Readers' letters - November 20

I’ve just been reading a wonderful quotation from Indira Gandhi, former Indian Prime Minister: “There are two kinds of people, those who do the work and those who take the credit.

“Try to be in the first group, there is less competition there.”

Throughout history, establishment figures have rode on the backs of those who fought for a better world.

A few examples from history are the groups of people who fought against slavery, apartheid and women’s right to vote.

These causes were opposed by the establishment at the time, denouncing those who wanted change as trouble causers and lunatics.

But once the movement for change became popular and unstoppable, it brought about changes in the minds of those in authority who decided to take credit for these reforms!

Proving Indira Gandhi right.

John Appleyard

Address supplied

energy

Lancashire and Yorkshire united

Dear Lancashire County Council Planning Committee, we are a community group in Ryedale, North Yorkshire, which also has an unconventional gas well-site poised to start fracking in Kirby Misperton, so we are facing many of the same issues that you and your colleagues are experiencing. The silver lining in this dark cloud of fracking is that the Yorkshire and Lancashire communities are uniting in ways unknown since the Wars of the Roses.

We take a keen interest in developments on your side of the Pennines, and we are concerned by this new variation in planning conditions requested by Cuadrilla. This amendment should not be classed as a non material amendment, as it is seeking to change a condition that was established as a result of the public inquiry, and will severely impact on residents.

At the moment, the company is not allowed to move HGVs/tankers between the hours of 6.30pm and 7.30am.

It now wants permission to have up to nine ‘single convoy’ deliveries or removals for any of four separate fracking-related operations. A spokesman for Cuadrilla said this would mean nine two-way trips. There would be no limit on the number of vehicles in a single convoy. The spokesman said it was not expected to be more than 30. This could mean 270, previously unpermitted, two way truck trips at night!

As well as changing the rules about the timing of HGV deliveries/removals, it also wants to increase the number of fracking operations it can do 24/7, outside of the restricted working hours.

It does not say what these operations might be. When Cuadrilla breached its planning permission by bringing in its rig at 4.30am, it was not penalised, so instead of modifying its behaviour, it is now proposing to change the rules. If councillors agree to this, they might as well give up all pretence at making Cuadrilla stick to the rules. Instead, it would simply be allowing the company to draw up its own rules.

If Cuadrilla can’t operate within its permissions now, it calls into question its ability to do so once fracking starts, and that should be a grave concern for everybody who could be affected, as it will send a very strong message to other councils around the country – that citizens’ concerns about public safety and the traffic management of a heavy industrial process are to be given less consideration than that of a company that has already caused two “significant” earth tremors.

We ask that Lancashire County Councillors should refuse to allow Cuadrilla to alter its planning permissions, and insist that Cuadrilla stick 100 per cent to the planning regulations that have been agreed.

Adela Pickles

On behalf of Frack Free Ryedale

remembrance

Difficulties in hearing event

Re: Garstang Remembrance Service. Once again a partly silent event. When the Rev Dr Irene John gave her address at the start of the service, people could hear this very well through the loud speaker system set up by the adjacent Garstang United Reformed Church.

When the announcements were being made to tell us who was presenting the wreaths however, the majority of people could hear nothing. Part way through, a microphone was offered to the presenter but he did not use it. What a pity that those who had taken the time and effort to attend and pay tribute to our fallen heroes could not be a part of the whole of the ceremony.

David Ralphs

Garstang

fundraising

Roof fund one of Co-op’s causes

The Roof Repair Fund has been successful in being chosen as one of the Co-op’s local causes until October 27, 2018. If anyone has a Co-op membership card, you can now choose St Paul’s as your local cause at www.coop.co.uk/membership meaning every time you shop at the Co-op and swipe your membership card, one per cent of what you spend on selected own-brand products goes to the Local Community Fund.

They even split the money spent on carrier bags between the three local charities for the year. For a card, sign up at https://membership.coop.co.uk/register or call into the Co-op on Berry Lane and collect a card.

Wendy Smyth

Churchwarden, St Lawrence with St Paul Parish, Longridge