Sidford business park >> campaign group's latest update > additional comments can be sent to the appeal Inspector by 22nd April

The applicants who failed to get planning permission for an industrial estate north of Sidford have appealed - and the campaign against this have swung into action:
Futures Forum: Sidford business park >> campaign group's latest update > BREAKING NEWS: Applicants submit appeal against decision to reject planning application

The campaign is giving advice on how to submit further comments to the Inspector: 

Campaign Update 26

Apologies for the delay in providing an update but over recent weeks we have been trying to clarify what is required in the lead up to, and at, a planning appeal hearing. We now believe that we are much clearer in how we need to progress.

As those of you who had submitted objections to the planning proposal will now be aware from the District Council that the process associated with the planning appeal has commenced.

Before we address that a belated thank you to all who took part in our fundraiser Ceilidh which made a profit of £530. This brings our funds to just under £1,500.

We had been anticipating having to put a plea out to raise significantly more funds in order to fund legal representation at the appeal hearing. At this stage however we do not think this is necessary as we believe we have sufficient funds to support the work that is required over the next few crucial weeks. Thank you however to those who have in recent weeks made offers of further donations, but at this stage we think it would not be right just to take money from you without having a clear idea of what we would spend it on. 

We have discussed how to approach the appeal with several people, including a solicitor, all of whom have planning experience. It is now our considered opinion that we can between us manage the next set of activities and fund these out of our existing funds. We may however possibly need to consider raising additional funds in a few months time should we decide to seek a professional representative to take the lead on our behalf at the appeal hearing.

As the recent letter from the District Council, a copy of which we attach, makes clear there is now a further opportunity for anyone to make comments about the planning proposal which can be submitted to the Planning Inspector. As you will see there is a short deadline by which any additional comments have to be received by the Inspector - by no later than 22 April.

We would encourage as many of you as possible who wish to, to submit comments even at this late stage. As the District Council refused planning permission solely on grounds related to highways matters you should only submit highways related comments. In doing so you might want to address matters that include - 

• Evidence or statements regarding the effect of noise, vibration, damage and pollution on your properties (and vehicles) due to HGV or other traffic
• Effect on the health of residents attributable to air quality 
• Effect of pollution on children walking to school and in the playground of the primary school
• Road safety issues - lack of pavements or narrow pavements, plus no lollipop lady, crossing nor traffic lights to help you cross safely with your children 
• Traffic delays due to congestion at the various pinch points on the A375 in both Sidford and Sidbury
• Evidence of vehicles mounting and/or diving on pavements

Where possible your comments should be supported by photographic evidence. We believe that it is important for as many photographs and/or videos are submitted to the Planning Inspector showing images of traffic congestion/difficulties along the A375 at any point between Sidford and Cotford in Sidbury. 

Attached is a brief guide as to how to present any submission that you make.

In the meantime we are working with a number of residents in order to obtain evidence from them about how the traffic detrimentally affects them and their properties so that this too can be submitted to the Planning Inspector.

Best wishes 

Campaign Team

NO Sidford Business Park Campaign

Guidance on submitting additional evidence to the Planning Inspector

All comments and evidence must –

• be received by the Planning Inspector by no later than 22 April 2019. Anything received after this date will not be considered by the Inspector.
• quote the planning appeal reference for in order for it to be considered by the Inspector. The reference is – APP/U1105/W/19/3221978.
• quote the address of the appeal site i.e. the Business Park. The address to be quoted is – Land East of Two Bridges, Two Bridges Road, Sidford.
• your name and address
• state “I am against the appeal proposals” and explain whether it is for the same reasons as given by the District Council or, if not, explain your own reasons

The reasons given by the District Council in refusing the planning application were –

"1. The proposed development, by virtue of the proposed B8 uses, would result in an increase of HGV traffic on the surrounding road network, both in the vicinity of the site and through Sidbury which both suffer from inadequate road widths and a lack of footways. As such increased HGV movements within this area will result in conflicts between vehicles, and between vehicles, cyclists and pedestrians, to the detriment of highway safety. The proposed development is therefore considered contrary to paragraph 32 of the National Planning Policy Framework and Strategies 26 (Development at Sidmouth), and Policies TC7 (Adequacy of Road Network and Site Access) of the adopted East Devon Local Plan 2013 - 2031."

The Planning Inspector asks that any additional submissions are –

• in a font such as Arial or Verdana in a size of 11 point or larger
• use A4 paper wherever possible
• number the pages of the documents
• make sure photocopied and scanned documents are clear and legible
• use black and white for documents unless colour is essential
• put any photographs (both originals and photocopies should be in colour), maps, plans, etc, in a separate appendix and cross reference them within the main body of the document
• print documents on both sides of a page. You should use paper of good enough quality that something printed on one side of the page does not show through to the other side
• do not send original documents
• if possible, send 3 copies

You should send your written submission and/or photographs/videos –

By post to: The Planning Inspectorate, Room 3/C Eagle Wing, Temple Quay House, 2 The Square, Bristol BS1 6PN

By email to: west2@pins.gsi.gov.uk

Planning Portal: https://acp.planninginspectorate.gov.uk

Remember all evidence must be received by the Planning Inspector by no later than 22 April 2019

NOSidfordBusinessPark@yahoo.com
SayNOtoSidfordBusinessPark (@say_oto) on Twitter
Say NO to Sidford Business Park - Home | Facebook
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Sidmouth Plastic Warriors > Surfers Against Sewage's Spring Clean - Summit To Sea campaign: Saturday 6th April

There was a very successful clean-up last month:
Futures Forum: Sidmouth Plastic Warriors > cleaning up cigarette butts tomorrow: Saturday 23rd March

And there will be another this coming weekend: 

Dear Sidmouth Plastic Warriors supporters

Sorry for the short notice but I have just remembered to send this email (life is a bit chaotic at the moment.)

There is a Community Litter Pick as part of Surfers Against Sewage's Spring Clean - Summit To Sea campaign, on this Saturday, 10-12, based at the Youth Centre in Manstone Avenue. The idea is either come to the Youth Centre to register and collect equipment at 10, or start wherever you live and work your way towards the centre (as we did last year), bringing all the rubbish there for collection for 12pm, when you can also have a drink (thanks to Ben at the Youth Centre).

The Youth Centre are also getting involved which is fantastic. Unfortunately I have had absolutely no luck getting Lidl to be involved, despite trying for weeks. Apparently they 'have gardeners who litter pick 3 or 4 times a year', and 'Saturday is their busiest time', so they won't be helping. What a shame.
Some great news this week - we have been given some litter pickers by the council as part of the fund for the community, and I am able to give them out ot people who have Adopted A Spot or wish to do so - let me know if you want one! We were also given some money by a lovely lady as part of our No Butts pick up, and I will be meeting with a council representative later today to discuss how best to use it.

I hope to see as many as possible of you on Saturday - and please share the poster as widely as possible and put it up if you have somewhere suitable. If you have waders and you fancy really getting stuck in for this clean up, we could try and access Lidl's bank from beneath [attn Adam as you mentioned this before] - but this will be an ADULTs only, very sensible part of the clean up, not to be undertaken without experience of rivers! We could also try a little minor gardening to try and prune back some of the undergrowth...but again, adults only, sensible people only!
Thank you for your support as ever

Denise

-- 

Denise Bickley

Sidmouth Plastic Warriors

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/181478989253793/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/SidPlasticWar

Website: http://sidmouthplasticwarriors.org/

Legal bit during election time - Promoted by Denise Bickley, Tyrrell Mead

Sidmouth Plastic Warriors public group | Facebook
Sidmouth Plastic Warriors – Doing everything in our power to get Sidmouth single-use-plastic-free
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Plastic bags or cotton bags?

You would have thought that 'paper is better than plastic' - but it depends on what you're measuring:
Futures Forum: Plastic bags or paper bags?

The problem is that plastic bags are clearly a killer at sea:
Futures Forum: Campaign to eliminate plastics from the sea
Futures Forum: "The golden shores of Bali are being lost under a mountain of garbage"
Futures Forum: Indonesia showing the way to deal with plastic pollution > the CLEAR campaign

So, whilst the environmental impact of alternative materials should be questioned, it's the immediate impact of plastic which is so obvious:
Futures Forum: Blue Planet II > How plastic is slowly killing our sea creatures, fish and birds

There are of course other plastic pollutants out there besides shopping bags:
Futures Forum: "Bring back bottle deposits to stop plastic pollution in our oceans" >>> Surfers Against Sewage to deliver petition to Parliament tomorrow
Futures Forum: Cotton buds, shotgun wads, plastic toys, and Lego washed up on a Cornish beach give "a shocking insight into the scale of global ocean plastic pollution"

However, the question is whether banning plastic shopping bags actually goes far enough - not whether 'there's no point' or that it's even 'harmful to health', as discussed in this piece today by the free-market think tank the Foundation for Economic Education:

Plastic Bag Bans Won't Help the Environment, But They'll Cause More Foodborne Illnesses

Plastic bags are less than one percent of all litter.

Tuesday, April 02, 2019

Image Credit: Pixabay

 

Hans Bader

New York lawmakers have followed California’s lead and decided to ban grocery stores from giving customers plastic bags. They hope shoppers will use their own cloth bags instead. This ban on plastic bags will harm shoppers in multiple ways.

As Daniel Frank sarcastically notes, “Reusable tote bags” can “cause food poisoning but at least they’re worse for the environment than plastic bags.” He cites Jon Passantino of BuzzFeed News, who observes, “Those cotton tote bags that are so trendy right now have to be used *131 times* before it has a smaller climate impact than a plastic bag used only once.” Yet, there are progressives who want to ban plastic grocery bags in favor of reusable cloth bags.

Plastic bags are less than one percent of all litter. Moreover, alternatives like cloth and paper bags are in many cases worse for the environment than plastic bags, and far worse for public health. That was illustrated by a 2011 legal settlement between plastic bag makers and an importer of reusable bags, ChicoBag. The plastic bag makers sued ChicoBag for its use of false claims about the recycling rate and environmental impacts of plastic grocery bags in its promotional materials. (Those false claims are also the basis for municipal bans and taxes on plastic bags.)

Plastic bags are “less than 0.5% of the litter stream,” according to the head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce.

Under that settlement, ChicoBag was required to discontinue its use of its counterfeit EPA website and make corrections to its deceptive marketing claims, which had included sharing falsified government documents with schoolchildren. It was also required to disclose to consumers on its website that reusable bags, in fact, need to be washed.

Reusable bags “are a breeding ground for bacteria and pose public health risks — food poisoning, skin infections such as bacterial boils, allergic reactions, triggering of asthma attacks, and ear infections,” noted a 2009 report.  Harmful bacteria like E. coli, salmonella, and fecal coliform thrive in reusable bags unless they are washed after each use, according to an August 2011 peer-reviewed study, “Assessment of the Potential for Cross-contamination of Food Products by Reusable Shopping Bags.”

Among the inaccurate claims that ChicoBag could no longer make after the settlement is one that contrasted the environmental impact of plastic versus reusable bags. Contrary to ChicoBag’s previous claims, a study done for the U.K. Environmental Agency showed it would take 7.5 years of using the same cloth bag (393 uses, assuming one grocery trip per week) to make it a better option than a plastic bag reused three times. See “Life Cycle Assessment of Supermarket Carrier Bags,” Executive Summary, 2nd page.

As an earlier report on the subject noted (see p. 60):

[A]ny decision to ban traditional polyethylene plastic grocery bags in favor of bags made from alternative materials (compostable plastic or recycled paper) will be counterproductive and result in a significant increase in environmental impacts across a number of categories from global warming effects to the use of precious potable water resources. … [T]he standard polyethylene grocery bag has significantly lower environmental impacts than a 30% recycled content paper bag and a compostable plastic bag.

As the UK Environmental Agency pointed out in July 2011, a

cotton bag has a greater [harmful environmental] impact than the conventional [plastic] bag in seven of the nine impact categories even when used 173 times. … The impact was considerably larger in categories such as acidification and aquatic & terrestrial ecotoxicity due to the energy used to produce cotton yarn and the fertilisers used during the growth of the cotton (see p. 60).

Similarly,

Starch-polyester blend bags have a higher global warming potential and abiotic depletion than conventional polymer bags, due both to the increased weight of material in a bag and higher material production impacts (see Executive Summary).

As Environmental Protection noted in 2010:

Reusable grocery bags can serve as a breeding ground for dangerous food-borne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health, according to a joint food safety research report issued by researchers at the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University. The study — which randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in the Los Angeles area, San Francisco, and Tucson, Ariz. — also found consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.

“Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half the bags sampled,” said Charles Gerba, Ph.D., a University of Arizona environmental microbiology professor and co-author of the study. “Furthermore, consumers are alarmingly unaware of these risks and the critical need to sanitize their bags after every use.” The bacteria levels found in reusable bags were significant enough to cause a wide range of serious health problems and even lead to death — a particular danger for young children, who are especially vulnerable to food-borne illnesses, he said.

The study also found that awareness of potential risks was very low. A full 97 percent of those interviewed have never washed or bleached their reusable bags, said Gerba, who added that thorough washing kills nearly all bacteria that accumulate in reusable bags.

Plastic bags are “less than 0.5% of the litter stream,” according to the head of the National Black Chamber of Commerce. That low percentage is confirmed by EPA data. (See, e.g., EPA, Municipal Solid Waste in the United States: 2009 Facts and Figures, p. 53, showing that the entire category of plastic sacks, wraps, and bags—including trash bags as well as grocery bags—together account for only a little over one percent of all municipal solid waste, and only a small fraction of overall plastics.)

This article is republished with permission from Liberty Unyielding. 

New York's Ban on Plastic Bags Won't Help the Environment, But It Will Make People Sick - Foundation for Economic Education
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“Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > CPRE seminar in Exeter > video report

The Campaign to Protect Rural England has made it clear that new housing does not have to be built on green field sites:
Futures Forum: More brownfield land in East Devon than previously counted > CPRE says 1000 new homes could be built

It also says that not so much housing needs to be built anyway - as central and local government figures are wrong:
Futures Forum: “The current local plans are planning far too many homes.” >>> Devon CPRE to challenge Devon’s planning authorities' housing requirement figures

It met up last week to discuss these issues:
Futures Forum: “Devon’s New Housing Need - A Government and Local Authority Perspective” > Housing Minister to address CPRE seminar in Exeter > Thursday 21st March

A video of the event has just been uploaded:

CPRE Devon’s New Housing Seminar - 21 March 2019 on Vimeo
Videos | Devon Planning Applications | CPRE Devon
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"A city is not a park" @ Radio 3 > "What would change, psychologically, socially, emotionally, if we covered the concrete and brickwork of our towns and cities with vines, plants and vertical gardens?"

Putting a bit of green up some ugly concrete is known as covering something up:
Futures Forum: Knowle relocation project: greening the grey >>> "Is the trend for foliage on buildings a fig leaf for poor design?"

However, 'greening the grey' might be quite effective - on many levels:
Futures Forum: Vertical forests... vertical gardens...

As explored on this evening's 'the Essay' on Radio 3: 

A City Is not a Park

The Essay

Des Fitzgerald tracks the relationship between the modern city and its green environs. Drawing together psychological research with urban history and literature it asks: what would change, psychologically, socially, emotionally, if we covered the concrete and brickwork of our towns and cities with vines, plants and vertical gardens? A city is not a park but should it be?

Des Fitzgerald is a sociologist at Cardiff University who is researching health, illness and city living. The Essay was recorded at the Free Thinking Festival with an audience at Sage Gateshead.

New Generation Thinkers is a scheme run by BBC Radio 3 and the Arts and Humanities Research Council to select 10 academics each year who can turn their research into radio.

Producer: Torquil MacLeod.

BBC Radio 3 - The Essay, A City Is not a Park

For a little more, see also:
Futures Forum: Greening Grey Britain
Futures Forum: Greening grey Britain @ Radio 4's Costing the Earth
Futures Forum: Greening grey Britain > tackling pollution and flooding

And:
Futures Forum: A sensory garden for Sidmouth
Futures Forum: "Greening grey Britain for health and happiness" >>> a sensory garden for Sidmouth

And finally:
Futures Forum: Vertical farming
Futures Forum: Vertical farming > "the most technically advanced indoor farm in the world" unveiled
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School Strike for Climate Action UK @ Radio 4 > "We need to make our voices heard"

Two weeks ago, school students went on strike:
Futures Forum: School Strike for Climate Action UK > "young people are being left to deal with the fallout of our fossil fuel addiction"

This evening, Radio 4 profiled one of its leaders:

Youth Climate Strikers

My Name Is...

17-year-old Londoner, Noga Levy-Rapoport is helping organise UK wide school strikes as part of a growing global campaign for action on climate change.

The London sixth former was inspired to act after 16-year-old Greta Thunberg began skipping classes to sit outside government buildings last September. She accused Sweden of not following the Paris Climate Agreement and her protests inspired tens of thousands of children across the globe to hold their own demonstrations.

Noga had not been intending to become a leader of UK wide protests, but the February strike UK day saw thousands of schoolchildren and young people walk out of classes and in London at least they needed some direction. As youngsters gathered on the grass she stepped forward and took charge, with protestors snaking behind her as they headed for Trafalgar Square.

Once there she was handed a microphone and started to speak, her passion and anger spilling over into an impromptu blockade of the roads as children linked arms and chanted. Her actions catapulted her centre stage in what is now a growing movement and the recordings follow her as she plans the March 15th strike day and urges parliament to tackle the escalating ecological crisis.

This is the first programme of a new series in which someone at the heart of a breaking news story takes listeners through their interactions as events unfold. In these recordings Noga discusses the preparations and the lead up to the global school strikes; the biggest environmental protest that students have organised and taken part in: “Our time to save our planet is running out; we have twelve years left before our impending environmental doom can't be stopped and we have to legislate new regulations now or we will not have a world as we know it.”

She says she feels increasingly optimistic: “it's such a powerful thing for students to come and say their piece. I'm here to make a stand, to make a difference. For me going to the first UK school strike in February was something I had to do – there was no way I could avoid it or make excuses. When I got there I knew I had to step forward and take a lead because we needed to make our voices heard.”

Organisers estimated that around 3,000 schoolchildren and young people gathered in London, with 2,000 in Oxford and smaller protests in many other cities. The March 15th strike day looks set to take place in more than 50 countries, although the Youth Strikes for Climate movement is not centrally organised, so keeping track of the fast growing number of strikers is difficult.

Noga says she will continue to organise the actions until there is climate justice: she is keen to debate her views on what could be done and takes her message to delegates attending the International Petroleum Conference in London. She speaks to her MP and liaises with those pioneering new approaches, whilst also promoting individual changes to friends and neighbours.

“I’m just a kid like any other kid, but having been in theatre for a while has given me the confidence and the leadership skills to not back down, to not hesitate when eyes are on me. And I think that was a key factor when people were asking what to do – I just had to come up with something on the spot. I got things organised and people followed me as we marched.

“There’s a massive positive reaction to the action. I think it's so inspiring and powerful to see how many people care and how many young people took to the streets. We are saying that we won't have schools to go to if we don't fix this in the next twelve years.

“For me it's a really strange concept that people know who I am. When people are relying on the next generation to be the next leaders and to lead us into a future where climate change hopefully won't have the horrible impact we think it will, then we've got to be ourselves and we've got to show who we are or people won't listen to us.”

Produced by Sue Mitchell

BBC Radio 4 - My Name Is..., Youth Climate Strikers
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Climate change >>> an early spring and putting nature 'out of sync'

A month ago, reports on insect numbers collapsing, largely due to climate change, was the shock story:
Futures Forum: Climate change >>> an early spring and upsetting the balance of nature

A new report confirms the shift towards an early spring - and so everything is 'out-of-sync':
Insects have ‘no place to hide’ from climate change, study warns | Environment | The Guardian
Climate change is shifting Spring forward in the UK | Daily Mail Online 

From the Independent today:

Climate change is causing spring to start sooner, which could see food prices rise and insect populations collapse, study warns

Experts fear shift could have far-reaching effects for farming and other industries in the natural world

Toyin Owoseje @toyinreports
6 hours ago

Climate change is causing spring to arrive earlier in the UK, causing disruption to natural life cycles which could make food more expensive, according to a landmark 50-year study. Aphids, moths, butterflies and birds are laying eggs up to a month earlier than they did in the mid-20th century, the study of the seasonal habits of more than 250 species found. In the north, butterflies become active earlier in the warmer, wetter west than the colder, drier east, but the team documented the opposite for birds laying eggs.

Many plants and animals use temperature to time breeding and migration, which are both associated with the onset of spring. The disruption to these natural cycles could threaten the survival of some animals by putting them “out of sync” with the appearance of their prey, the research concluded.

After analysing data that stretches back to 1960, it predicted we may see the number of insects plummet as they cannot feed on the plants they need to sustain them. In addition, it could damage the production of food by making certain crops more vulnerable to pests and the final crop more expensive for consumers.

Lead author Dr James Bell, who heads up the Rothamsted Insect Survey, told The Independent: “Due to the wet spring, farmers are not able to move their heavy machinery on to waterlogged fields to plant potatoes, so they are planting later. However, the aphids are arriving earlier and feeding on plants that are not yet mature. This, in turn, can affect the harvest because young plants cannot withstand the threat. A smaller harvest will drive up the prices of potatoes.”

The findings, published in the journal Global Change Biology, showed the shift towards an earlier spring was happening in shady forests as well as more open areas.

Dr Bell added: “There was already good evidence that spring is coming earlier each year, but what we didn’t expect to find was that it was advancing as much in forests as it is in open areas such as grassland. Equally, in areas where we’d expect to see much greater acceleration, such as urban parkland, the rates of advance appear to be the same.

“This all points to a complex picture emerging under climate change, which makes ecosystem responses hard to predict, and even harder for conservationists to prepare for. The work is important because is shows us that we cannot rely on habitat to slow down climate change impacts, even in woodlands and forests where the conditions are more stable, and which were expected to buffer against adverse changes.”

Climate change is causing spring to start sooner, which could see food prices rise and insect populations collapse, study warns | The Independent
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