Wind farm protests

CAMPAIGNERS against a proposed wind farm near four north Derbyshire villages have been urging people to continue backing their campaign after council planning officers carried out a site visit.

Banks Developments has submitted a planning application to Bolsover District Council to build three, 125 metre-high, wind turbines and an 80 metre-high anemometer mast.

But campaigners argued the development will create a noisy eyesore and is too close to houses as developers launched an advertising balloon yesterday over the proposed site in Palterton.

Barlborough-based Banks Developments has argued that any noise from turbines can be controlled and that the project will produce enough zero-carbon energy to power more than 4,000 homes which is the equivalent to 14per cent of homes in the Bolsover district.

It stated that the site was chosen due to the suitability of the landscape and subsequent wind strength and it claims nearby communities will benefit from the environmentally friendly scheme. Banks Developments feels there is a growing recognition of a need for wind farms.

Afterall they are only modern day windmills and what would you rather have - them or pylons?

Tourism promotion row

A ROW is looming over a tourism campaign aimed at attracting hundreds of thousands of visitors to the Staffordshire Moorlands.

Community leaders say the Staffordshire Peak District brand was adopted  to ensure that the Moorlands gets its fair share of national park tourists.

But only one third of the Moorlands falls within the Peak District boundary and opponents fear tourism outlets in other areas, such as Biddulph and Cheadle,  could lose out.

How was the motion passed in the first place?

Former Moorlands District council leader Ron Locker has tabled a motion to Saturday’s full meeting of the district council calling on the authority to ditch the brand and market the Moorlands in its own right.

60 jobs to go at Darley Dale firm

EMPLOYMENT in the Matlock area suffered another blow as 60 staff at a Darley Dale firm were told they were out of a job.

The future is bleak for workers at Cobb Slater Ltd as it was announced on Wednesday (11) that the site was closing and all workers were to be made redundant.

Parts of the machinery will be transferred to North Yorkshire and other parts will be sold off.

One worker, who wanted to remain anonymous, said: "This is a real blow to us all, the company was sold to BNL with no consultation with the employees and we were aware something was happening.

"We are all very low now as the majority of workers live locally and there is very little employment around the area.

"I have been with the company for nine years. I do not know what the future holds for me now."

Cobb Slater Ltd are a technical injection moulding company specialising in the design and manufacture of plastic rolling element bearings and assemblies, technical custom mouldings and security products for domestic electricity supplies.

A spokesman for the company said that staff would be paid their full notice period and would not have to work their full notice.

Brian Worth, production manager at BNL,

said: "The bottom line is BNL, a company in Knaresborough, bought all the shares in Cobb Slater.

"They only had a short term lease on the buildings and premises in Darley Dale.

"We are talking months not years and because the lease was so short it was not economically viable to continue the business here."

There will be a 30 day consultation period after which it will be decided which parts of the business will go to Knaresborough and which parts will be sold off to other companies.

Deputy Leader of Derbyshire Dales District Council Geoff Stevens said: "This is very bad news for the community, the loss of jobs is a bad blow for us in the area.

"We regret this and obviously we have to do what we can to attract jobs into the area.

"60 is quite a large number to lose from a small community such as Darley Dale. These type of specialist jobs are in short supply in the area."

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-26 10:57:00

Deadline for comments on the Pav

Members of the public who wish to submit comments for the review of a Dales nightspot's licence must do so before Thursday April 12.

Police have called for a district council licensing committee to consider closing the Pav in Matlock Bath, stating: "The licensing objectives of prevention of crime and disorder, public safety, the prevention of public nuisance and the protection of children from harm have been seriously undermined."

To make representations to the review, write to: The licensing and administration manager, licensing section, community services, Derbyshire Dales District Council, Town Hall, Matlock, Derbyshire DE4 3NN.

The hearing is scheduled for Tuesday May 1.

The Pav has been recognised as the biggest creche in Derbyshire.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-04-10 07:59:05

Time running out for Pav night club

It seems that the double stabbing outside the Pav night club in Matlock Bath on February 10 is the last straw as far as the Police are concerned.

On Tuesday evening Inspector Paul Corton, of Matlock Police, met with angry residents and parish councillors who claim the venue is a magnet for anti-social behaviour and under-age drinking. He confirmed officers would be presenting evidence to the district council’s licensing committee which would warrant closure of the venue.

Insp Corton told the meeting: “Our case will not hang just on the events of February 10 because there has been a constant drip of incidents occurring for some time.

“We feel the situation is so serious that we have to go for revocation of the premises licence.

“We will be presenting evidence to say the venue is having a negative impact on the community.”

The district council licensing officials were not represented at the meeting to the dismay of local residents.

But this might not be as straight forward as first thought. Matlock Bath Parish Council chair Belinda Heaney said: “If Derbyshire Dales District Council opts to hear The Pav’s review we would object on the grounds that the district council owns the building and therefore has a vested interest.”

Councillors also urged all interested parties to make representations once the review is called.

Derbyshire Dales District Council’s head of community services, John Morris, said: "The district council are the licensing authority.

“This function was passed from the Magistrates Court and is entirely separate from any other activities which the district council has responsibility for."

The Pav has had a reputation since I was a teenage ale swigging lout (I am now a middle aged ale swigging lout) for being a dump and where under age drinking was rife. I seem to remember drugs was also an ever present.

Although I have not had the pleasure for several years, if you ask any local resident what to expect on a Friday and Saturday night their responses would devalue their properties by 50%.

Close it down for the sake of everybody's health.

Chris Sabian, Peak District View - 2007-03-07 12:19:41