20 April 2016
The public information meeting held at Keys Park, Hednesford (Sunday 17th April) was well received by those in attendance to raise the profile of the broader impacts of fracking on our communities.
As part of the continued campaign to Save Our Countryside the attending delegates from across the community received informative and inspirational talks from a range of speakers gathered to push the campaign on to the next stage.
The Save Our Countryside “Ours to Enjoy, Not theirs for Profit” campaign established in response to council plans to sell or privatise swathes of Staffordshire countryside and has since expanded to include highlighting a proposed expansion of the badger cull and ensure we have a Frack Free Staffordshire.
Community engagement and knowledge is essential to build a greater understanding of how we can protect that which we value. The Countryside in Staffordshire is universally loved and appreciated and will be missed if we allow irresponsible councillors and corporations just to follow their own agendas.
Events like this link an understanding of the diverse nature of our eco-system and the need for community activism to protect the countryside for future generations. Cuts have consequences and we are feeling these consequences across the Countryside estate, the county mineral plan, fracking, Shugborough Estate, proposed extension of the badger cull and so much more. We will continue to educate, agitate and organise
Ken Leese, Staffordshire resident said following the event
"Spent a very informative time listening to various eloquent and extremely qualified speakers giving a frankly sobering and disturbing talk about the wide ranging and damaging effects of fracking. Environmentally and economically this will have a lasting and unacceptable effect on wherever it is carried out.
“If we are led to believe this is the way forward then let every MP who voted for Fracking have a well in their back garden!”
The speakers at the event were Retired County ecologist Roger Hill who spoke about the history and diversity of our country parks, Linda Bradburn from Melbourne Australia speaking about community activism down under, Tim Jones planning barrister highlighting the key aspects of the planning processes, Sean Adam an Environmental Scientist detailing the economic impact on house prices and insurance as well as clean-up costs and effects on our underground aquifers and Paul Woodhead who introduced the basic facts of fracking and the need for political leaders who value our Green spaces.
County mineral plan
Facebook Event link
https://www.facebook.com/events/942169752526791/
Petition link
http://www.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-your-fracking-hands-off-cannock-chase
Background information on fracking
Full council papers
http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=124&MId=5544
Medium Term Financial Strategy
http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=123&MId=5534
Consultation
The consultation closed on 24th January 2016
The four options under consideration are:
A: Maintain council ownership and seek opportunities to increase income from existing sites by working with volunteers, community, third sector and private parties;
B: Transfer management on a site-by-site basis to local community or voluntary sector groups, such as parish councils;
C: Establish a partnership of landowners to manage all green spaces in a particular area;
D: Establish a not-for-profit trading company to run and develop parts of the estate.
http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/mgCommitteeDetails.aspx?ID=868
http://moderngov.staffordshire.gov.uk/ieListDocuments.aspx?CId=868&MId=5572
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-staffordshire-countryside-aonb
http://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/keep-your-fracking-hands-off-cannock-chase
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/no-to-fracking-in-north-staffordshire
https://www.facebook.com/events/942169752526791/
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