Vale Royal Environment Network
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Environment is us! We link and support people and organisations concerned with the environment in Vale Royal (Mid-Cheshire) and thereabouts, and promote and provide environmental education. Would you like to see some environmental ACTION? To promote cycling - composting - recycling - energy reduction - less flying - care for nature - organic and local food - public transport? Would you like to engage with politicians, schools, churches, Joe Public? VREN has the connections - let us help you! We aren’t Vale Royal Borough Council – if you want them, click here.
We have an office with Groundwork, at Yarwoods Arm, Navigation Road, Northwich, Cheshire CW8 1BE; tel 01606 723160, email vren@groundwork.org.uk
On this site we'll be putting
For Diary Dates, see www.vrendates.blogspot.com For News, see www.vrennews.blogspot.com For Consultations, see
You can help VREN by visiting www.simplefundraising.co.uk/2663 - by spending money through the host of outlets listed (including some you may already shop online with), VREN receives a cut. Not that we endorse any of them... We're also having fun setting up a wiki - http://cheshire-environment.wikidot.com We're currently loading a green guide on - please comment or amend. _____________________ Transitioning in Northwich The Transition movement aims to move us towards a low fossil-fuel-dependency culture, by highlighting the advantages of using using less energy and taking advantage of local resources. We have two groups: Broken Cross (BCACC) has been running a few months, setting up recycling and home insulation projects around the east of Rudheath. Contact Paul Matthias, 01606 330758, email paul.mathias1[at]talk21.com
Davenham (DAVED) is a new group. Contact Howard Thorp, 07765 040416, email howard.thorp[at]virgin.net
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Do you car share?
VREN would like to hear your experiences. How do you apportion costs? Do you have difficulties with insurers? Who wins when two want to use the car at the same time, in opposite directions? What are the financial/social/other benefits? Please add your thoughts at http://www.vren.btik.com/guestbook/home.ikml _________________
Habitats and Hillforts Cheshire County Council has recently been successful in receiving funding from the Heritage Lottery Fund for a new Landscape Partnership Scheme ‘Habitats and Hillforts’.
The 3 year scheme is based within the Sandstone Ridge Area, and focusing on the six iron age hillforts along the ridge. There are four main programmes, Habitats, Hillforts, Access and Interpretation and Training.
There will be a large training programme published very soon, aiming at providing training for people within the local area and the vicinity of the hillforts. There's a website under preparation (as of 7/11/08) - www.habitatsandhillforts.co.uk. Meanwhile, documents are available at http://www.vren.btik.com/documents/1518663514.ikml.
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Wizard's Garden:
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Latest on Riversdale (Nov 08)
Two proposals are up: one is a swing bridge, proposed to be electrically driven. The other is a high level static bridge. British Waterways need access, especially emergency access to the sluices. They’re planning for it to have a 120 year life, like the last.
The swing bridge would be more expensive by 25%, and require more ongoing costs in maintenance, etc. It would not solve the access problems for less able people down the 1:6 slope from The Crescent. It’s anticipated that the less expensive high level option (it needs to clear the water by 5.5m) would be more intrusive on locals in The Crescent but could eliminate the 1:6 gradient from The Crescent (...and from the riverside?). It can have a central opening section in case anything higher needs to come through. Nobody’s yet considered a swing ferry! Mid 2010 is the earliest we might expect a new bridge. (The present bridge took 2½ months from conception to completion!) Whitbybird are working on the bridge design – www.whitbybird.com. There’ll be a consultation on the bridge. Bridge completion is expected mid 2010. With £600,000 from Connect2, 2/3 of the funding is secured. And it will be a Public Right of Way! There’s a small project steering group, and a larger group of stakeholders. There’ll be consultations: to participate, contact Lindsey Cunniff of TEP, Genesis Centre, Birchwood Science Park, Warrington WA3 7BH, tel 01925 844006, email lindseycunniff@tep.uk.com .
Meanwhile, path upgrades are planned from the Blue Bridge to Riversdale. The first phase, south of Monarch Drive, is imminent, and will entail closing the path while widening and bank works are done. Cheshire Wildlife Trust are involved with the bank wildlife and Poor’s Wood. The stretch past Sir John Deane’s will be done later: it will be tarmaced. These path works will cost £450,000.
Hunts Locks: are Grade 2 listed. However, they propose to raise the handrails and make the footways slightly wider. |
King Street Energy -gas storage and brine pipesThere are concerns being raised about the pipelines, due to run between the King Street (SE Northwich) site and the Mersey estuary. They'll be carrying seawater one way, saltier seawater back. One complaint we've heard is their proximity to Cuddington Brook, Crowton. Have a look at the low-definition maps on our Downloads page, see the 40MB high definition map on www.kingstreetenergy.com. For the planning application, with documents, see http://tinyurl.com/2ltf84 The application will be considered at a Development Regulatory Committee on 8th Dec 2008 or 2nd Feb 2009. For information on public speaking thereat, click here Other Planning MattersThere's a consultation on a draft Historic Built Environment Supplementary Planning Document, and Information on 5 SPDs adopted last year - Affordable Housing, Managing Housing Land Supply, Developer Contributions, Landscape Sensitivity and Wind Turbine Development, and Landscape Character - both at www.vrencons.blogspot.com.
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