning laws, warns CPRE Sussex.
Anti-fracking campaigners in Kirdford and Wisborough are celebrating after the secretary of state for communities and local government ordered fracking company Celtique Energy to pay legal costs.
Ahead of the Government's spending review, the Department for Transport has provisionally agreed to cut its spending by a massive 30%. Tell the Chancellor to protect funding for everyday transport, especially the Bus Service Operators Grant.
The government’s new Housing Bill is “bully boy tactics which will not solve the housing crisis”, says CPRE Sussex.
This week the Housing and Planning Bill reached its second reading in Parliament, promising to “simplify and speed up” the planning process.
Workshop: Neighbourhood and Community Planning
Written by William Shaw
13th November, 10 – 15.45
Arundel Town Hall
Historic England are putting on a free & really useful training workshop for communities involved in neighbourhood and community planning. The workshop will cover:
There is an important opportunity for MPs to tell the Government about the value of National Parks and to highlight why their funding should be protected in the upcoming spending review. The fact that millions of people participate in outdoor recreation in National Parks every year makes a significant contribution to the nation's economy and our health and well-being but these benefits are currently at risk due to cuts in funding.
