LIBERAL Democrats in Gateshead have launched a petition calling on the local government minister to reject an appeal over a huge opencast application.
Halls of Durham have appealed against the refusal by Gateshead Council to allow them to opencast half a million tonnes of coal and fireclay from Skons Park, next to the historic Gibside Estate between Rowlands Gill and Whickham.
Halls have now submitted an appeal to planning inspectors though the final decision will be taken by Ruth Kelly MP, the minister responsible for local government.
Councillor Jonathan Wallace, whose ward includes Gibside and Skon’s Park, led the campaign against the plans in 2005 and 2006. He wrote the original petition to Gateshead Council which was signed by 16,000 people and helped to collect thousands of these signatures himself.
He has now set up a special website and on line petition, the link for which was been sent by email to residents in western Gateshead.
“People are very worried about this application being approved,” said Councillor Wallace. “There are great concerns about the environment, noise, dust and heavy lorries. And many are worried that there will be damage to the growing tourism industry.
“In 2005 when I launched the original petition, we didn’t have it on line but thousands of people still signed it, thanks to the work of local campaign groups, my colleagues on Gateshead Council and the National Trust who own Gibside.
“This time within a couple of minutes of the email with the link to the site going out, I started to get messages back showing people had signed it on line.
“I urge everyone who is concerned about this appeal to back the petition.”
The petition can be found at http://campaigns.libdems.org.uk/skonsparkopencast.
No comments:
Post a Comment