The Rally for Nature went to Westminster on Tuesday, at the end of the shooting season for Red Grouse, and it was by all accounts a successful event and reported by Mark Avery in his Standing up for Nature blog.
Martin Harper, Conservation Director RSPB also comments on the state of SSSIs analysing Defra’s 72 page Biodiversity 2020: a strategy for England’s wildlife and ecosystem services Indicators summary December 2014 which makes pretty depressing reading. Effectively it echoes the 2013 State of Nature Report. The Govt. answer – to cite the £7.5m worth of Nature Improvement Areas. Monitoring of the outcomes are provided by Natural England, but generic rather than specific in the nature of any detail.
Avery also celebrates the creation of an infographic which challenges an earlier one by the Moorland Association and BASC which extolled the virtues of the ‘inglorious 12th’, the latter has we understand been referred to the Advertising Standards Agency.
FRACKING: For, against or still an agnostic?
Despite the chilly wind there was a reasonable turn out last night to the Haxey Memorial Hall, where the local premier showing of “The Dash for Gas” was ‘enjoyed’ by around sixty people gathered to learn about the benefits of fracking. The film itself, in my humble opinion presented a reasonable and balanced case. It was just a shame that previous attempts to get industry advocates to allay local fears has repeatedly failed as many there were keen to hear both sides of the scientific case that provided assurances of safety, no impact upon water supply or to human health or that of the natural environment.
The following planning applications have already been passed for exploratory drilling. Depending upon outcomes a fracking application may follow.
Planning permissions to site a rig for an appraisal bore hole with associated works and equipment COMPOSITE ENERGY
Cottage Farm, Crowle, DN17 4BH
Land to the north of the A161, Eastoft Road, Crowle, DN17 4LR
Pasture Lane, Amcotts, DN17 4AW
Temple Gardens, Land to north of, Off King Edward Street, Belton
Haldenby Hall, Track adjacent to, access road to Haldenby Hall, Luddington, DN17 4QU
Access Road to North Moor from White House, Land to the southeast of Pilfrey Bridge, Althorpe, Keadby, DN17 4DH
Land North West of, North Street, West Butterwick
Planning permission for the construction of a temporary wellsite for drilling of an exploratory bore hole with associated structures and works EGDON RESOURCES
Lodge Farm, Clapp Gate, Broughton and Appleby, DN15 0DB
Help us keep the local community network updated:
Check out areas under investigation for exploration (or exploitation?) near you, do drop us a line with your findings and updates
Check out any Petroleum Exploration and Development Licences (PEDLs) near you …. locate Recent Licences through a Department of Energy & Climate Change Energy Portal.
LOCAL GROUPS
H.E.Y. Frack Off is another local community group active in Hull & East Yorkshire
Frack Free Gainsborough