CPRE North Yorkshire
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NORTH YORKSHIRE The Annual Report of the North Yorkshire Branch of the Campaign to Protect Rural England 2014 What we do and why we do it!ca North Yorkshire is home to some of the most outstanding landscapes in England. We're all so very lucky to live here! Our Branch area is quite enormous with some saying it is 'three times the Yorkshire dales National Park, Craven District size of Belgium! We have two national parks, three AONB's along with numerous conservation areas and SSSi's to protect. 'The North Yorkshire Branch is divided into nine how are we structured? districts which run as sub committees of the Branch, they are the eyes and ears of our group and Managing the affairs of the Branch and administering its funds and assets is the campaign on locally important issues. responsiblity of the trustees who meet four times during the year. The officers provide leadership What do we do in North Yorks and how do we want and support. The burden of CPRE's campaigning to achieve it? continues to fall mainly to our districts, some of We campaign for a sustainable future for the whom work tirelessly to meet the goals of CPRE English countryside, a vital but undervalued and work to ensure we have the right kind of environmental, economic and social asset to the development in the right place at the right time nation. We highlight threats and promote positive for the right reasons! solutions. Our in-depth research supports active Trustees serve a maximum of six years. In the future, we hope to bring in new trustees campaigning and through being 'impossible to with key skills onto the committee to support and ignore' we seek to influence public opinion and encourage local districts campaign work. decision-makers at every level. Who's who in North Yorkshire Branch President: The Lord Crathorne KCVO Chair Elect: Jules Marley Trustees: Roger Bennett, Stuart White ,Dalton Peake Paul Whitaker (co-opted April 2015) Retiring May 2015 Linda Potter, Julie Hepworth, Guy Woolley, John Gill(Treasurer & Secretary) & Kristen Whalley Dates for your Diary > 29 May 2015 : AGM, Golden Fleece, Thirsk 19.00h Please RSVP to [email protected] or by post to: CPRE North Yorkshire (AGM) Bendgate House, Long Preston, Near Skipton BD23 4QR to ensure a seat The purpose of our National Parks key campaigns The first national park in England was the Peak District NP designated in 1951. The North York Moors National 2014/15 Park was created in 1952. The statutory purpose of National Parks are: To conserve and enhance the natural beauty, wildlife and cultural heritage of the National Parks To promote opportunities for the public understanding and enjoyment of the special qualities of the Parks. Sometimes, conflict exists between the two purposes. Where reconciliation is impossible, the first purpose should take precedence, this is known as the Sandford Principle. 90 million (yes, 90 million!) people visit the national parks and the surrounding areas every year. These visitors spend over £4billion pounds in the local area, illustrating that that the Parks are an important area for recreation and tourism. Within the parks there are rural communities and local business who all work and live within the constaints of planning in relation to national parks. CPRE Coastal District Dalton Peake is the current chairman of Coastal. They have responded to the planning application and objected because they fear the mine would have an adverse impact on the North York Moors National Park Coastal, R&C, Hambleton & Ryedale Districts character and appearance of the area and the harm to the tourism industry during construction would be devastating. contact [email protected] The great Potash Debate Further information The Potash Application affects Coastal district THE CAMPAIGN FOR NATIONAL PARKS have objected to the primarily, However, the impact of the Potash proposal. They have submitted their objection to both Application spreads to Hambleton & Redcar & NYMNP and Redcar & Cleveland Authorities. The CNP have Cleveland. CPRE North Yorkshire responded to the also called for the whole protect to be 'called in' for application and Coastal submitted a more local determination by the Secretary of State following a single response. inquiry to enable the full impact of ALL parts of the project to be considered together. A revised planning application to build a potash mine in CPRE North Yorkshire have objected on the issues of impact North Yorkshire at a cost of £1.7 billion was submitted. on the character and appearance of the countryside to The project has much wider signficance as decisions made support the local district's campaign. on it will be an important test of the protection National Parks are afforded in the NPPF. John Roger Forshaw, a man who loved the North York Moors The site is inside the National Park, close to the popular Roger moved to North Yorkshire in the late 60's and became Coast to Coast trail which was considered in 2014 to be the the Solicitor to NYCC, offering legal support to the North York second best walk in the world by one body of experts! Moors National Park. This meant he was closely involved in the creation of the NYM railway and establishing the Coast to Planning history Coast long distance foot path among other issues. York Potash originally submitted a planning Roger loved the moors and was a keen walker and amateur application to NYMNP in February 2013. The archaeologist and knew the hills and dales of the North application was withdrawn early 2014, a second revised Yorkshire Moors National Park well. Roger Forshaw's family application was submittedin September 2015. were therefore glad to be able to support our charity in their loved one's name. Following discussions with the family it The application covers both the mine head and the mineral was agreed to donate the monies collected at Roger's funeral transport system or MTS. The MTS is a tunnel which needs to the Coastal District. CPRE North Yorkshire are honoured 3 access shafts, one in the national park with another just that the family should think about us at such a sad time. outside which increases the potential impact on the 'Park'. Two planning authorities are involved: Redcar & Cleveland Borough Council and the NYMNP authority. Redcar & Cleveland District District Chair: Stuart White Redcar & Cleveland District Redcar & Cleveland are the newest district in the Branch, joining us in 2013. They respond to and Swaledale District applications within Redcar & Cleveland Local Planning Authority Area and the North York Moors National Park. Local Plan: was due to be effective by Summer 2015. Swaledale District Chair - John Gill The proposed plan however was rejected by the Swaledale is our smallest district. They respond to Council's Cabinet committee in 2014. It will be now planning applications within Richmondshire and the around 2017 before the plan is represented to the Yorkshire Dales National Park authority area . Council illustrating that the district remains Local Plan status: The Core Strategy has been vulnerable. approved by the Planning Inspector. The YDNP Local Plan is out for consultation on housing issues. R&C committee have been involved in numerous housing applications with varying degreees of success: "There are thirty five conservation areas in Richmondshire The most significant being: outside the National Park. The Authority are starting to update them. Concern has been expressed that local Marske Road, Saltburn 130 Home development conservation groups and that includes the CPRE, should be consulted before these updates become official. refused. A large campaign by residents and CPRE R&C Currently there are four being brought forward - two in resulted in 200 objections being lodged with the LPA. Swaledale and two in Leyburn/Wensleydale which are very Longbank Farm, Omesby: repeat application for 320 controversial........On the edge of Richmond, just outside homes produced yet another massive campaign. The the existing but old definitive limits, an application has application was refused for a second time. CPRE R&C been made for a house. This is beside an existing barn worked to protect the Eston HIlls a local beauty spot conversion. It may be turned down but I fear the result of and recreational area. an appeal.......Application for lodges on a derelict wooded Windy Hill Marske: 100 homes - refused 2014 site, again just outside Richmond. It may well go ahead. Long Beck Marske: following a threee year campaign, There are now a significant number of these lodge sites. the application for 1000 property estate plus shops, Some are now in the ownership of large companies. An hotel the application was refused and the main cause application to allow permanent occupation as opposed to of the rejection of the local plan. CPRE R&C await the holiday occupation was refused by the YDNP last year. appeal! John Gill March 2015 Editors Note: lodge parks morphing from tourism into Windfarms & Turbines: Kilnthorpe Lane Brotton - in permanent or residential use are an identified threat in November, the LPA refused an application for a 100m the county. National CPRE have identified and highlighted turbine hoever the decision has been appealed this threat. Craven District continues to lobby and Eston HIlls: two major applications for five 135m campaign to prevent the loss of tourism sites to 'back door turbines at Kirkleatham and two 140m turbines at housing' in areas where housing would not normally be Yearby are at a standstill. The council is mindful to permitted. refuse the proposal at Kirkleatham. editor's note 140m is 459 feet or just 18 metres short of the Blackpool Tower! Whitby by night Coastal District and of the course, the York Potash Project, although ri the Branch has responded on landscape issues to the application, the project impacts on R&C at Lockwood Beck and Tocketts Lythe, near Guisborough where they will be access points to the Mineral Transport system.