Save The Ribble

A blog dedicated to preserving the beauty and delicate ecosystem of the River Ribble, and opposing any 'vision' to build a barrage on our River and develop on our riverbanks, floodplains and green spaces, causing damage to wildlife and the environment and increasing the risk of flooding to our homes. Save the Ribble Campaign is not responsible for the content of external blogs or websites which link here.

Friday, December 22, 2006

Register YOUR Local Green Spaces NOW to Protect them from Development!

YOU are being asked to submit ideas for land which can be utilised in forthcoming developments for the next decade or so - INCLUDING land which you want to PROTECT FROM DEVELOPMENT!

Local residents can submit recommendations to protect land as well as develop it, and you can submit the details about your open spaces - green fields, parks, play areas, allotments, sports pitches and any open space you value - and recommend that these are PROTECTED FROM DEVELOPMENT.

The form has to be returned to the LDF BY 3rd AUGUST however, so don't delay, DO IT TODAY!!

You can find out more details about this part of the LDF consultation HERE;

You can download the form to be completed here - DOWNLOAD NUMBER 11, and send it FREEPOST to:

“FREEPOST Central Lancashire City LDF”

If you want to know more about why our Open Spaces are so important, see Planning Policy Guidance 17 - Sports, Open Space and Recreation for more information.

More Details about the LDF are here and below:

Chorley, Preston and South Ribble Councils are 'working together on big planning issues' a phrase which suggests their discussions will include such major development issues as a Ribble Barrage and large housing developments in it's floodplain. They aim to develop a core strategy for their Local Development Frameworks.



They have called this joint planning initiative the 'The Central Lancashire City'.

This is a choice of name which in itself suggests that the priorities of this initiative are to do with urbanising and commercialising rather than defending our environment or our valuable green spaces and community facilities.

It also implies that the partnership may be rather unequal, with the leaders of the City of Preston's priorities taking precedence over those of people in the towns and villages of Chorley and South Ribble - which look as if they are destined, in the minds of our council leaderships at least, to become mere suburbs of some great Central Lancashire conurbation, centering on Preston.

If you find this vision to be totally the wrong road for our beautiful area, then it is very important that local people who want to keep it beautiful and green to get involved in the LDF Consultations which are running periodically for the next few years.

This is an excellent opportunity for local people to tell their councils that they do not want 'expansion and growth at any price': - that there are parts of our beautiful countryside, and living green areas near our towns and cities that are too valued by local people to be handed over to greedy developers, and that our River Ribble is far too precious an environmental resource to be tamed and turned into a sterile playground for jetskiers.

You can email consultation@centrallancscity.org.uk

or phone 01772 625384 if you have any queries about the LDF.

or you can visit the Central Lancashire City Website at http://www.centrallancscity.org.uk/index.asp

Contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

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2 Comments:

At 11:41 am, Blogger Dave said...

My heart sank when I saw this post, primarily because of the title of this project which implies that the urbanisation of the whole central lancashire area is a priority. Having had a quick skim of the website I'm slightly reassured that the principal is that the greenbelt area should remain largely intact. I for one can hardley knock the proposed merger and then also knock the efforts of all three Councils to ensure some joined up activities which should be applauded. I do though hope that they engage with the County Council as part of the process.

The is also a while to respond - until March 2007. I would though urge everyone to take the advice given and read the consultation and respond accordingly. We all know that at least some councils listen to their residents!

Happy Christmas

 
At 12:43 am, Blogger P said...

Hi Dogs Dad.

Some would say a (lancashire) rose by any other name would smell as sweet - but this joint planning initiative could just as easily have called itself something like 'Central Lancashire Sustainable Communities' or 'Green and Pleasant Central Lancashire'.

The fact that out of all the names they could have chosen, they went for 'The Central Lancashire City' must give some clues as to their underlying motivations.

It will be up to local people from Preston, South Ribble and Chorley to make sure that they pressurise their councils to make sure that the commitments to the greenbelt and the environment made in the council's joint preliminary statements are not just lip service.

 

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