Letters - September 23, 2016

If the Secretary of State allows Cuadrilla’s appeal against Lancashire’s decision, the proposal could go ahead. Hedges will go, double HGV width site access will be put on to the narrow lane and a 9m wide access road laid across the pasture land. All this will be followed by convoys of lorries, a well pad, containers, drilling rigs, gas flares, security lights, guards and patrols, and much, much more, visible and stark on a farm producing our milk.

Cuadrilla has already advertised for new personnel and it appears to many that the Government is working with the industry to try to balance growing opposition.

Communities complain they are witnessing a campaign to persuade the nation that imposing the industry on England is for our own good. They point to the consultation on the Shale Wealth Fund which refers to communities where fracking will be inflicted as “hosts”. They say that to use this term is to pervert its meaning and could then be equally applied to prisons hosting inmates. They also believe that payment from the alleged benefits of the Shale Wealth Fund are surrounded by so many caveats and loopholes, coffee house giants and IT superpowers would be content! The much publicised £10k payout headline was judged a crude (and misleading) PR attempt.

And remember, these “hosts” note, that it is only England which is under threat, the rest of the U.K. has taken steps to protect its citizens. Germany, watchful and mindful of its electorate, has also ruled out fracking.

Lancashire, the only place in the UK ever to have experienced deep level, high intensity fracking, also rejected it at Roseacre Wood.

The Government has repeatedly committed to “empowering” local people and their elected representatives. The overwhelming feeling at the costly public inquiry was that Cuadrilla’s case for fracking at Roseacre had been crushed: that Lancashire County Council, and its Planning Officials, had been right to refuse permission.

But Cuadrilla’s barrister repeatedly played her “get out of jail” card: the Secretary of State.

It is to be hoped that there will be honour and consistency in his decision.

Roseacre Awareness Group

via email

AIRPORTS

Newquay has one, 
so we can’t we?

At Blackpool Airport, we had a terminal building with a first class departure lounge . A check-in area which consisted of numerous check-in desks. A very nice duty free shop. All now demolished.

Shame on the people that gave permission for that to happen.

Any one who used Blackpool Airport before must agree that now having to use Manchester airport is absolute chaos – queues to check in and more queues to pass through passport control .

It was so easy and comfortable to fly from your local airport, but now Manchester will gain more profit at the expense of Blackpool.

Jet 2 did a fantastic job with 11 destinations to fly to. If the likes of Newquay and Bournemouth can operate successfully, perhaps the council can take some advice from them to get our airport back, to operate with success once again in the near future.

G Rutter

via email

WILDLIFE

I miss the visitors to my garden feeders

Regarding the email on Tuesday’s letters page from Mr RC Carter.

I have been feeding lots of sparrows in my garden all summer long. About two weeks ago I noticed that the food I put out for them wasn’t being eaten and all the sparrows had gone.

Does anyone know why that would be ? I miss them.

Dawn Keeling

Marton

SHOPPING

Council must act to stop charity shops

Blackpool Council has seen fit to allow another licence to be granted to yet another charity organisation to open on Abingdon Street, Blackpool.

This brings the number of charity shops in the town centre to more than 15. The former Money Shop, which closed last year, is now to become another charity shop, and my question to this Labour council is “ WHY”? I cannot understand the mentality of any council who feel they can rationalise their decision to grant another licence to another charity organisation when Blackpool’s town centre is dying on its feet and given that we already have too many charity shops in the town centre, how will they justify this when it next comes to voting day for council elections?

Allowing so many shops to become charity shops in the town CENTRE is neither constructive nor productive to the health or economy of Blackpool.

From an outsider’s perspective, having so many charity shop in and around the town centre, as Blackpool has, is no enticement to prospective retailers and if it keeps going at the pace it is doing, the number of charity shops will be literally all that Blackpool will have to offer on the retail front. I beg this council to re-think and stop these charity shops now.

Mr Easton

North Shore

Blackpool