IN response to James Stephenson’s article earlier this month about the length of time taken for the York Potash Mine to receive planning approval, I think it would be helpful to provide a factual background which may help his understanding of the issue.

The article states that it has taken nearly five years from when the company first contacted the National Park Authority for planning approval to be given and asks “Did it really need to take so long?”

The answer to this in my view is no – it really didn’t – but the fact is that it was not the local planning process that prolonged it, as the article seems to imply.

The company started with a proposal for exploration before of course deciding to apply for the mine – and this involved a process of test drilling over a period of nearly two years involving 16 planning permissions for drill sites – all of which were determined within the eight week statutory time frame.

There was then a period of analysing the geological results and deciding on where to site the mine head and at this stage the company had not actually agreed on a definitive project.

Decisions were needed on whether to transport the mineral to Hull, or Teesside, by rail or overland conveyor belt, whether the mine should be a drift mine with access from outside the national park, or indeed whether the polyhalite should be processed to make a different product called Sulphate of Potash.

The company took some time therefore in actually deciding on the nature of the scheme before bringing it forward for planning. A decision was finally made to slurry the mineral on site and transport it by buried pipeline to Teesside for processing and an application for this was made in February 2013.

This was due to be determined at a special planning committee meeting arranged for July 2013 but the company asked for this to be cancelled at the very last minute without full explanation. The application was then eventually withdrawn by the company in January 2014 and it was not until October 2014 that a new application was submitted this time for a tunnel and conveyor belt to transport the mineral from Doves Nest Farm.

This application was unfortunately lacking in vital information and in many areas contained significant errors such as the wrong height of the proposed buildings and incorrect estimates of the amount of spoil that would be generated and deposited on the National Park by the development.

It was therefore not until late February 2015 that a full planning application was put before the authority to determine, which it duly did in June, well within the government’s statutory 26-week “planning guarantee” timeframe.

Considering this development represents what will be the world’s largest potash mine by volume, within one of the world’s most protected environments, I consider this to be a significant achievement.

The fact that the authority’s decision was not challenged by those groups who strongly objected to it in principle is a testament to the due diligence and care which the authority is expected to give and did give in undertaking its planning role.

Chris France, director of planning for the North York Moors National Park Authority

 

Market location

I COULD not believe the comments I read by Neil Armstrong, chairman of Pickering in Business, in the Gazette & Herald on November 25, to re-site the Monday market in the Ropery car park on a permanent basis. He then goes on to say the market, when in Market Place, is a mess. What utter rubbish.

The market traders line up alongside the street pavement, on the roadway, neatly, side by side, in their usual places, so are far from “a mess”.

With the Monday market correctly sited in Market Place, the Ropery car park is then available for all to access and park, thus enabling more people to visit the market and Pickering shops.

Fourteen market stallholders surveyed by Joanne Dawson, the greeting card stallholder, wanted to return to the Market Place.

Now note that the footfall on a Monday has fallen after lunchtime to such an extent that some market traders have packed up and gone home.

This was never the case when the Ropery car park was accessible to park in, and so to keep the Monday market in the Ropery would mean its demise with a significant drop in footfall affecting all Pickering shop owner's income.

So the foregoing facts prove conclusively that Pickering Market Place is the best place for the Monday market. It also proves conclusively that Neil Armstrong did not carry out any research and has got this issue so wrong that he should resign immediately.

While writing I would like to take this opportunity to support whole-heartedly Irene Hollett’s plea for the removal of A-boards and trade bike advertising in Pickering and Thornton-le Dale. These forms of advertising are a danger to blind and partially-sighted and the elderly. They also narrow the pavements in some places.

Planning permission is needed to park A-boards on a pavement and if any permission was ever given, it should be revoked. In the meantime, can the North Yorkshire County Council area team at Kirby Misperton arrange for their lorry and staff to remove all these illegally placed A-boards and bicycles from the pavements and confiscate them, permanently?

Jeremy Scarr, Thornton-le-Dale

 

Great turn out

MY thanks go out to all performers, stallholders, local charities, businesses and, of course, members of the community who braved the testing weather conditions at the Derwent Arms on Saturday.

Much praise must also be placed on Tim Hicks, deputy clerk at Norton Town Council, for assisting in coordinating the event.

I hope to see you all there next year - along with an improvement in the weather - and help to build on our community spirit.

Merry Christmas.

Ray King, Mayor, Norton Town Council