HELP SPREAD THE CAMPAIGN WORKLOAD – PLEASE!

We are well under way with the leafleting campaign in Cowbridge, and thanks to some very generous financial contributions from individuals, we have enough funds to continue this work for a good while yet. We shall be ordering an additional 3,000 postcards, which we estimate will cost between £150 – £200.
The purpose of this leafleting campaign is to increase support for our petition to the landowners. It currently stands at around 700 signatories and our target is to increase this to 3,000 signatories by St. David’s Day 2014. Once this has been achieved we intend to deliver it by hand to the landowners.

We are, however, desperately short of volunteers to canvass the streets of Cowbridge. It is hard work talking to passers-by trying to persuade them to sign up, but we are slowly learning the “tricks of the trade”. It can be lonely work unless there are others with you, a minimum team of 4-6 people each session – which takes a maximum of 2hrs – would be great.

So please, please don’t let others carry the burden for you, do your fair share for the communal effort, and sign up today by volunteering some time. If all of us did our bit it would mean no more than 2 hrs each every 6 months , not exactly onerous !

SIGN UP NOW !

The leafleting co-coordinator is Mrs Sian-Elin Jones
Tel 01446 781129
sianelin.j@gmail.com

WHAT ELSE CAN I DO TO HELP ?

Keep up to date by joining our mailing list

Just fill out the form on the right of this page.

Join the petition. Ask the landowners not to allow their agricultural land, to be used for test drilling for gas

You can the petition at: https://www.change.org/en-GB/petitions/evan-williams-and-w-philip-thomas-landowners-at-llantrithyd-don-t-allow-your-agricultural-land-to-be-used-for-test-drilling-for-gas

Write to Mr Alun Davies AM – Welsh Government Minister for Natural Resources and Food. Ask him to use his authority to review the position adopted by Natural Resources Wales in July 2013

His e-mail address is: correspondence.alun.davies@wales.gsi.gov.uk

Demand that he uses his authority to review the position adopted by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in July 2013, and to put the planning application on hold until that review is concluded. In July 2013 NRW put forward their position to the Vale of Glamorgan Council in which they did not object to the planned drilling project. Since then however, it has become evident that regulatory bodies in other parts of the UK have taken a much tougher stance. For example in Kent, the Environment Agency has refused to approve a test drilling application from Coastal Oil and Gas, because they had not provided sufficiently detailed information on which to make a judgement. More at: http://kent.gov.uk/environment_and_planning/planning_in_kent/planning_applications/latest_news.aspx

Here is a list of some of the missing information which was also not supplied by Coastal Oil and Gas for the planning application in Llantrithyd:

1. Casing design
2. Measures to protect groundwater in the aquifer
3. Groundwater monitoring strategy, including groundwater quality and turbidity
4. Preliminary Risk Assessment
5. Detailed review of the geological information
6. Additional details for the restoration proposals
7. Quantified risk assessments
8. Contingency plans to deal with the risk of turbidity (fines from drilling process) at abstractors boreholes,springs or streams
9. Contingency plan in the event of any loss of potentially polluting materials – such as drilling muds, process water or flow back water
10. Following borehole completion, an “as finished log of the borehole
11. Information on waste – both solid and water- in particular the quantities, on-site storage arrangements, means of treatment and disposal off site
12. Clarification of air emissions and need for flaring

Write to your London MP Mr Alun Cairns. Request that he asks the members of the Water Bill Committee, to table an amendment that would introduce a liability guarantee, to force polluters to pay for water pollution

His e-mail address is: alun.cairns.mp@parliament.uk

Demand that he uses his position to ask members of the Water Bill Committee to table an amendment to toughen up the proposed Water Bill 2nd draft. The amendment should avoid the taxpayer having to pay for any clean up costs arising from fracking pollution to groundwater.
The Water Bill is an opportunity to address pollution concerns by reforming the regime for how we take water from the environment, and by putting in place the necessary provisions to ensure that a financial guarantee is in place to address any pollution incident that may occur.
The proposed amendment is that the Water Bill should therefore be changed to include a legislative framework for abstraction reform, giving the Government powers to reform the abstraction regime from 2015, according to the principles set out in the Water White Paper.

Join Greenpeace’s “Not For Shale” Campaign

This is a legal attempt to block companies from drilling horizontally under your land without permission, which may amount to trespass. Join today at: http://www.wrongmove.org

Introducing the Local Development Plan (LDP)

The LDP will set out policies and proposals for the use, development and protection of land within The Vale of Glamorgan. The LDP contains a number of local planning policies and makes provision for the use of land for the purposes of housing, employment, retailing, recreation, transport, tourism, minerals, waste, and community uses. It also seeks to identify the infrastructure that will be required to meet the growth anticipated in the Vale of Glamorgan up to 2026.

Is the LDP relevant to me?

Everyone who lives, works, visits or provides services within the Vale of Glamorgan will be influenced by the LDP and should therefore get involved in its preparation. By getting involved in the LDP process, you could help shape the future development of the Vale of Glamorgan.

When is public consultation for the replacement LDP?

The formal 6-week public consultation period ends on Dec 20th 2013

How can I comment ?

By email to:  ldp@valeofglamorgan.gov.uk

or by post to:

LDP Team
Development Services
Vale of Glamorgan Council
Dock Offices
Barry
CF63 4RT

Where can I view the proposed LDP?

The draft Plan and Proposals Map remain subject to cabinet approval, with all documents associated with the Cabinet Report and the drop-in sessions available, view at:
http://www.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/en/living/planning_and_building_control/planning_policy/local_development_plan/local_development_plan.aspx

And finally…

Don’t forget to spread the word, tell your friends/neighbours and post/like us on facebook and follow us on twitter

The Steering Group
Villagers Against Drilling

http://www.llantrithyd.com/
villagersagainstdrilling@gmail.com
@llantrithyd