Media Contacts
for further information:

Selby District Councillors John and Mary McCartney macsatkel@btinternet.com 01977 662558

Chaiman of the Parish Council Des Pointon jandes@talktalk.net 01977 661547

To sign an online petition to protest about the building of an Eco Town on the greenbelt/greenfield land around Kellington

http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Eggborough/

From Gillian Ivey

After the success of the Politics show We need to keep the pressure on the government and to do this we have set up a petition on the No 10 website

The idea is to make the petition general so Eco town protesters from across the country can join in and support the principle of protecting the greenbelt

It reads

'We the undersigned petition the Prime Minister to abandon plans to build Eco-Towns on Greenfield sites.'

.Now we need to get as many people as possible to sign up. We are in the process of writing to all our contacts, MPs, Councillors, and fellow campaigners across the county as well as in Osgoldcross.

But we need your help as well. Please follow the link below and sign up...but also please write to all your friends, family and contacts. Ask them to help us persuade this government to abandon its crazy idea.

Please send them this link

To sign the petition go to http://petitions.pm.gov.uk/Eco-No

As you may know there is also an Eco town petition which specifically mentions Kellington. There no reason why you should not sign both...I certainly will sign both!

We now have a forum dedicated to discussion and information about the Willowgreen Eco Town proposal - No to Willow Green

Please think before posting - this message appears on the forum from the editor

"Can we please stop personalising these threads, do you want this Site to help you or not?

"Isn't there such a thing called ""freedom of speech""
guess not !! "

Not on a public forum ------, there are things you can say and things you cannot - unfortunately living in a world of litigation means we have to have rules, if you dont want to adhere to them then you know the score...the risks are not there for you, they are very real for some of us...

Keep it sensible, this is not Facebook!! This is your neighbors....think on..."

Click here

to go to directly to it.

A forum is a virtually instant means of commenting - if you haven't used one before, you will need to choose a user name [one which doesn't identify you is best] and join. Once you have been authenticated you can post onto the forum and see your posts immediately instead of waiting for it to be uploaded when the website is updated.

Information which would be difficult to post here, such as PDF files, will be made available as they come in, and up to the minute information about events and things which are happening. Do browse through the site, and join in the discussions.

 

Now available to download from the forum - the Brochure submitted by GMI Property Company as their bid.

News

Latest News - New Town Update no 9 keeping you informed - keeping you campaigning Preserving St Edmunds and its views Kellington Church, St Edmunds, is unique because of its location in our landscape. Roger Dodsworth, who visited Kellington in July 1621, wrote of St Edmunds standing in 'splendid isolation' away from the village. St Edmunds and the views of the church must be protected from the threat of this new town. If any of the surrounding fields are built upon it will diminish our views of St Edmunds. On Saturday 24th May St Edmunds will be open from 10 am; an opportunity to look around the Church, find out a bit more about its history, it's links with the Knights Templars and the mysterious story of the Kellington Worm, and enjoy a cup of tea and a cake. At 11am we will join together to form a human ring around the Church in a symbolic act that will show our determination to protect St Edmunds and its vistas from the threat of the Willow Green new town.   03/04/08 - from Gillian Ivey The Government has announced the 15 sites to be considered for Eco Towns Despite the conflicting reports in various media, including Look North, the statement below should help clarify the current situation. Received from Gillian Ivey, Councillor for Osgoldcross Division and Whitley Ward As you may have heard on the news today, the announcement of the shortlist of proposed eco-town sites has finally been made -as usual this has been done via the press, and not directly to the Councils involved. There is a shortlist of 15 sites, one of which is simply described as 'Leeds City Region' So the positive is that the Government does appear to be awaiting the results of a study which Leeds City Region Leaders have agreed to fund. This is a truly independent study which has been agreed as a result of pressure exerted by Selby and North Yorkshire Councils, and which seeks an alternative site for an eco town to serve the Leeds City region. This is currently underway with the results expected in June. In the Selby area we are naturally looking for the result to reflect housing need closer to the major cities, and for brownfield sites to be utilised. The negative is that we still await the list of those bids which have actually been rejected (only 3 of which have been released at the present time, being in the Midlands and south of England) so we do not at this time have an outright rejection of either the Darringfield or Willow Green sites, and I am unable to tell you 'what happens next' as we have yet to be informed. Interestingly, the government appears to be saying that any new towns proposed will have to go through the normal planning process, and that local people and other interested bodies will have the right to challenge the plans. The Minister, Caroline Flint also is quoted as saying that: "Bidders will have to meet the highest standards for sustainability, affordability and creativity. The expert panel which will be set up will challenge developers to the limits." During the day i have trying to get difinitive information concerning both Willow Green and Darringfields ( have they been rejected or not?) but as yet we cannot get firm information : there are stories in the Leeds Evening Post which suggests they have been rejected but then then again they have changed that story twice already today! As soon as I have any more I will be back in touch with you. Gillian Ivey Councillor for Osgoldcross Division and Whitley Ward

 

'NO NEW TOWN' Badges are now available in the either Post Office. We are not charging for them them, but, donations wil be gratefully recieved. John and Mary McCartney

 

Time to step up the campaign

There will shortly be an announcement from the Government, stating which eco-towns they want to see built.

This announcement will NOT include any eco-town from our part of Yorkshire, as we are now being dealt with separately.

The local Councils that make up what is known as the Leeds City Region (Leeds, Bradford, Barnsley, Wakefield, York, Harrogate and Selby) are concerned that the current proposals, including Willow Green, will not provide a sustainable eco-town.

The Government have therefore agreed that the Leeds City Region have until June, this year, to come up with a site that they think will be able to become a viable and sustainable eco-town.

The Leeds City Region is now commissioning a study to find the best site for an eco-town in the region.

They will include the Willow Green site in that study, as they seek to find a viable and sustainable site for an eco-town.

So, we now need to step up our campaigning. Please display the poster overleaf in your front window.

Car stickers and ‘No New Town’ badges will shortly be available in local shops.

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Media Release from John Grogan MP
Member of Parliament for Selby

19th February 2008

DECISION DAY FOR ECO-TOWN

GROGAN URGES MARK CRANE TO BACK ECO-TOWN STUDY

Leaders of councils within the Leeds City Region meet at Leeds Town Hall on Thursday to decide how to proceed with the issue of an eco-town bid in the region.

The current position is summarised in a paper prepared for leaders to consider,

"Leaders have previously expressed their commitment to the principle of an eco town in the City Region to complement the New Growth Points, subject to a detailed assessment being undertaken to identify a suitable location. The City Region's submission in October 2007, reflected advice by the NGP study consultants, to undertake this detailed assessment based on a 'search area' in the general area between Wakefield, Leeds, York and Selby. Following discussions with CLG confirming that the deadline for completion of such as study would have been February 2008, the study was postponed by Leaders at their meeting on 3 December due to the insufficient time this deadline would allow. However, recent discussions with CLG have indicated that the deadline for a study could now be extended to July 2008."

John Grogan, MP for Selby, who has backed the idea of an eco-town in Selby District said:

"The Leader of Selby District Council Mark Crane backed the principle of an eco-town in Leeds City Region last October. He then complained to me that Ministers were not giving councils long enough to assess the best site in the region for an eco-town. The Government has now extended it's deadline from February to July 2008 to allow this to happen. I hope Mark will back the proposals before the Leaders on Thursday which will allow a study to be commissioned to find the best site for an eco-town across the whole City Region. This would mean that the sites at Eggborough and Darrington in Selby District suggested by the private sector would be considered, but other sites such as Gasgoigne Wood could also be assessed. Indeed the whole city region would be examined for suitable sites. If the leaders of the City Region back this plan I would expect that in March, Ministers will announce that there will be an eco-town in the Leeds City Region but delay the announcement of a preferred site until July. I think this would be a very sensible way forward, and I hope in the interests of the many young Yorkshire & Selby families who are desperate to secure affordable housing, it will be supported."

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Hi all

We have got the latest leaflet ready to print - covers the dog demo and calls on residents to start writing the national newspapers.

We'll get it printed tomorrow so hopefully the weather will get a bit warmer for delivery.

Volunteers please.
John and Mary

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Events

Saturday, 24th May 2008 Two hundred and sixty residents congregated at St Edmunds, found out more about the Church's history, enjoyed an cup of tea and a bun and tried their hand at bellringing. Local artist Ann Walker sold Christmas cards depicting St Edmunds in winter and raffled the original. At 11am the residents joined hands and formed a circle around the Church in a symbolic act to show their determination to protect St Edmunds and it's views from the building that would inevitably occur if the new town got the got ahead. The original painting [framed] which was raffled was won by Tony Morrell from Beal. The card sales and raffle together made a profit of £73.80 for Church / Campaign funds.

 

The "Barking Mad Dog Walk" was an outstanding success. Over 500 people and 65 dogs enjoyed a very pleasant Sunday walk, in glorious winter sunshine, down to the Jolly Miller across field paths and tracks which will completely disappear should the proposed new town go ahead. Most of us have chosen to live in a rural area precisely so that we can enjoy country walks, such as this one, around our own homes and are appalled at the thought that these healthy, cheap and environmentally friendly pastimes could soon be denied to us. We were met in several places along the walk by quite a large media contingent, including both Calendar and Look North television, both local radio and BBC Radio 4, plus newspaper photographers and reporters. To see more photos from the walk - Click Here

 

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Its nice to see that so many people are using the paths, but there is one request.

Kellington FP3 is a short, but very useful path which leads from Wells Lane to the field behind the Village Hall. To access it there is a stile. Leave Main Street and walk up the track, the stile is in the corner and is clear - there is a finger post. Please do not push through the hedge or trespass on the private drive.

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Watch the Politics show on BBC next Sunday [17th - 12 noon to 1pm - record it if you are coming on the "Barking Mad"walk] - the national programme is featuring the ecotown proposals.

 

Les Tingle was in Kellington on Wednesday interviewing Gillian Ivey and a few interested residents about their views.

Sorry it wasn't posted here so that everyone could go along, but I asked Gillian if it should be added to the site, and this was her reply -

"We were asked by the BBC if we could arrange half a dozen people to act as back up for the filming tomorrow ...hence my email asking for support

I don't think it would be appropriate to put it on the web site because we have received sufficient positive replies"

On Sunday they returned to film for a live part to the programme, interviewing Mark Crane, leader of SDC, and Wendy Nicholls, Leader of the Labour Group on SDC and Labour Party Prospective Parliamentary Candidate. Once again, no one got to hear about this in time for many villagers to turn out, but here's photos from Shirley Course of the videoing.

 

Should this proposal be chosen by the government to add to its long shortlist - [and currently it is only a proposal by the developers, who obviously have a strong financial motive in their desire to see it go ahead, with as yet no government backing] - then I'm sure we will have the opportunity to air our views very publicly in a variety of media.

 

On Wednesday 23rd January a meeting was held in the Village Hall to consider the proposal to build a new town around Kellington. There is little official information available yet, but enough to see what the implications are for the residents of Kellington. The meeting was extremely well attended - at a guess, just about every family was represented. It was decided that at this stage the best thing for concerned residents to do was to write to their councillors, MP and parliamentary candidates and to the newspapers.

Useful addresses are shown above and below.

Looking towards Beal [Shirley Course]

Marsh Drain overflowing behind Ings Lane [Eric Beechey]

[Environment Agency began pumping water away from the Ings Lane side at Teatime today]

Close up of the river over topping [Shirley Course]

The river overtopping [Shirley Course]