News shared by Cllr Jonathan Bacon, the Isle of Wight council Cabinet Member for the Environment. In his own words. Ed
Last week worrying announcements were made by the Government concerning Fracking.
On the Isle of Wight we recently saw off an application for drilling. I, for one, do not want to see us in a situation where we may have to deal with new threats of this type.
Island Plan much more focused on our Environment
The Council is, of course, currently considering its proposed new Island Planning Strategy, and a vote will take place next week to decide whether we can take it forward to the next steps in the process.
The new Planning Strategy is not directly relevant to the issue of Fracking but, following a lot of work, it creates a context which is much more focused on our Environment and, as such, it includes policies to protect and enhance our Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, our Dark Skies, the Biosphere and the pursuit of our Climate Change Strategy through the Mission Zero project.
New Waste and Minerals Plan
What can then follow will be specific policies building on that basic Planning Strategy with its upgraded approach to environmental protection. Looking to the issue of Fracking one of these policies will be a new Waste and Minerals Plan.
This is key work that can and will follow the adoption of the new Island Planning Strategy.
Strategy at risk of being rejected or severely delayed
We seem however to be facing a situation where the Strategy is at risk of being rejected or severely delayed. This will affect our ability to pursue the specific policies to protect our environment that many (and I suspect most) want to see in place.
We need to be in a position where this work can commence, in particular so we can create a Waste and Minerals Strategy that can address the threat of Fracking.
Bacon: If delayed, will almost certainly take well over a year
Cllr Bacon said,
“If, as is being suggested by some, the Island Plan should be delayed, this will inhibit this work, as our limited resources will need to be directed towards the work necessary to change the basis of the Plan.
“It must also be said that the basis upon which these changes are proposed is clearly severely flawed, will almost certainly take well over a year and will likely achieve nothing other than delay. We will then be no further forward.”
Bacon: Island Plan will properly protect our Island from looming threats
Cllr Bacon added,
“Passing the Planning Strategy through Full Council will allow the next phase of work to protect our environment to commence. For one thing, we know that once this step is taken we can start to refer to the new policies in the Plan when looking at Planning Applications.
“However, the announcements made last week at Westminster mean it is imperative we move forward so that we can build on those basic policies in the Island Plan to properly protect our Island from the threats that are potentially looming over us.”
