Latest News - February 2010
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Feb 23rd 2010 Riverside turned down
Plans to redevelop Riverside Business Park in Bakewell have been refused by the Peak District National Park Authority. The £25 million scheme would have included 130,000 square feet of industrial units, plus 88 open market and nine affordable homes.
Our planning officer, John King, gave our views to the Park Authority's planning committee. We backed the principle of the scheme, but thought that it needed to include more affordable houses, and have better renewable energy technology.
The planning committee turned it down, saying it
- would lead to the loss of employment land
- would not provide enough affordable housing
- had inadequate information about the sustainability and viability of the scheme
We welcome the fact that the Authority takes affordable housing and renewable energy seriously, but still think the scheme has potential to provide local people with jobs and houses.
Feb 19th 2010 Have your say on the Mottram bypass
The problem of traffic in Mottram, Hollingworth and Tintwistle has been rumbling on for years. We've been campaigning for an effective solution that doesn't mean building bigger roads or bypasses.
The Association of Greater Manchester Authorities has a budget of £100 million for alternative proposals to the Mottram to Tintwistle bypass. Tameside Council is developing a transport strategy for the area and is consulting people now on a range of six possible options, including three public transport options. The consultation is running until 14 May.
What you can do
You can give your views online about Tameside's Longdendale Intergrated Transport Strategy.
- Ask Tameside to implement the public transport and traffic management measures immediately - spend the £100 million earmarked on these measures now!
- Ask for a weight restriction and traffic management along the whole of the A628 trunk route between Manchester and Sheffield, both to improve safety and reduce traffic impacts on the National Park.
- Say no to new road building until these measures have been tried and tested.
Feb 10th 2010 Julia launches Friends' new website
Countryside fan and television presenter Julia Bradbury launched Friends of the Peak District's new website today.
Julia also announced that she is staying on as Friends of the Peak District's president for another year. "Friends of the Peak District does brilliant work protecting the beautiful Peak District countryside, and I'm delighted to support them for another year," she said.
Julia is currently presenting Countryfile on BBC1 on Sunday nights, and has presented other countryside series such as Wainwright's Walks and Railway Walks. She has been president of Friends of the Peak District since 2008. Julia lived in Sheffield as a child, and spent a lot of time in the countryside nearby. "My outdoor career began in the Peak District. My father used to bring me out for walks from the age of six and I have a great nostalgia for places like Monsal Head and the Monsal Trail," she says.
"The new website is great. It's easy to use and packed full of information about what's happening in the Peak District, and how people can help and get involved."
