In May 2008 I was appointed as Chairman of one of the Licensing Authorities Sub Committees that administer the contested reviews and licensing applications under the Licensing Act 2003. The more time that I spend on Licensing issues, the more examples that I see of how the Act has made many peoples life much worse. Extended opening, drinks promotions, increasing noise nuisance issues linked to the smoking legislation all serve to impact the quality of peoples lives.
This week I am spending time with members of the Neighbourhood Policing team, looking at issues that they face and trying to get a sense of additional options to try to resolve some of the difficulties. If you wonder what I am on about the Home Office have a nice bit of night time reading here, with some surprisingly workable solutions.
The problem is that we need to build a real common purpose to get things sorted. I feel another new years resolution coming on.
Sunday 25 October 2009
To the inquiry > Went Edge continued..
For the last two weeks a Government Inspector has been conducting an inquiry linked to Bank's Renewables appeal at the unanimous rejection of their application for 6 Industrial Wind Turbines on Went Edge one of our few remaining bits of Green Lung on the very edge of West Yorkshire.
Those who have been travelling with me over the last couple of years will have seen the process from a "consultation" in 2007 through to ultimate rejection by the Wakefield MDC Planning Committee earlier this year.
The appeal inquiry is taking place in Wakefield Town Hall and is getting to the point where the Inspector is to go out and walk the turf so to speak.
There have been cases made by Bank's legal team, three council representatives and our Barrister and the two action groups who have been working on this from more or less day one. Over the last week members of the public have been making their representations and on Friday I submitted a representation on line to the planning inspectorate, which Inspector's schedule allowing I hope to be able to speak to on Monday.
The Inspector will be visiting ground zero and various view points on Tuesday and will be hearing summaries on Wednesday. By the end of the week he should be retiring to write his report.
On balance I believe that the majority of real and well founded argument has come from the "Interested Parties" WMDC, PWAG and the West Park Action Group.
Banks have had some fumbles with one of their experts admitting that he had not visited the location until he had completed preparing his evidence. Then under question from the PWAG Barrister it became apparent that his evidences description of site location was wrong "to the east of Westfield lane" turns out he got his east and west mixed up and I think he may have had the map upside down.
I hope that the Inspector will have more than enough well founded objections to be able to recommend rejection. However on Friday all sides had to discuss conditions. This is plain wrong this is about what may be done to ameliorate the situation if the Minister decides to approve Bank's varied proposal for 5 x 125 metre turbines. I suggested that it might be a good idea if they could fit some sort of star wars cloaking device, but the flaw would be that the turbines will not generate enough reliable electricity to "switch on the cloaking device".
My representation on behalf of the community is here
I believe that the Inspectors report is due to be presented to the Minister in the Spring and three years on I hope we will be able to get on with our lives. Hopefully our MP will be able to get the point across to her colleagues that this is neither practical,viable or wanted.
Those who have been travelling with me over the last couple of years will have seen the process from a "consultation" in 2007 through to ultimate rejection by the Wakefield MDC Planning Committee earlier this year.
The appeal inquiry is taking place in Wakefield Town Hall and is getting to the point where the Inspector is to go out and walk the turf so to speak.
There have been cases made by Bank's legal team, three council representatives and our Barrister and the two action groups who have been working on this from more or less day one. Over the last week members of the public have been making their representations and on Friday I submitted a representation on line to the planning inspectorate, which Inspector's schedule allowing I hope to be able to speak to on Monday.
The Inspector will be visiting ground zero and various view points on Tuesday and will be hearing summaries on Wednesday. By the end of the week he should be retiring to write his report.
On balance I believe that the majority of real and well founded argument has come from the "Interested Parties" WMDC, PWAG and the West Park Action Group.
Banks have had some fumbles with one of their experts admitting that he had not visited the location until he had completed preparing his evidence. Then under question from the PWAG Barrister it became apparent that his evidences description of site location was wrong "to the east of Westfield lane" turns out he got his east and west mixed up and I think he may have had the map upside down.
I hope that the Inspector will have more than enough well founded objections to be able to recommend rejection. However on Friday all sides had to discuss conditions. This is plain wrong this is about what may be done to ameliorate the situation if the Minister decides to approve Bank's varied proposal for 5 x 125 metre turbines. I suggested that it might be a good idea if they could fit some sort of star wars cloaking device, but the flaw would be that the turbines will not generate enough reliable electricity to "switch on the cloaking device".
My representation on behalf of the community is here
I believe that the Inspectors report is due to be presented to the Minister in the Spring and three years on I hope we will be able to get on with our lives. Hopefully our MP will be able to get the point across to her colleagues that this is neither practical,viable or wanted.
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