Lancashire County Council Unanimously Reject Cuadrilla’s Traffic Plans
PRESS RELEASE
Frack Free Lancashire
Lancashire County Council Unanimously Reject Cuadrilla’s Traffic Plans
For immediate release
Thursday 25 January 2018
Yesterday, Lancashire County Council’s Development Control Committee voted unanimously to reject Cuadrilla’s revised traffic proposals for the Roseacre Wood exploratory fracking site, and the committee will now submit evidence against Cuadrilla at the Public Inquiry in April 2018.
The councillors stated that all three proposed routes were unsafe and unsuitable for large HGVs and that public safety is paramount.
Having experienced travelling through all three routes, one councillor said he was appalled by what was being proposed; another stated he was totally unconvinced with the applicant’s case and their attempts at mitigation had actually made things worse. The councillors also stated that “locals know best” when it comes to deciding on large-scale applications.
Andy Rhodes, Lancashire Police’s Chief Constable also submitted a written objection to the planning committee, stating that the requirement of policing the Roseacre site would “place significant demands on Lancashire Constabulary’s resources”.
Chair of Roseacre Awareness Group, Barbara Richardson said:
“I can not believe we are still having to fight this after four years, when it has been rejected at every level; from the residents, all the parish councils, Fylde Borough Council, who by the way also voted emphatically and unanimously against the plans saying the impacts would be severe, LCC’s Highways and Planning Officers, and our two Conservative MPs.
“These poorly-devised mitigation measures actually make matters worse putting even more lives at risk. It is not about ‘if’ a serious accident occurs but ‘when’.
“The Planning Inspector said when rejecting the previous plans that:
‘The national need for shale gas exploration cannot be pleaded in support of this appeal …the need to ensure the safety of members of the public is paramount and would strongly outweigh that important consideration’.
“It is time Cuadrilla accepted defeat and stop trying to override the democratic decision by trying to explore for shale gas in totally unsuitable location which puts people’s lives in danger. They seem to disregard the safety of our residents in their pursuit of profit. Enough is enough.
“Perhaps the UK just isn’t large enough to accommodate a full-blown unconventional, onshore shale gas industry after all.
“We will continue to fight this application every step of the way and look forward to presenting evidence again at the Public Inquiry alongside LCC and the parish councils.”
ENDS
Notes to the Editor:
- Cuadrilla began work at their Preston New Road (PNR) site in Lancashireat the beginning of January 2017, following Sajid Javid MP and central government overturning Lancashire County Council’s refusal of planning permission for Cuadrilla’s fracking applications at PNR and Roseacre Wood. Heavy protests by local groups have been continuous since January of 2017 and will be ongoing for the foreseeable future.
- Image attached of a rural road around Roseacre village, Lancashire.
- For all further enquiries and information, please contact Barbara Richardson