Welcome To The NSMAG Website
Dear Supporter,
We are bitterly disappointed to have to inform you that City of York Council's Planning Committee voted to APPROVE the planning application for North Selby on Thursday 25th April by 9-6 votes.
Several members of NSMAG spoke against Peel's proposals highlighting the impact of the development on traffic, noise and wildlife on local residents and the Green Belt. We questioned Peel's assertions about jobs and the so called "benefits" to the community, together with demanding answers as to why it was necessary to bring waste from West and East Yorkshire.
Sadly the Committee chose to ignore all those arguments and the overwhelming public opposition to the scheme represented by:
- 362 objections from the public (i.e. 99% of the total) lodged on the planning portal
- Formal letters of objection from Julian Sturdy M.P and Nigel Adams M.P and;
- Objections from Wheldrake, Escrick, Deighton, Naburn, Osbaldwick, Fulford and Thorganby Parish Councils
We are now considering our options in the light of this decision, as we believe that it is clear what the villages surrounding North Selby wanted Councillors to vote for. Please keep in touch with future developments via our website.
Thank you
North Selby Mine Action Group.
See attached article published in the Evening Press on Saturday 27th April.
Dear Supporter,
News: April 17th 2013
Despite 362 registered objections to Peel's proposals for North Selby Mine from local residents, all the Parish Councils in the immediate area, local and county councillors and the constituency MP – City of York Council planning officers are recommending approval of the scheme.
The fact that the application will be recommended for approval doesn't mean that it will automatically be approved but clearly it suggests that unless there are strong arguments against the development, it will.
Peel's planning application for North Selby Mine will be heard by the Planning Committee on Thursday 25th April at 3pm, if you wish to register to speak you must do so by 5pm on Wednesday 24th April.
For more information on the Agenda for the planning meeting please go to: http://democracy.york.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?MId=7056
In order to register to speak at the meeting, you will need to contact the Democracy Officer at City of York Council:
Laura Bootland
Contact Details:
Telephone: (01904) 552062
E-mail: laura.bootland@york.gov.uk
We strongly urge you to register to speak, to demonstrate to Councillors that the local community is totally opposed to this development in the Green Belt.
Regards
North Selby Mine Action Group.
Spring 2013 Newsletter
Do you live in Crockey Hill, Deighton, Escrick, Fulford, Naburn, Wheldrake or use the A19?
Dear Neighbour,
Plans have been submitted to bring a large commercial and industrial waste processing and power generation facility to a site in the Green Belt just north of Escrick (between the villages of Deighton, Escrick and Wheldrake).
We believe it could have a significant impact on the region, with increased traffic congestion on the A19 and adjoining roads, more pollution and added noise.
We feel people will want to know about the plans, submitted by Peel and UK Coal, before it is too late to comment on them.
If there are enough objections there is a realistic prospect that the plans will be rejected by the City of York Planning Department when they meet in the coming weeks.
If you share our concerns we would urge you to write to the council TODAY.
North Selby Mine Action Group.
Click here to view the NSM Action Group Spring 2013 Newsletter and find out more about The Issues and What You Can Do?
Deadline For Comments On Peel's Application
News: January 15th 2013
City of York Council have now agreed that any public comments on the planned waste processing/power plant will be taken into account right up until the point that the palnning hearing takes place.
So far, over 200 people have raised objections, but there needs to be in excess of 300 to make a real difference. So if you haven't had the opportunity to make a Comment yet, please follow the steps below:
- Go to http://planningaccess.york.gov.uk/online-applications/
- Register
- Search for – 12/03385/FULM
- Make a Comment
- Check that your views have been posted to the Comments section
We also know that many people have had problems making a Comment and that not all Comments have been published yet on the site. Therefore we would ask you to follow up and double check the Comments section of the Planning Dept website, to ensure that your views have been recorded.
Email address: planning.teamenquires@york.gov.uk
Postal address:
Hannah Blackburn
Development Management Officer
Directorate of City Strategy
9 St Leonards Place
York
YO1 7ET
Telephone: 01904 551 553
Please find the link to our latest press release
Thanks for your continued support.
North Selby Mine Action Group.
PEEL SUBMIT PLANNING APPLICATION FOR NSM
News: November 16th 2012
Peel Holdings and UK Coal have finally submitted plans for an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant with a 60,000 tonnes per annum capacity and a horticultural glasshouse unit at North Selby.
The proposal outlines their plans to construct 12 acres of greenhouses and a large AD plant that will alter the landscape of the local area surrounding the former mine.
“Hundreds of additional HGV and car journeys on the A19, noise and light pollution and the long term prospect of even further development on the site are the only “benefits” that the local community will derive from this scheme”. Tim Williams Chairman of North Selby Mine Action Group commented.
“Everyone agrees that we need to create less waste and generate more renewable energy but the location of this development is ill conceived, sited as it is within the Green Belt.”
This proposal will result in significantly more traffic on our roads, with HGVs transporting 60,000 tonnes of waste from around the country to North Selby. We remain sceptical about the long term sustainability of this development given York’s plans for Allerton Park and therefore anticipate that Peel will seek to develop the remaining 60 acres of the site at some point in the future.
North Selby Mine Action Group strongly urges its supporters to register their objections against the proposal on City of York Council’s Planning Portal before the end of November and prevent this inappropriate development within the Green Belt.
Click here to view the North Selby Mine Action Group leaflet containing important information on how these plans will impact you.
Click here to view the planning proposal from York Council's Planning Portal.
If you haven’t already seen the detail behind Peel’s proposals and want to understand the possible implications for you and your local community please view Peel’s presentation slides from the consultations held in Escrick and Wheldrake earlier this year.
Click here to view Peel's Presentation from Public Consultations
NORTH SELBY MINE PLAN GENERATES FRICTION
News: September 21st 2012
RESIDENTS opposed to a new green energy site have spoken out about the scheme.
Dozens of residents from villages around North Selby Mine, at Deighton, attended a public exhibition in Wheldrake involving representatives from UK Coal and Peel Environmental to discuss the £23.5 million scheme. It could create up to 100 new jobs with an anaerobic digestion plant, which would recover heat and electricity from organic waste.
The North Selby Mine Action Group said a poll taken at the meeting showed 83 per cent of respondents were opposed to the proposals, with 91 per cent wanting the site kept in the green belt while 87 per cent were concerned the proposal would eventually lead to even further development of the site in the future.
Julian Sturdy , MP for York Outer, said: "The sheer scale and massing of the latest plans and the development of what ultimately remains green belt land are wholly inappropriate. In addition, the distance that sourced waste would have to travel should the anaerobic digestion power plant be approved, and the impact of such traffic on our already congested local transport network, must be taken into serious consideration by City of York Council ."
Click here to view the full news story published by the York Press.
RESIDENTS SAY RESOUNDING "NO" TO PEEL POWER PLANT
News: August 30th 2012
Following on from a public consultation at Escrick Village hall by Peel/UK Coal local residents came, listened and said a resounding NO to UK Coal /Peel's latest scheme - 'an attempt to meet' the planning condition of returning the site back to agricultural by shoe-horning over 12 acres of greenhouses alongside a large scale anaerobic digestion power plant at the site.
Apart from 24hr light pollution from the greenhouses and the noise and smell of a large scale anaerobic digestion power plant - Information supplied by the developers indicated there could be over 70 lorries and up to 200 car movements everyday to the site located at notorious accident black spot on the A19 near Escrick.
At the event NSMAG conducted an independent survey of visitors to the 'public consultation' and found 99% of local residents were against the proposals, with over 92% wanting to see the site remain in the Green Belt and turned back to agriculture or into a nature reserve.
Councillor George Barton said "I sincerely hope that Peel's latest application is not another attempt to avoid their responsibilities… You may be sure that I will be vociferous in my support of residents feelings."
"Wheldrake Parish Council have serious concerns about the proposals. Apart from the environmental impacts on residents of the Parish who live near to the site there are concerns about possible future expansion of operations which could lead to more traffic on the A19 in addition to that which will be generated by the current proposals…" Said David Randon, Chairman of Wheldrake Parish Council.
"The developers have simply ignored local residents and presented a scheme to gain the maximum profit for its share holders at the expense of the local community. The proposals would have a devastating effect on local families, some living just several hundred yards way." said Mark Oldridge spokesperson for the local resident action group North Selby Mine Action Group (NSMAG).
Click here to view survey results of visitors to the 'public consultation'.
Read more about UK Coal's continued attempts to avoid planning conditions at other former mines:
UK COAL - RESTORATION COMEDY
When UK Coal was given permission to strip out coal from land at Lounge, near Ashby-de-la-Zouch in Leicestershire, in 1989, it was on the strict condition that the former Coal Depot be restored to countryside once the work was finished.
That permission expired in 2004 and still the site has not been restored. But UK Coal isn't just dilly-dallying over the job: it's trying to overturn the condition so it can develop the site and make extra profits.
After enforcement notices had no effect, Leicestershire County Council has finally threatened UK Coal with legal action and, unless it sees restoration work start within the next three months, it says it will seek a court order to force the greening of the area – still technically a greenfield site. Despite this, the mining company still boasts of its plan for a 79,000sq m specialist distribution warehouse to be developed in a joint venture with logistics firm Gazeley Plc.
Residents near another potential opencast site at the former Minorca Colliery just down the road in Measham fear the same thing will happen to them if UK Coal is allowed to profit by ruining greenfield sites it can sell to developers afterwards. Although no application has been submitted, the company has mooted plans for opencast operations at Minorca.
A dossier prepared by the Minorca Open Cast Protest Group (MOPG) says: "Local communities are learning about the use UK Coal makes of the planning system in its attempts to convert the temporary use of the land which is allowed for mineral extraction purposes to its permanent use as land suitable for a range of developments".
For instance, in 2001 UK Coal was given permission to opencast mine at Cutacre, in Bolton, on condition that it turn the site into a country park once the work was finished. Yet now UK Coal's operations are complete, what's on the cards for the site? An industrial park! Bolton Council is keen to bring in the extra jobs, but plenty of locals recall how the restoration condition, imposed after a public inquiry, went some way to placate those who fiercely fought the mining proposal in the first place.
Taken from Private Eye no. 1260, 16 April – 29 April 2010.
