What the Frack!

The barbarians have appeared on the horizon in the lovely village of Woodsetts in the shape of INEOS, the company who want to frack the hell out of South Yorkshire.

Gas drillers INEOS have followed up their appalling proposal for a test well in Harthill’s countryside with a second site for test drilling, just down the road from us in Woodsetts. This will only be the beginning as they look to embark on a 5 year rape of our countryside in both locations with a drilling rig the size of Big Ben.

Our local politicians have come running to our aid yet again with local Councillors doing what they always seem to so (f**k all frankly) and our MP Kevin Bas… I mean Barron still picking the splinters out of his arse from sitting on the fence.

The Harthill well has progressed to a full planning proposal whereas the Woodsetts site is still in the very preliminary stages.

The wells are not fracking as such, at least not yet. They are applying for a 5 year visit to drill a vertical shaft about 3000 metres into the earth to recover a core sample of the local geology. They will then use the well for a series of tests to further determine the viability of wholesale gas extraction via the controversial fracking technique.

What can locals expect from the 5 year stay?

1. Lots of extra heavy traffic on the roads, up to 60 lorries per day at busy times.
2. Noise from the 24 hour operation and diesel fumes from lorries and massive on site generators.
3. The charming site of a 60m tall drilling rig, along with cranes.
4. Possible long term ecological damage from an untested and experimental technique.

It’s quite hard to see an upside at the moment, we will be doing a series of articles on how to object to the planning application when it appears. In the meantime please tell your friends and urge your elected representatives to get behind local people for once and oppose this madness.

Both villages have active campaigns (links below) and I would encourage you all to give them every support you can.

Drill or Drop anti-fracking site

Woodsetts Anti Fracking Group

Harthill Against Fracking

The Bas… Sorry I mean INEOS

INEOS leaflet

INEOS on how they will run the site in Woodsetts

 

Archaeologists to Revisit Anston Stones

Archaeologists are to visit Anston Stones again this year after a successful dig in 2015.

The leader of the team has said they will welcome visits to the site by the general public whilst carrying out the work, more info as we get it!

Anston Stones is a SSSI (usually pronounced “triple SI”) a government designation for a Site of Special Scientific Interest. As such it is protected by law and damaging it can attract a criminal prosecution.

The site has many interesting features from Dead Man’s Cave to the mineral railway which runs through the site alongside Anston Brook.

Here is a link if you want to read their past report from the site (rather technical)

Anston Archeological Dig Prelim Report 2015

Anston Parish Council Pour Poo Poo on Tesco Rumours

It felt like a war of attrition tonight at Anston Parish Council as Cllrs and Agitators alike lost theirs rags and in some cases stomped out early from a venom filled poison fest of a Parish Council meeting.

The Council’s bussed in support barely made it past the starting line.

1. Councillors cautiously welcome the possibility of an extension to the side of the Cutler pub, saying it could bring business into the area. Much scorn was poured on the rumour that Tesco may acquire the site, time will well.

2. Councillor Jo Burton lamented the (possible) loss of Anston’s Sure Start centre, when asked why she voted for it in the full Council budget she fumbled and blamed the government, Wonder if she voted to cut her own allowances as well? No thought not!

3. Cllr Brindley says many of the Sure Start children come from “suspect families” which I’m sure will endear her to all those who attend. My wife went to Sure Start centres, does that make us “suspect”? On second thoughts leave that one!

4. A presentation by the “Independent Person” appointed by RMBC to sort out the wrong doings at the Council was given a mixed reception. Whilst most Cllrs and members of the public wanted him to continue there was grumblings that complaints were being brushed under the carpet.

5. Cllr Jo Burton admitted finally that she was talking tosh when she offered to make all the housing developers use brown field land before raiding the greenbelt. Glad you finally read the law and caught up with the rest of us Jo!

There was more but I made my excuses and left before my soul was further corrupted and hightailed it back to Dinno.

North Anston Recycling Site sees Opening Times cut

The Magilla Recycling Site in North Anston will now open 6 days per week instead of the current 7. This is in line with changes throughout Rotherham as RMBC fights to balance it’s budget.

No sign of them cutting back on the number of Councillors or their stratospheric allowances (compare and contrast with nearby Sheffield), everyday services continue to take one for the team.

Councillors voted for the measure as they flocked in droves to approve the budget, all Labour Councillors followed the party line and said “Aye”

Another example of North Anston “going for a Burton?”

Rotherham Labour Party Target Dinnington Greenbelt Again!

Rotherham Council have unveiled their latest “consultation” in responses to comments made on their local plan by a government inspector who must approve before the house building on greenbelt extravaganza can begin.

Some highlights:

1. No priority given to brownfield first, lots of people even greenbelt campaigners believed the Council when they said they would go brownfield first, but they have now confirmed what a lot of us always knew, there is no instrument left in planning law to do this.

Therefore developers can leave brownfield sites derelict and go straight to green field.

2. The Council intend to set the level of Community Infrastructure Levy (a charge developers must pay to contribute to local infrastructure) ridiculously low in Dinnington and North Anston. It will be cheaper for developers to build on our countryside than derelict council estates in Sheffield.

3. An extra 200 and odd houses planned for Dinnington, the majority on greenbelt with no investment in local amenities and infrastructure.

4. No new retail developments, just 16% of Rotherham’s industrial units that will be moved out here.

5. Five percent of all houses in Rotherham to be built on our green belt.

Have your say on the consultation HERE.

Rotherham Council move to raise Council Tax by 2%

RMBC Cabinet have put forward plans to raise Council Tax by approximately 2% for the next year, raising an additional half million or so of revenue.

In other news:

1. Dinnington Town Council up in arms over (proposed) closure of Sure Start centre.

2. Anston Town Council a bit less so, Councillors saying that the centre was not well used and Anston is not a deprived area. Hmmmm!

3. Dinnington Town Council refuse to record a vote of confidence in Dinnington’s relationship with RMBC.

4. Rotherham Council told to build 3000 extra houses, Dinnington’s greenbelt once again in the cross hairs!

5. Rotherham Council refuse to transfer Birkdale Avenue playing field to local ownership, say they want to hold onto the land for commercial reason as it may be used for a housing development.

A letter from Anston’s Tim Wells

A quick letter here from Tim Well, setting out his vision for Anston and starting the New Year off in no uncertain terms, expect to see it in the Guardian.

I always like to read Tim’s letters, he certainly has ideas and a direction he’d like to see Anston take! Wonder what he thinks to my cunning plan to divert the A57 away from Anston centre and the Stones?

Almost sounds like an election manifesto Tim!

****

Dear Anston folk.

 

I wonder if the Parish council can pass a New Years resolution, by ensuring the Parish clerks attends the office 3 out of 5 days a week, so that he can more effectively run the Parish and support and manage the staff there.  We are lucky if he attends one afternoon a week.  How can anybody run a Parish when they don’t get involved in the day to day activities that go off!

 

I think more use could be made of Anston Stones Wood, selling on wood to create an income would boost the coffers of the council, we should ensure that this valuable revenue stream is protected.  Why not have a resident craftsman and his apprentice working there, which would create two valuable jobs.

 

Anston is now a small town of 10K people and needs a Parish clerk who can deliver what the Town requires.  We haven’t even got a decent Civic centre for the town, anybody would have thought the Parish council had been asleep for the last 30 years.  We need decent rail and bus links to Sheffield.  On top of this Anston is due a Comprehensive school, the upper school at Dinnington could be removed to all this to happen.   There is so much more that could be done to make Anston a better place to live and commute from.

 

Hopefully the Parish council will pull out their finger and provide a Christmas tree for next year, I understand it would be easy to tap into the electric supply half way up the Baulk.  I understand somebody is ready to donate the tree.

 

Can I draw attention to the excellent work carried out by the dwindling Parish workers, who do the job more for love, than the money.

 

All the best for the New Year

 

Tim

The Dinnington and Anston Personality of the Year 2013 is…. Dominic Beck!

It’s at times like this you like to sit back and reflect on the year that was and remember the people who have shaped our lives over the last 12 months.

This has been our very first at LoveDinnington.com and we would like to thank the man who first inspired us to put digital pen to paper and start blogging about local events, Dominic Beck.

As leader (at the time) of Anston Parish Dominic was having a wee bit of trouble one meeting with a gobby pensioner who after refusing to be fobbed off stood up and gobbed off despite many warning from Dom that the Police would be called.

Dom went ahead and called the Police on said pensioner and instead of doing the dignified thing (closing the meeting and leaving) he actually had the whole Council sit there for an hour or so waiting for the Police to turn up.

That takes dedication, so we hereby award the first Dinnington and Anston Personality of the Year Award (2013) to Dominic in recognition of his services against pensioners.

Well done Dom, puts Barron’s knighthood into perspective in my opinion.

Roll on 2014, the local elections and more intrigue. A very happy new year to all.

A Walk in Anston Stones to Dead Man’s Cave

I’ve walked through Anston Stones before many times, but I don’t think I’ve ever fully appreciated the stunning variety and character of the woods, the hills, the caves and limestone crags and the railway which makes it such a great place for a walk.

Owned by Anston Parish Council and recognised by local and central government as a Local Nature Reserve and a Site of Special Scientific Interest the value of the stones are well appreciated.

Like a miniature Stanage Edge in places I’m surprised not to see climbers trying the crags out and despite the quite close proximity of the busy A57 you get a great sense of solitude. The railway and bridges adds massively to the character and I wonder should the railway ever been abandoned and dismantled what great things could be done with the track bed, a cycle way perhaps?

Dead Man’s Cave lends a spooky and macabre element to the proceedings and you can have endless fun scrambling up banks and crags on all fours trying to reach hard to see places and explore.

See our video here from the depths of Dead Man’s Cave!

Have your say on RMBC spending!

Got the following email today from RMBC, they are having to make yet more savings over the next few years and are inviting the public to take part in a consultation on what to cut and what to keep.

I’m sure we all have our own pets hates and loves so dig in and have your say!

Good Afternoon,

As somebody who gave time to helping with a previous Council consultation, I hope that you will be interested in giving your opinions on a matter that affects everybody in Rotherham. I hope you have time to go to our online forum to contribute to the discussions that are already taking place about the budget.

Budget consultation

Money matters

Rotherham Council has been required to make cuts over the last few years, as part of the Government’s drive to reduce public debt. Due to the decrease in funding given to us, the next two years will see even more changes. The total cuts under the current government will amount to over 100 million, that’s 39% of our total budget. These cuts have affected places like Rotherham more than other parts of the country. We have done all we can to lessen the impact onRotherham people but the next two years are going to be even more difficult.

This is an issue for everybody who lives in Rotherham and we want to ask for your ideas and advice on the best way to spend your money. We must also look for new and different ways of delivering services in order to ensure value for money. This is your chance to have a say.

Get Involved   

Go onto the online forum where you can talk with others about your views

Or make a suggestion on ways we could save money

Many thanks in anticipation of your contributions.

Karl Battersby

Strategic Director
Environment and Development Services
Karl.battersby@rotherham.gov.uk
01709 823815