Archive for the 'Pollution' Category

GREEN PARTY OBJECT TO PROPOSED DEVELOPMENT ON MOSS ROAD

Published
by
John Hardy
on August 19, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ballynahinch/Spa, Mark McCormick, Planning issues and illegal development, Pollution, Traffic/Rat Runs/Roads and Wildlife/Trees/Nature
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Local Green Party Co-ordinator Mark McCormick

Local Green Party Co-ordinator Mark McCormick

Green Party Local cordinator Mark McCormick has objected to a proposal for a housing development in the Moss Road area of Ballynahinch on the following grounds:

•The Moss Road is used as a rat run and already struggles to cater for the heavy traffic it is subjected with. If 35 dwellings are going to be built on this road how does the developer expect to have heavy machinery and building equipment moved up and down the road and how will residents trying to enter and exit their properties cope with this? Carlisle’s Fresh Foods and the playing fields also mean that this road is used for parking on both sides making it difficult for even one car to make its way along the road. This leads to congestion and it has become so bad that residents have complained there are days they cannot even have their bins emptied as the bin lorry cannot even make it down the road. This shows that there is simply no road network infrastructure to deal with an additional housing development on the Moss Road. The road would have to be extended yet there is no scope as to how this will be done in the application. The application simply states it will widen the road but has not made clear as to where and how this will be done.

•There is currently no access to this site from the Moss Road yet the application proposes the Moss Road as a potential access. The drop from the Moss Road to this site is almost 3 metres so if a site access was to be created an area of the site would have to be raised to this height. Doing this will cause massive disruption to traffic and access to properties of existing residents and I have already highlighted the already existing problems of congestion, in which this will only add to.

•The proposed dwellings are meant to fit into the character of the existing area yet these houses are all set to be two stories. There are no two storey houses on the Moss Road and even on the Belfast Road and so I would dispute that these developments will fit into the character of the area.

•The Moss Road is a north facing road and in the winter the ice does not thaw making the road extremely dangerous. Increasing more traffic on this road will increase the risk of accidents and massively reduce road safety. Also the proposed entrance to the development is close to a bend so any cars that get caught in the ice and unable to break will be heading straight for this entrance which could lead to collisions.

•The playing fields next to this site use to be the town dump which was covered over in the late 1960s. This dump was never cleared and so waste and polluting discharges are currently seeping into the stream and marshes on the proposed site via a drainage pipe. Although it is not the responsibility of the Planning Service to deal with the pollution it is certainly worth noting that this pollution will have an effect on the land the developments would be built on and would be a persistent problem and health threat to any residents in the proposed dwellings.

Pollution from spring at Moss Road site

Pollution from spring at Moss Road site

•The field is prone to flooding and rain water from the Moss Road flows down into the south west of the site. This has not been considered in the planning application and I note that the proposed Bio Disc sewage system is to be positioned at the south west corner of the site. The Bio Disc system would therefore be in an unsuitable location.

•The Down Ards Area Plan 2015 has highlighted a number of other areas in Ballynahinch suitable for housing which have not been developed yet. These are the areas where housing developments should be sought, not in an area such as this application where there are a number of factors making it unsuitable. There are already many empty houses in Ballynahinch town and new estates built on the Riverside Road.

•Prior to the PAC decision, removing this area from the LLPA, it was stated that the area was in the interests of nature conservation and facilitated wildlife linkages within urban and wider countryside areas. How has this changed? The development of this site will destroy any wildlife and nature that is of priceless value to this area. The Moss Road is known for the beautiful view over this site and the drumlin landscape of Ballynahinch. Destroying this character area and green field site will damage the value of the houses on the Moss Road and the very identity of the landscape reducing house prices and living quality of all.

•It is clear that there are many problems with this site and planning application and I do not feel the applicant has properly analysed the plausibility of this site. This is clearly evident in the fact that the applicant has spelt Ballynahinch wrongly as ‘Ballinahinch’ throughout the plans showing that this was a rushed job and the full considerations of the site and residents of the Moss Road have not been taken into account.

Dog poo in Killyleagh

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on August 19, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Killyleagh, Littering/Vandalism/Crime and Pollution
. 0 Comments


Dog poo in Killyleagh, originally uploaded by downgreenparty.

Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has condemned the tiny minority of dog owners in Killyleagh who allow their dogs to, on a daily basis, foul neighbours and residents gardens at Well Lane and Church Lane.

Local Resident Myrtle Mann said, “A small number of local dog owners allow their animals to foul our green spaces at the same time everyday, you can set your watch by them, 9am and 10.30am every day.”

Myrtles husband, community activist Mike Mann said, “there are also two cars which park at the end of the lane, let their dogs out to foul and then drive off.”

Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright said, “local residents keep these cottages beautifully in order. It is a shame that some people bring their dogs here, often daily, and disrespect the efforts of the local community to keep green spaces clean. I have formally requested the dog wardens to keep a special eye on this area and to make prosecutions when culprits are caught.”

GREENS WELCOME WORK ON DRUMANESS SEWAGE PLANT

Published
by
Mark McCormick
on January 5, 2010
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Drumaness and Pollution
. 0 Comments

Councillor Cadogan EnrightThe Green Party has welcomed confirmation that steps are to be taken to prevent further sewage spills at a treatment plant in Drumaness.

Councillor Cadogan Enright, who raised concerns about recent discharges from the sewage plant with the Environment Agency, has revealed that work is to be carried out at the plant.

Cllr Cadogan Enright said, “It is clear that there are serious problems with sewage and pollution in Drumaness. For the past few years the Green Party along with other political representatives have highlighted the issues and contacted the relevant authorities to seek a solution. There have been repeated spills from the waste water treatment works into the Ballynahinch River. Unfortunately no long term solution had been put in place.

“However I would welcome the news that the NIEA and Northern Ireland Water have been meeting to address the issues we have raised regarding the waste water treatment works. They have indicated to us that they will be installing a flushing system to stop blockages that were leading to the repeated sewage spills,” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings: Greens welcome assurances

COUNCILLOR URGES FISHERMEN TO KEEP ARDGLASS SHORE TIDY

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on June 26, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Ardglass, Cadogan Enright, Littering/Vandalism/Crime, Mark McCormick and Pollution
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright with Green Party Activist Mark McCormick showing the extent of the pollution along the Ardglass Coast. The photo shows some of the rubber gloves, fish boxes and rubbish, which lines the coast around the harbour.

DOWN Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has expressed his concern at the state of the coast around Ardglass, which has become polluted by thousands of rubber gloves and dozens of fish boxes used by fishermen in the harbour.

Cllr Enright said, “Fishing is a vital part of our local economy in Down District and elected representatives need to be doing everything they can to support it.”

“However I was invited to walk the Ardglass coastal area by local residents living along the Lecale coast and I was dismayed to find hundreds of fishermen’s gloves littered along the beach and amongst the rocks. Along the whole coast these could amount to thousands. It is clear that these gloves are being thrown overboard when they have been used showing complete disregard for the environment and our seas.”

“Tourism plays an important role in the local economy as well – so routinely using our seas and shores as a bin will not help us attract visitors.”

Green Party Councillor Enright said “In a one hundred meter stretch of beach I counted over 300 gloves and 28 fishing boxes. I have written to the Harbour Master, the Northern Ireland Fishery Harbour Authority and also to the Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation (ANIFPO) to express my concerns in the hope that this practice of littering the sea will stop.”

“The Anglo North Irish Fish Producers Organisation claims on their website that ANIFPO members are committed to the protection of the environment they work in and so this practice of littering the shore and sea needs to be addressed as part of their commitment.”

As well as rubber gloves and fish boxes Cllr Enright also witnessed thousands of plastic bottles and other items of litter the whole way along the coast.

Cllr Enright continued, “It is the ocean that creates most of the oxygen we breathe, it feeds us, holds vast biodiversity, regulates our climate and cleans the water we drink and so it is vitally important we ensure that our ocean is protected and conserved for future generations.”

“I therefore urge all fishermen to please refrain from dumping their rubber gloves or other materials overboard and to keep our coast and seas clean,” concluded Cllr Enright.

Press Cuttings: Councillor urges fisherman not to dump rubbish from their trawlers

DRUMANESS SEWAGE SPILLS PERSIST INTO 2009

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on January 9, 2009
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Drumaness, Pat Ward and Pollution
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Green Party Co-ordinator Pat Ward and Cllr Cadogan Enright at the site of the overflowing manhole in Drumaness.

The Green Party highlighted the threat of widespread sewage contamination in Drumaness continuously throughout 2008 and have expressed frustration and share the public concern that no action is forthcoming to date.

Once again sewage is overflowing from a manhole on the Old Park Road in Drumaness. On numerous past occasions the Green Party, through local Co-ordinator Pat Ward, have raised this issue with the Down District Council and relevant bodies yet still a long term solution has not been put in place.

Green Party co-ordinator Pat Ward said, “Throughout 2008 I have been campaigning on this issue and now we have entered a new year to still see the problem persist.”

Having spoken to contractors on site the Green Party understand that one of the man-holes which were put in place to service the increased development on Park Road was incorrectly configured with a six inch pipe going in and a four inch pipe going out. If there is a surge of storm water, then this causes an overflow. We have written to all relevant authorities on this matter – but after many months nothing has happened.

Green Party Co-ordinator said, “I have stated on many occasions that unless we get the pipeline lifted and replaced we will have this occurrence on and off. The road would not even have to be dug up for this to happen as the manholes are within ten foot of grassland beside the road, thus the traffic should not be affected.”

DOWN Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright added, “I have visited the site on several occasions with my colleague Pat Ward and I can only express outrage every time I see sewerage building up the whole way along the outside of the football pitch facing the road.

The Green Party Councillor for the Down District believes that the rate of development in Drumaness has not been coupled with an adequate improvement in the infrastructure which is why these problems continue.

Cllr Enright concluded, “There is also the threat of wide scale pollution because when it rains the sewage makes its way into the fields, river and streams. The pollution could travel for miles and will have a detrimental effect on wildlife and water, something we have already suffered heavily with in other parts of the Down District.”

GREEN PARTY CALLS FOR PROSECUTIONS AFTER 30 YEARS OF POLLUTION

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on November 29, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Downpatrick, Pollution and QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Cllr Enright and local Environmentalist Jim Manley at the river that was grossly polluted near MacDonalds in Downpatrick.

Green Party Councillor Cadogan Enright has called for prosecutions for the pollution of a small river running through Downpatrick and behind the shopping Malls on the Ballyduggan road. He said, “There is enough evidence to prosecute now – we must stop the pollution of the Downpatrick Marshes and the Quoile River.”

The state of this river (called the “Plank Drain”) has been a campaigning issue for local residents and Greens for 30 years. In July Cllr Enright and met with EHS/NIEA officials at the Plan Drain and pointed out that it needed to be tested. Cllr Cadogan Enright has since passed on information to the NIEA about the probable source of sewerage deposits going into the Plank Drain from 5 separate areas in Downpatrick.

Cllr Enright met with EHS officials on site and after looking over the obvious pollution of the water he formally requested additional water testing to be carried out to establish if any detergents such as chloride, PH, Ammonia, BOD and other suspended solids are found. Throughout this year it has been found to be full of harmful waste and sewage deposits. There were also strong, foul smelling fumes.

Cllr Enright said “We had to use a Freedom of Information request to get these results, which revealed some very worrying findings. I can now reveal that the area in question surrounding the sewage drain was grossly polluted. The tests showed BOD levels of 77ppm. An acceptable water test would set figures at 3-4 ppm, 10+ ppm would be considered polluted. So the fact that these results show BOD levels at extremely high levels of 77ppm is very worrying and confirms that there must have been sewage or other biological deposit from the plank drain,” said Cllr Enright.

Cadogan pointed out that “Local Environmentalists like Jim Manley and Bill Corry have been campaigning over sewage and other waste in the Plank Drain for 30 years going back to Jim Manley in the1970’s. These test results once again proves our concerns. The tests were carried out by the NIEA and we are calling for prosecutions. NI Rivers Agency manages the Plank Drain and what goes into it, and NI Water Service manages the local sewage works. Someone must be responsible. Pollution of waterways managed by our own government bodies is unacceptable.”

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright is calling on the NIEA to prosecute those responsible. Trevor Love of the Downpatrick Anglers and Doris Noe of Lecale Conservation have supported Cllr Enrights call for prosecutions.

“I am very concerned that these pollution results came before the recent Quoile Fish Kill and I believe that the flooding could have washed this pollution down into the Quoile which would have contributed or caused the Fish Kill. No fish died upriver of the Plank Drain. This adds to even more lack of confidence in the investigation carried out by the NIEA into the fish kill. It is no mystery as to where the sewage on the pitches in Dunleath Park came from last week – the time for prosecution is now.” Concluded Cllr Cadogan Enright.

For more details on the BOD levels visit this page.

Press Cuttings: Green Party calls for action on Plank Drain pollution, Green Party urges watchdog to act on town centre pollution.

GREENS EXPRESS CONCERN OVER APPARENT SEWAGE SPILL

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on November 6, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Downpatrick, Pollution and QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION
. 0 Comments

Photo shows (l-r) Lecale Conservationist Ian Knox, Quoile Angler Trevor Love, Lecale Conservationist Barbara Haig, Cllr Cadogan Enright and Lecale Conservationist Mike Mann.

Green Party Cllr Cadogan Enright has expressed concern as local anglers report a new sewage spill over the weekend.

Quoile Angler Trevor Love became concerned on Sunday afternoon when sanitry waste was seen in the water near the drain at the Downpatrick Sewage Works.

Angler Trevor Love said, “I was at the same spot at 4pm on Saturday and there was no waste in this part of the water so I believe a spill or deposit from the sewage drain may have happend on Saturday night or Sunday morning.”

Cllr Enright said, ‘This concerns me greatly because very recently we witnessed a devastating fish kill in the Quoile River that resulted in thousands of dead fish.’

The Green Party has been critical of the Environment Agency’s official report into the recent fish kill which admits that relevant stretches of the river was not investigated following the pollution incident. Thousands of fish were killed and the area’s biodiversity was seriously damaged . The Green Party believe that if there has been another sewage spill it further adds to the lack of confidence in the NIEA report.

Cllr Enright said: “The Environment Agency’s official report into the pollution of the Quoile River highlights the inability of this Agency to get to the bottom of pollution incidents. The Agency admits in the report that it did not test the area up-stream of the Belfast Road in Downpatrick and did not cover the Plank Drain behind ASDA and McDonalds on the Ballyduggan Road.

“This is the very area which caused most concern to local anglers and environmentalist. No fish died above this point and have written to the NIEA asking them to investigate the Rivers Agency. We believe that this was where the evidence in the case could have been detected and are concerned about a build-up of toxic mud at the Belfast Road Bridge’.

“Now we may have another sewage spill on our hands which could prove further that the recent fish kill was not a result of natural events.”

Press Cuttings: New Quoile Sewage Claim

QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION TEST RESULTS FROM PLANK DRAIN

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on October 13, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Downpatrick, Pollution and QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION
. 0 Comments

Click here to download the above document showing the results of the water tests.

This letter was recieved by the Green Party in Downpatrick when we asked for tests to be carried out on the plank drain which we believe is pumping raw sewage into the Quoile.

The results are can be easily explained by looking at the table below.

bod-levels.jpg

As you can see 6-9 is polluted and 100 or greater is very polluted. The results from the plank drain place BOD levels at 77ppm which is a very worrying figure. The results show that the water surrounding the plank drain is in fact highly polluted.

For more information on BOD visit this link:
http://www.ciese.org/curriculum/dipproj2/en/fieldbook/bod.shtml

SAMMY SINKS TO NEW LOW IN QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION INVESTIGATION

Published
by
John Hardy
on October 10, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Cadogan Enright, Downpatrick, Pollution and QUOILE RIVER POLLUTION
. 0 Comments

Environment Minister Sammy Wilson

The Green Party has rejected claims made by the Minister of the Environment, Sammy Wilson, in the Assembly chamber (29.10.08) that it did not contact the relevant agencies when pollution was discovered in the Quoile River, Co. Down in August 2008 which resulted in a massive fish kill.

Green Party Down District cllr Cadogan Enright said: “The Minister must be a desperate man when the only point he can raise regarding the Quoile River is an attack on the Green Party. I was called out of a council meeting chaired by Cllr Doris on the Thursday evening by fellow members of the Downpatrick Anglers Association and went to the river. The Fishery Conservation Board had already been contacted by club members, and reported back to councillors still at the meeting that there was no problem. We kept up the pressure on the FCB, NIEA and over the next few days even tried to involve the health officers of Down District Council.”

Cllr Enright continued, “Myself and fellow councillors even walked the banks of the river over the weekend with Sammy Wilsons NIEA staff showing them the scene of the crime. Minister Sammy will be denying Global Warming next – OH! I forgot, he has already done that!. The Angling club is even in possession of a letter from Sammy’s fellow minister Margaret Ritchie confirming that she contacted all the agencies in response to our concerns.”

Angling club Chairman Trevor Love said “The Minister has criticized us for taking photos and videos of the carnage – but we were able to use the pictures to confound his own staff in their down-playing of the incident.

The photographs mentioned by the Minister were used to refute the initial assertion by NIEA and the FCB that there was no problem, or it was a minor natural event. It appears that the NIEA and Minister Sammy Wilson are more interested in shooting the messenger than finding the truth.”

The Green Party has been critical of the Environment Agency’s official report into the fish kill which admits that relevant stretches of the river was not investigated following the pollution incident which killed thousands of fish and seriously damaged the area’s biodiversity.

Cllr Enright said: “The Environment Agency’s official report into the pollution of the
Quoile River highlights the inability of this Agency to get to the bottom of pollution incidents. The Agency admits in the report that it did not test the area up-stream of the Belfast Road in Downpatrick and did not cover the Plank Drain behind ASDA and McDonalds on the Ballyduggan Road.

“This is the very area which caused most concern to local anglers and environmentalist. No fish died above this point and have written to the NIEA asking them to investigate the Rivers Agency. We believe that this was where the evidence in the case could have been detected and are concerned about a build-up of toxic mud at the Belfast Road Bridge concluded Cadogan Enright.”

Down District Council is currently writing to the Minister and the NIEA to ask why this area was not included in the investigation.

Press Cuttings: Green Party hits back at Wilson, Angling Chairmans Letter Re Quoile Fish Kill, Identifying the cause of the Quoile fish kill

GREENS CALL FOR PROPER CLEAN-UP AFTER FLOODS

Published
by
Cadogan Enright
on August 27, 2008
in 1. GREEN PRESS RELEASES / LATEST NEWS, Climate Change/Flooding, John Hardy, Littering/Vandalism/Crime, Newcastle, Pollution and Recycling
. 0 Comments

Photograph shows Green Party Co-ordinator John Hardy on the Newcastle shore showing the vast amount of bottles washed up after the floods.

Green Party Newcastle Co-ordinator John Hardy has called for the proper waste management of the debris washed up on Newcastle beach and in particular for all plastic bottles to be recycled.

The major floods which struck Newcastle not only devastated many homes but also showed us the extent of Climate Change as it left tonnes of branches, roots and other material pilled up on the shore.

Green Party Co-ordinator John Hardy said, “Obviously the priority must be to help those people directly affected by the flood water and to repair any damage done to peoples homes. However when the time comes to clear up the beach I would call on the Council to ensure that as much of the debris is salvaged as possible.”

John Hardy said, “Literally thousands of plastic bottles have been washed up along with the timber. These plastic bottles should be recycled and not simply sent to landfill. The timber itself could easily be turned into wood chips.”

“The recent floods are set to become more frequent as Climate Change makes our weather unpredictable. Unfortunately the sewage system in Newcastle has not been designed to deal with large amounts of storm water and so this has lead to Newcastle beach failing the European Bathing Water Directive Standards. What we have witnessed being washed up on the beach further adds to the poor condition of the shore in the Newcastle area.”

John Hardy concluded, “The vast amount of bottles indicates the disregard we have for the sea in using it as a dumping ground.”

Press Cuttings: 'Beach debris should be salvaged and recycled