THERE has been much talk about the traffic issues in Malton/Norton and clearly some kind of explanation is required.

The construction of the additional slip road at Brambling Fields roundabout was originally intended to relieve pressure on both Norton and Malton from HGVs.

Unfortunately, the district council used it as an excuse to open up Malton and Norton to massive development. On this basis the Ryedale Plan required Malton and Norton to take 50 per cent of the district’s new housing requirement (1,800 new houses) and 90 per cent of its employment requirement.

The plan depends on “critical improvements”, and these include some “complementary measures” which were meant to make Brambling Fields roundabout work properly. The complementary measures are largely valueless and some have already been abandoned.

They include the controversial change of priorities and the HGV restriction, which was not imposed until five years after the adoption of the Ryedale Plan.

Malton Town Council was not impressed and opposed the Ryedale Plan at its public examination in 2011.

A former county highways surveyor stated in evidence: “Whilst it has been shown that key junctions can be ‘tweaked’ to give some traffic flow and capacity, nothing like the increases to be generated by present approvals and considerations can be accommodated by the existing road system without either extensive demolition and rebuilding of major parts of the town or the comprehensive development of undeveloped areas to provide for the desire lines of the traffic movement generated.”

Neither the inspector nor the council took any notice.

It follows that, if the HGV restriction is proved not to be working or to be causing worse problems elsewhere, Malton Town Council has been proved right and Ryedale and county councils have been shown to be wrong. At the time, both county and Ryedale were Conservative controlled.

Cllr Paul Andrew, Malton Ward

No practical steps

I SEE Third Energy has declared publicly it intends to frack at KM8 before the end of 2019.

In November 2017 it said it would frack by Christmas. Then all the equipment was removed and it said it would be back in September 2018.

Subsequently, in November 2018 it said it would start in the first half of this year.

The photograph in this paper showed a well pad ready to frack.

In reality the view from the nearby footpath shows a barren pad with a few bags of sand and the lonely “Christmas tree” above the well surrounded by containers which are all that remains of the sound

barrier.

Although Third Energy has stated its intention to move the unconventional gas industry forwards, it does not seem to be taking any practical steps to achieve this.

  • It has yet to prove its financial resilience to Greg Clarke;
  • It has yet to carry out three months monitoring which is required to restart;
  • It has yet to carry out an impact assessment of the alternative transport route;
  • It has not held a Community Liaison Group meeting since last April.

Where is investment going to come from when Third Energy has sold all its offshore assets and last year made a £3.5 million loss? At present it is only cost effective for their conventional operation to provide electricity at times when a peak tariff is paid. On the North Yorkshire County Council planning portal the extension to the planning permission for their pipework which ran out last May has been withdrawn. How can Third Energy be allowed to continue their conventional operation without current permission? Who is responsible for restoring the site should it fold?

Hazel Winter, Kirby Misperton

Back to old ways

THERE was a time when the heather was cut and bailed up, to be sold on. What as happened to that? I think we should go back to that method, which would be a lot better for the environment.

When I came back into Ryedale from Sutton Bank on one of their burning days, thick dark smog was hugging the surrounding moorland. No wonder folks have breathing problems.

Jarvis Browning, Fadmoor