"Draft Permit to Operate" Public Consultation |
| Posted by Administrator (admin) on Jan 10 2008 at 4:29 pm |
| News items from Sandhoe >> PC News |
1. The "Draft Permit to Operate" Public Consultation
TDC Head of Health Protection, Nick Barrett, did a presentation, explaining the background and emphasising again that this consultation is just about the terms of the permit, which are essentially based on non-negotiable Government standards, and how local monitoring will work - not about whether Egger is currently meeting the required standards or planning issues. No-one seemed to know what to expect of the consultation, as it's not been done before. Councillors waded about in the fog trying to clarify this unsuccessfully and eventually settled for debating if the 20-day consultation period was long enough.
"The public" were asked to offer a view and John and Ian said we just wanted the permit in place so that monitoring (and remedial action) can start in earnest. Elaine pointed out that it is difficult to know until you have seen the permit document - which was not revealed - and suggested that Nick Barrett added a bit of an introduction to the document itself as he said it was very technical, explaining what the consultation is about and possibly anticipating questions on some points, giving simple responses to save people having to root through the document.
Nick confirmed immediately that the maximum noise level in the permit was the same as in the planning approval.
In a Councillors' vote a motion for 30 days consultation was defeated.
The permit is available to see at Hadrian House customer reception and to download from the TDC website...
[ http://www.tynedale.gov.uk/residents/serviceinfo.asp?type=470 ]
from today (10 January). Responses must be in by 8 February 2008. Remember that Nick Barrett is attending Sandhoe Parish Council on 16 January at 7 pm to talk about the permit. Some Sandhoe residents are planning to meet informally in The Rat after the Sandhoe Parish Council meeting on Wednesday 16 January to discuss the permit and anyone who wishes is welcome to join us.
And an introductory page has also been added to Tynedale's web site...
http://www.tynedale.gov.uk/residents/serviceinfo.asp?type=467
Links to all this and other documentation are now on the this page.
2. Conversation with Simon Dotlinger, Paul Turner and 2 other Egger staff
Also present in the Council meeting, but silent, were Simon Dotlinger, Paul Turner and two other Egger staff, with whom we had a cordial and interesting conversation in the freezing cold after we had all left the Councillors to deal with other business. Several interesting points emerged:
a) The recent bout of vehicle reversing alarms at night was due to the failure of a light bulb on the flashing light which caused the vehicle to revert to its noise alarm! We suggested firmly that we felt it was the responsibility of Egger staff and supervisors to deal promptly with this kind of thing without residents having to complain in order to get action.
b) Simon Dotlinger "expected we would be surprised" by improvements in shielding the banging noises due by the end of February and said he has put into his budget proposals for this financial year for the automated log-loading system.
c) Simon explained the end of his short bout of replying to emails as due to advice from lawyers about the dangers of unintentionally saying different things to different people. I did not follow this, but he said this was also why they were only willing to have elected representatives on the Liaison Group. We suggested they nonetheless need to find ways to improve their communication.
d) Simon Dotlinger confirmed that he had received the list of questions from Anick/Oakwood residents for 10 January's liaison meeting. It was suggested that although they may prefer to have elected representatives there, they could none the less have a community observer. We also discussed the lining up of these meetings with the meetings of the Sandhoe Parish Council. Simon D and his colleagues (one was Paul Turner) said that they intended them to line up so that they preceded Parish Council meetings as they are doing this time (PC meeting is on the 16th at 7 pm).
Ian Winkworth
Elaine Rodger
