As reported last month our MP George Osborne has got involved in the ongoing debate about the impact of peat extraction on Lindow Moss and questioned whether it should continue at the historic site.
Saltersley Common Preservation Society contacted the Tatton MP again in August asking for his assistance to stop the peat extraction at Lindow Moss, which their experts say has caused subsidence to Newgate Kennels and a number of neighbouring houses as well as diminishing the population of water voles, which are the most endangered mammal species in the UK.
George Osborne told wilmslow.co.uk "Lindow Moss is an incredible piece of our natural ancient landscape, and while I completely respect that the Council has to abide by the rules, we should consider whether extracting peat is really the best use we can make of this beautiful and historic site."
He also raised the matter with Cheshire East Council and has received a response saying that there is no evidence of a link between the peat extraction and local subsidence.
Andrew Round, Interim Executive Director, wrote to the Tatton MP saying "Your constituents concerns regarding the impact of this peat extraction have been noted previously, and were, as they noted in their letter to you, investigated by the Local Government Ombudsmen in 2012. As has been set out in previous correspondence, their investigation looked at a number of issues, but it was concluded that there was no evidence to back up the claims made by the complainant about land subsidence."
Mr Round continued "Since then, more information has come to light as a result of the current planning application on the site. This hydrological information has been scrutinised by the Environmental Agency and they have found no evidence of a casual link between the peat extractions activities and local subsidence issues."
Anthony Evans, Hon. Secretary of Saltersley Common Preservation Society has requested that CEC share the evidence which the Environmental Agency has scrutinised in order to reach this conclusion saying "After all, there is not a single peat extraction site in the country that hasn't suffered subsidence."
I contacted Cheshire East Council earlier this month requesting a statement about the subsidence of properties neighbouring Lindow Moss and what CEC believes is causing the subsidence. At the time of going to print I am awaiting a response.
Planning permission for peat extraction on Lindow Moss was granted by five separate permissions between 1959 and 1967, these expire in February 2042.
Croghan Peat Industries Ltd of Meare in Somerset purchased Lindow Moss in 1997-8 and in December 2014 they submitted two planning applications, to build 14 detached houses on part of Lindow Moss and restore the 28 hectare peat extraction site to a natural wetland habitat.
The owners are proposing to cease peat extraction if planning permission for the houses is granted however the two applications, which were expected to be decided in March and April 2015, have been delayed for nearly 18 months due to ongoing discussions with expert bodies.
A Council spokesman told wilmslow.co.uk last month "There are ongoing discussions with expert bodies such as Natural England and the Cheshire Wildlife Trust to examine the details of the restoration scheme and its future management which must be completed before any conclusions can be reached regarding the acceptability or otherwise of these proposals."
Comments
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To
Cheshire East Council
Subject
Freedom of Information request - Council claims there's no evidence of link between peat extraction and subsidence
Dear Cheshire East Council,
I have read with interest the following article on http://www.wilmslow.co.uk
"Council claims there's no evidence of link between peat extraction and subsidence"
http://www.wilmslow.co.uk/news/article/1...
Please identify and provide the follow:
1) Information that has been submitted as part of planning applications relating to this area .
2) All information reviewed by the Local Government Ombudsmen in 2012.
3) The report and findings of the Local Ombudsman
4) All Information passed onto and "scrutinised" by the Environmental Agency .
Yours faithfully,
Stuart Redgard
And as for the EA report giving the site a clean bill of health, where is it? We have an email from the EA saying the figures provided by CEC are no use as there is no original datum point recorded.
For those wondering why a picture of a tree with exposed roots has been used to illustrate the piece, walkers on the moss may have noticed this is happening to many trees around the site. We have been advised by a professional arboriculturist that this happens when peat dries out and the land drops, eventually killing the tree. Croghan Peat announced their intentions when they commenced operations by felling hundreds of mature trees around the site, now they are finishing the job off.
Tony Evans SCPS
Peter Smith and Julie Browning, The White House
Joel Millett, Newgate Kennels
This is an organisation that has systematically obfuscated over a period of years on the decimation of the natural habitat of an endangered species (the water vole) and evidence of the consequences of peat extraction and drying out of surrounding areas causing subsidence to adjacent buildings.
If the CEC can't manage to get a waste disposal site, business ventures and other sundry projects up and running without being badly managed and incurring massive costs when they fail how can any sane person expect them to sort Lindow Moss out. I would like to bet that if the same people in the council where asked to make a positive justification to the electorate for an increase in salary it would be out there before the end of the day.
Cheshire East are laying themselves open to claims from owners of the properties affected for substantial damages for their failure over many years properly to enforce the many conditions attached to the planning permission.
Most of the Moor Lane Estate was built in the 1960's and the build technique was 'shoddy'. Not many will remain standing in 2060, let alone at the end of the 999 year Lease.