The Archive: 2013 |
 Local
Plan Update 28 December 2013
 Having
consulted on a local plan using information they knew was out of date, Fylde is about to 'update' it. So we're updating our readers on what's going on. We've a copy of
the interim version of the SHMA that Fylde was intending to keep secret, and lots more about planning... |
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 Newton Gypsy Site
Application 15 December 2013
 Another
two part article. In part 1 we examine the background and aspects of this application for four to eight caravans on land off Thames Street. In Part 2 we report the Development
Management Committee meeting that considers this matter and takes the decision.... |
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 Committee
System for LCC? 9 December 2013
 A
two part article. In part 1 we herald Lancashire County Council's debate about abandoning the Cabinet System of decision-making and return to the tried and trusted Committee
System where all councillors can vote. In Part 2 we report the debate on this matter and the decision.... |
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 Planning Matters 7
December 2013
An update on Fylde's planning matters including: A Joint Statement from local planning groups; Kirkham Triangle; Wrea Green; Warton's WRAPP;
Warton under siege; The former Bonds site in St Annes; Staining; an industrio-leisure scheme for Wesham, and questions in and about, the house.... |
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 Democracy Restored
? 24 November 2013
 FCAG
has delivered a valid petition with more than the required number of signatures. Fylde BC will now hold a local referendum in May 2014 and Fylde's electorate will decide
whether they want to be governed using the Leader and Cabinet or the Committee System. What's it all about?.... |
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 Standard Deviation
14 November 2013
We look at the problems likely to arise following the introduction of a changed Code of Conduct and new arrangements to investigate and
sanction the conduct of allegedly errant local councillors. We think there are problems on the way, and that some of Fylde's recent decisions may have to be reviewed.... |
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 Obituary:
Kathleen (Kath) Harper 11 November 2013
We report the sad news of the death of Cllr Kath Harper who represented St Johns Ward in Lytham since 2007.
She was a great community person - involved with a myriad of local organisations, and possessed of a warm and caring nature. Fylde has lost an ideal councillor... |
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Petition for
Change 27 October 2013
 We
report the news that the Fylde Civic Awareness Group is will, on Tuesday, deliver a petition from more than 4,000 Fylde electors calling for a referendum that could cause Fylde
to abandon it's dreadful Cabinet System and re-introduce politically balanced Committees.... |
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 Unscrupulous? 14
October 2013
After 2000 people tell FBC what should happen with the former 'Scruples' site on Lytham esplanade, we look at the background and the likely
constraints affecting the decision. Lytham is divided on what should happen. There are two main contending schemes. We add a further possibility.... |
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Incredible
Housing Numbers 8 September 2013
 We
leak news of a plan by Cllrs Eaves and Fiddler to more or less halve the number of houses Fylde needs. (That's after loads of permissions have been granted and huge sums
have been spent on the local plan). But we think there's some decidedly odd about their approach.... |
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 FBC
Special Measures? 30 August 2013
Hard on the heels of our 'Incompetent Planning' article, we find Fylde is still on track to be 'designated'
for 'under performance' on the speed of its planning decisions. It could mean Fylde is no longer able to determine large planning applications - which could go straight to the
Planning Inspectorate.... |
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Incompetent
Planning? 21 August 2013
 An
in-depth look at twelve separate strands of planning that lead us to conclude it's time those running the show considered their positions. This is not planning, it's simply
outrageous. It's putting Government policy before the electorate and it is a disaster for Fylde's future.... |
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 Rubber Stamping
Committee 20 August 2013
We delight in a brilliant, bravura performance at Council by Cllr Charlie Duffy who manoeuvred the majority group into
defending Government policy against their own electorate. A performance the like of which we have not seen in years. As we have said, Cllr Duffy will go far if he stays at
Fylde.... |
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 PACT in ? 17 August 2013
We have a look at the rise and fall of Neighbourhood Policing under the present and previous Governments, and especially it's impact on the Police and Community Together
meetings in Fylde - how they came about, how they developed and why they now seem to be in decline.... |
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Warton Anger
12 August 2013
 We
report an angry Parish Meeting at the BAe Lightning Club at Warton. Local residents vented their anger at Fylde BC
for planning to encircle their village with housing developments, increasing the scale of the village by 75%. Oh and there was also talk of a by-pass.... |
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 Fracking Update 8
August 2013
A broad brush update of fracking news from Fylde, Parliament and Sussex in the last month or so. Tax breaks, Planning 'guidance', adjournment
debates, oral slips by Michael Fallon and Gordon McCann, and a short report of the Ove Arup consultation at Elswick on Cuadrilla's behalf.... |
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Minority Report
5 August 2013
 Dissenting
members of Fylde Council produce their own report setting out why they are do not support the draft local plan that is now under public consultation. 41% of councillors
refuse to endorse Cllr Fiddler's decisions at the Special Council meeting. Fylde is deeply divided.... |
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 Snippets: August 2013
2 August 2013
An update for Fylde's bathing waters. Future changes for Lowther Gardens Trust, Defend Lytham's fracking meeting. Staining's planning application
is approved and we look at Development Management Committee concerns more generally, before ending with 'Buttygate'.... |
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Kirkham Triangle:
Public Inquiry Report 4 July 2013
 Our
report of Day1 (and a reader's report on Day2) of the Public Inquiry for development of land at Little Tarnbrick Farm, Kirkham. As we predicted, Fylde withdrew from
contesting the appeal and one member of the public responded "We've been well and truly shafted". Others were equally angry..... |
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Special
Measures for Planning? 1 July 2013
 Fylde
appears destined to be put into the planning equivalent of 'Special Measures' using new regulations - that is unless it passes lots of planning applications quickly. Anything
sound familiar here?.... |
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Local Plan:
Preferred Options Consultation 27 Jun 2013
 Fylde
hold a Special Council Meeting to consider and agree the Preferred Options Consultation Draft of their emerging Local Plan. It exposes deep divisions in the Council and
it appears to show party politics getting mixed in with planning. That's bad news.... |
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 4am Approval 21 Jun 2013
In a move that heralds trouble for residents of Central Ward and beyond, Fylde's Licensing Panel approve nightclub opening as late as 4am in Wood Street. We look at who made
this decision, we speculate as to why they might have done so and look at what needs to change... |
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Local Plan Rift
29 May 2013
 The
early stage of Fylde's Local Plan is mired in dissent - even before the selected 'preferred option' is made public. Fylde redacted the published minutes of the
Steering Group in order to keep the debate out of the public's view. We have other ideas... |
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 2013 LCC Election
Analysis 27 May 2013
As promised, we give our take on the LCC election results - with special reference to Fylde, where the big shock was drop
suffered by Howard and Karen Henshaw, and the first class job done by Peter Buckley. We look at the power split at LCC and the agreed LibDem/Lab priorities.... |
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 Obituary: David Meldrum
26 May 2013
With sadness we record the passing of David Meldrum, an exceptional man who came from different age. A former (and founding) St Annes Town
Councillor, a man in the top 2% of the whole UK population for Intelligence, a regular counterbalance reader, and a good friend... |
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 Toast to be Grilled
26 May 2013
We have a look at the application by Lancashire Restaurant Ltd. seeking license to serve alcohol to 4am and also to provide a wide range of
entertainment. We hope Fylde's Licensing Panel will recognise what almost all their consultees are saying, and refuse the application. |
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 Free Trade Agreements
24 May 2013
We reproduce an article from the 'Runnymede Gazette' by Linda Kaucher who seems to have a handle on the Free Trade Agreements that are being
pursued at the moment. We think what she says is very worrying, and it explains why so much is happening that conflicts with our traditional values..... |
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 Planning News
May 2013 21 May 2013
A small cornucopia of planning news affecting Fylde, including: the Kilnhouse Lane development abandoned, the NW Regional
Strategy abolished, the Jones Homes application at Staining, and some (more) comments made by the Anti-Planning Minister Nick Boles MP. |
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It Ain't Over Yet
16 May 2013
 We
break news that the Local Government Ombudsman is investigating Fylde Council over its handling of the Scandal of Melton Grove. Nothing much seems to have been happening in the
last 14 months, but we suspect a lot has been going on under the surface. |
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All Going
Swimmingly? 8 May 2013
 The
Revised Bathing Water Directive is likely to see popular beaches along the Fylde Coast declared unfit for bathing. This is a serious matter that could cost our tourism industry
£8m a year. We take an in-depth look at what's involved, what we think will happen, and who's doing what about it..... |
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LCC Election
Results 3 May 2013
 We
bring the first news of results. Who won where? What were the surprises? We have the full SP about which candidates Fylde has elected to the County Council that spends so much
of our money..... |
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 20mph Clifton
27 April 2013
An (unusually) light hearted take on a serious waste of our money. We show how a little humour can sometimes make point more clearly, but
in case it doesn't we've added a graphic showing how the reported casualties have increased with the 20 mph schemes.... |
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 LCC Election 2013 22
April 2013
We bring readers our own personal take on the runners and riders in the Lancashire County Council election. We think UKIP will take votes from the
Conservatives which might let those who would usually be second in, and we wonder how well fracking will help the Greens who are standing everywhere.... |
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 Snippets April 2013
10 April 2013
Leader debacle update. LCC election news, Bus stop blues, 20 mph for Lytham, Blue Mole on Governance and Elections, Peddling, Shale gas, the
budget's missed item, Garden extension news, and How the Planning war is waging between Government and people.... |
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 Obituary: George
Caldwell 31 March 2013
We're sorry to report the passing of Honorary Alderman and former Fylde Councillor George Caldwell, a man of great personal strength
and integrity. Unfailingly polite, and formal in character, he was most definitely a man of the 'old school.' He will be sadly missed..... |
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Leaderless
24 March 2013
 Fylde
uses exceptional powers to add an 'Exceptional Urgent Item' to Monday's Council agenda. We follow up out 'illegitimate?' article with an attempt to fudge the issue to
persuade Councillors to 'confirm' David Eaves as Leader and to 'endorse' all the decisions made since May 2011..... |
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 Fylde Council Budget Meeting
2013 20 March 2013
Our take on the Council meeting that set Fylde's budget for 2013-2014. We explain how the budget is set and report the debate on
three amendments proposed. One was to fund a Referendum from balances without needing to increase our Council Tax. Guess who scotched that?.... |
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Jessica Ernst v
Canada 16 March 2013
 We
report the presentation by Jessica Ernst whose home and land in Alberta have been ruined by fracking. Her experiences of inadequate regulation and malpractice led to her suing
the Canadian energy regulator and the Canadian Government. Are we on the same path?..... |
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Illegitimate? 12 March 2013
 We
set out the case to show why Cllr David Eaves is not the Leader of Fylde Council, and that he, and the Cabinet he chose, are thus both illegitimate. In May 2011 his term of
office expired. He has not been elected Leader since then. Ergo Fylde has no Leader, and lots more trouble.... |
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 Fantasy Budgeting 8
March 2013
Cllr Ken Hopwood tries to hold the Executive to account (literally) and is - in effect - told to push off by Princess Karen. Fylde's finances may now be
more sound, but the budgeting process is moving into the realms of pure fantasy - as anyone involved with budgeting will very quickly see..... |
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 Peter Wood Letter 6
March 2013
We received a letter from former Heyhouses Councillor Peter Wood in response to Cllr Eaves' defence of the Cabinet System. Unlike Cllr Eaves - who
aims to intimidate with costs - Mr Wood argues the issue of governance - the process and rules of engagement by which decisions are made..... |
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 True or False? 28
February 2013
Members of Fylde's Cabinet and ruling group councillors have taken against the idea of returning to a Committee operation that residents have called
for, and which Fylde Civic Awareness Group are articulating. We examine their arguments to see if they stand up to closer examination.... |
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 Wesham Overrun 26
February 2013
The Wesham Public Inquiry has overrun (despite FBC's non-participation). We think there will be trouble over the Inquiry costs (which may be claimed
against FBC) and we have a brief look at who might shoulder the responsibility for incurring them.... |
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Wesham: Stitch Up?
19 February 2013
 We
report from Wesham where a Public Inquiry opened today into Metacre's latest appeal for permission to build houses on land near Mowbreck Lane. Bombshell after bombshell
exploded as Fylde Council abandoned Wesham, threw in the towel, and decided not to present any evidence .... |
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Democracy &
Localism + Fracking 8 February 2013
 We
bring news of the Fylde Civic Awareness Group's Seminar, and plans for their petition which will follow it. Readers can get involved in grassroots change. Also we take a look
at Cuadrilla's Environmental Scoping Report for Annas Road and find it wanting, very much wanting.... |
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Wesham: Call to
Arms 7 February 2013
 Wesham
Action Group's Andrea Galbraith issues a call to arms for their supporters to turn out in force to show a planning inspector how important the refusal of Metacre's plans
are. The Public Inquiry is at Wesham Community Centre, starting at 9:30 on 19th February... |
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 Snippets February 2013
4 February 2013
Blue Mole is back. Council Tax Benefit changes. Lots of planning stuff including Staining and Wesham. Fylde's 'Homebuyer' scheme. Ethnic
cleansing for plants. The housing market. Bambers Lane developments. CPS prosecution policy, and St Annes Town Clerk vacancy.... |
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 Lancaster Lecture on Shale
Gas 20 January 2013
We couldn't get to this important lecture by Prof Mike Stephenson at Lancaster University, but thankfully one of our readers did go and they
have produced a cogent and balanced report of it . We're pleased to be able to bring their report to our readers.... |
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Time to
Restore Democracy? 17 January 2013
 Today
we stand on the brink of significant change for Fylde. Using powers in the new Localism Act, there is a move afoot to ask local people if they want to abandon the Leader and
Cabinet System at Fylde, and to return to the former Committee System. We have the details.... |
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Dated: 31 December 2013  |
