NO TO UCG IN RUGBY - PUBLIC MEETING THURSDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 7PM

nO UCG WARKS

PUBLIC MEETING 

THURSDAY 5TH SEPTEMBER, 

7PM

ST ANDREWS CHURCH HOUSE, CHURCH WALK, 

RUGBY CV21 3PT.

Rugby Green Party are fully supporting the independent campaign group - NO UCG WARKS  in opposing the planned Underground Coal Gasification 16 mile square mile site to the west of Rugby.
Rugby Green Party Spokesperson -  Steve Wright has appeared on BBC Midlands Television, CWR Radio and also in the press explaining why the Green Party is opposed to this ill thought out project and why we will stand shoulder to shoulder with the local communities opposing this - not just in Rugby but across the UK.

(Steve Wright supporting local campaigners)

More about the campaign and what UCG could mean for our local community please visit - http://noucgwarks.blogspot.co.uk/

Mass Protest outside the Tory Party Conference, Manchester 29th Sept

CREEPING INFERNO: UNDERGROUND COAL GASIFICATION THREAT COMES ONSHORE

 Up until now the county of Warwickshire has been best know for its history (think Shakespeare and Warwick castle) but that may be about to change if Cluff Coal and the government have their way. At least for 41 square kilometres (16 square miles) of the Warwickshire countryside centred on the place where the River Leam intersects the ancient Roman road, the Fosse Way, which might soon be far better know for its potential future, rather than its past. This area of countryside, halfway between Leamington Spa and Rugby, is the subject of an application (PDF file) for an Underground Coal Gasification Licence, one of three recently announced.

Summary

• New UCG licence application submitted
• Onshore in Warwickshire countryside
• 24 licences in UK already given away
• All blocks just off the coast up until now
• Could open door for UCG to move onshore
• UCG involves burning coal underground
• Toxic/Carcinogenic tars are a byproduct
• Long history of contaminating groundwater
• Large amounts of toxic waste produced
• Larger area, including Coventry, threatened

Proposed onshore UCG license covering 16 square miles of Warwickshire countryside between Leamington Spa and Rugby

Up until now the county of Warwickshire has been best know for its history (think Shakespeare and Warwick castle) but that may be about to change if Cluff Coal and the government have their way. At least for 41 square kilometres (16 square miles) of the Warwickshire countryside centred on the place where the River Leam intersects the ancient Roman road, the Fosse Way, which might soon be far better know for its potential future, rather than its past. This area of countryside, halfway between Leamington Spa and Rugby, is the subject of an application (PDF file) for an Underground Coal Gasification Licence, one of three recently announced.

Underground Coal Gasification (UCG) is an extreme energy extraction process which involves setting fire to coal seams underground. It uses similar drilling technology to Shale Gas and Coal Bed Methane (CBM), to inject air or oxygen and bring the resulting synthetic gas (syngas) to the surface. UCG has never been use on the scale now envisaged, and with the exception of the a handful of small plants in the Soviet Union, has never got past the testing stage. Previous trials have been associated with explosions and severe groundwater contamination by the toxic and carcinogenic chemicals produced in the process.

A Small Scale UCG Trial: Rocky Mountain Field Test In Hanna, Wyoming (1988)

As with all extreme energy processes UCG is much more polluting, dangerous and expensive than previous energy extraction processes. The combination of the toxic coal tars that are a byproduct of the process and the fact that the gasification is done out in the open environment means that contamination of groundwater is all but inevitable. The massive stream of waste produced (around a cubic metre of contaminated water per ton of coal gasified) is also a huge problem and another source of contamination. The extreme nature of the process, piping superheated toxic and explosive gas up to the surface also means that catastrophic accidents can occur. See our recent article Underground Coal Gasification: Creating Hell On Earth for more details.

UCG is already threatening areas around the coast of Britain. Until recently, Swansea Bay, where one start-up company owns a licence, has appeared that it might be the most advanced project. Now however, Five-Quarter Energy are threatening to start drilling in their licence blocks off the coast of Northumberland sometime this summer. The company has four licences running up the coast from Newcastle to Alnwick. Up until now the 24 UCG licences the government has given away (see black licence blocks on this map) have all been just off shore, in an apparent tacit admission that the process is likely to contaminate ground water.

Five-Quarter has proved highly savvy in acquiring government help with furthering its plans. In 2011 Five-Quarter director Paul Younger was involved in drilling a 2km deep geothermal borehole in the centre of Newcastle, using government money. Coincidentally the borehole also gathered data on a number of coal seams that Five-Quarter are interested in. Last October Five-Quarter received a £15 million grant regional development grant to help them build a Underground Coal Gasification plant at Blyth, in Northumberland. The company also has links to the Duke of Buccleuch, the largest landowner in Europe, and appears interested in expanding into Scotland.

The applicant for the Warwickshire licence is Cluff Coal, who recently announced that they are in the process of applying for four new licences for UCG. Two of these licences have since been awarded, one is off the coast of Cumbria, and one in Largo Bay in the outer Firth of Forth. Cluff also has existing licences near Kincardine in the inner Firth of Forth, the Loughor Estuary in South Wales and the Dee Estuary between the Wirral and North Wales. Cluff Coal is a subsidiary of Cluff Natural Resources, which was founded Algy Cluff in 2012. Algy Cluff is mainly known for looting Africa’s natural resources, in particular gold, platinum and diamonds.

Ryton Wood nature reserve owned by the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust – one of the country’s largest surviving semi-natural ancient woodlands and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI)

The area of Warwickshire countryside that Cluff is seeking to licence clearly demonstrates that anywhere with coal underneath it is now at risk. The area includes the most significant concentration of ancient woodland left in Warwickshire today, with Ryton Wood in particular described as one of the country’s largest surviving semi-natural ancient woodlands and a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). One of the largest landowners in the area appears to be the Warwickshire Wildlife Trust, which manages a number of nature reserves in the area. It is unclear to what extent the Trust are involved in these plans, but one look at their list of corporate sponsors which includes include the National Grid,fracking bank HSBC and oil company ConocoPhillips, shows why they might not be in a position to raise any objections.

While the sleepy villages of Marton, Weston under Wetherley, Princethorpe, Birdingbury, Hunningham and Eathorpe are likely to bear the brunt of any development the impact would likely spread over a much wider area. As with existing offshore UCG licences there are significant population centres nearby. Around half a million people live within five miles of the proposed licence block, including most of Coventry, Leamington Spa and Rugby. The River Leam, which flows through the block, continues on through Leamington Spa, before joining the River Avon which in turn after flowing though Worcestershire and Gloucestershire joins the River Seven. This could easily provide a mechanism to spread the resulting pollution as far as the Bristol Channel. Also the nearby reservoir, Draycote Water, which supplies Coventry and Rugby is filled from the river Leam at Eathorpe, within the proposed licence block.

128 square mile area in Warwickshire identified by the British Geological Survey as being suitable for UCG

In addition, the licence is within a much larger area (PDF file) identified by the British Geological Survey as being suitable for UCG which covers an area of 128 square miles (332 square kilometres). This area includes most of Coventry and Leamington Spa. If UCG is allowed to gain a foothold in the UK, it will inevitably spread to all areas where there is coal underground that can be burned. The prospect of UCG becoming widespread in the UK presents a truly nightmare scenario. Already licence blocks ring the coast, many near major population centres, like Swansea, Liverpool, Newcastle and Edinburgh. If this licence in Warwickshire opens the floodgates for further onshore licencing across the UK, which seems highly likely, then we face the prospect of the coal under our feet being set on fire, as well as being surrounded by toxic seas. Stopping UCG in its tracks soon, is the only alternative.

Visit FRACK OFF  - for more information - http://frack-off.org.uk/creeping-inferno-underground-coal-gasification-threat-comes-onshore/

Green Party condemn plans to sell off Royal Mail

"The privatisation of Royal Mail is the latest ideologically driven, disastrous step by this government which is doing nothing to start the essential reshaping of the British economy, but is determined to hand over the last bits of the family silver to multinational companies.

"The approach of privatisation has proved disastrous for our water system, disastrous for our electricity and gas supplies, and particularly disastrous for our railways. Yet still the push towards it, from Margaret Thatcher through Tony Blair to David Cameron continues.”

Bennett added: "Green MP Caroline Lucas, with her private members' bill to bring the railways back into public ownership is leading the way to reverse this trend. What we need is for the Labour Party to show that it has broken with its New Labour past and back it. That would add a sense of verisimilitude to Labour’s criticisms in parliament today of the Royal Mail move."

Bennett offered congratulations to the CWU and the Royal Mail workers, who are resisting the government's attempts to buy them off with a share handout to staff.

"They understand that privatisation is a devil's pact that inevitably results in damage to staff pay and conditions, cuts to services, and profits stuffed into shareholder's pockets, all too often through the conduit of tax havens.”

RUGBY GREENS DEMAND ACTION OVER EMPTY HOMES

From Rugby Observer 

New calls for action over empty homes 

Front Page of Rugby Observer

Steve Wright and Peter Reynolds outside a New Bilton property that has been unoccupied for 20 years (s)

FRESH pressure is being put on the borough council to bring more empty houses back into use.

It has been accused this week of not doing enough by failing to use any of its formal powers to force owners into refurbishing their properties.

And informal actions have resulted in only 22 out of 449 empty dwellings becoming inhabited across the borough, according to the Green Party.

Steve Wright, a candidate for the Greens in the local elections, said: “Hundreds of homes have been left empty left in Rugby for many years.

"They are an eyesore to the local community when many thousands of people and their families are so desperate for affordable housing.”

Chair of Rugby Green Party Peter Reynolds added: “We know of a house in New Bilton which has been empty for over 20 years. There can be no excuse for this and the lack of action by local councillors.

“Rugby council and Mark Pawsey MP keep congratulating themselves on all the new housing developments, but they seem to have forgotten about the wasted 400-plus long-term empty homes around the borough.”

In February, council tax discounts for second homes and long-term empty properties were scrapped while an extra 50 per cent was added to the bills of homes unoccupied for over two years to encourage owners to rent or sell up.

But the Green Party has called for the council to use legal powers available to them to stop private owners leaving homes empty for years on end in the first place.

These measures include Repair Notices, forced sales, Empty Dwelling Management Orders, Compulsory Purchase Orders and Essential Repair Grants.

It has also been urged to buy properties from landlords who cannot afford to maintain them and rent them directly to local people.

Coun Leigh Hunt, the council's communities spokesman, told us action was being taken to address the problem.

“There is no one-size fits all solution," she said.

“We already charge extra council tax for longer-term empty properties and provide renovation loans, among other measures, but bringing empty homes back into use is just one of many different ways that we are helping residents find homes to suit their needs.

"We are also building new council homes, for example at Pettiver Crescent, and arranging for housing associations and developers to build new homes for social rent. The local authority mortgage scheme helps residents to buy their own home."

Coun Hunt added renovation loans were also being made to homeowners.

Rugby Advertiser 

PRESS RELEASE 

‘Greens call for Council action over

Scandal of empty homes in Rugby’

Rugby Green Party have discovered through a Freedom of Information Request, that Rugby Borough Council have not issued any notices or orders against owners , to bring long term empty homes back into use.

The Council's informal actions have only achieved a paltry 22 successes across the whole Borough, leaving 427 empties

Just in Benn Ward for example; they have only achieved 3 successes, leaving 41 empties.

Peter Reynolds - Chair of Rugby Green Party says ‘Rugby Green Party know of a house in New Bilton (pictured) which has been left empty for over 20 years - there can be no excuse for this and the lack of action by the Borough Council and local Councillors”

“At this snails pace it will take another twenty years for the Council to get them reoccupied, while there are plenty of people desperately looking for social housing.” Says Peter Reynolds

Benn Ward resident and Green Party Member,  Steve Wright says “Local residents in my area and we in Rugby Green Party have been raising the scandal of 100’s homes, left empty left in Rugby for many years – being an eye sore to the local community and local residents ,themselves often in need of decent accommodation see unused buildings and wonder at the waste of resources which is felt more keenly in these hard times.”

 “Rugby Council and Mark Pawsey keep congratulating themselves, on all the new housing developments – which we should add are largely unaffordable for local people. But, despite Mr Pawsey appearing on a national TV documentary about the empty homes scandal, he and the Tory council they seem to have forgotten about the wasted 400 plus long term empty homes around the Borough.”  Adds Peter Reynolds

Rugby Green Party is calling upon the Conservative- controlled Borough Council, to finally start using at least some of the powers given to them several years ago by government, which are intended to stop the national scandal of private owners leaving homes empty for years on end.   These powers are successfully used by more enterprising Councils across the UK, and include increased Council Tax on empties, Repair Notices, forced sale, Empty Dwelling Management Orders, Compulsory Purchase Orders, and Essential Repair Grants.  

Rugby Greens believe this would also create much needed extra work for our local trade’s people.

Rugby Green party is also calling on the Borough Council to undertake an imaginative buy back scheme from local landlords who can not keep their properties in good order due to financial problems and rent them directly to local people as decent affordable housing with modern energy saving devices to keep fuel bills low.

Rugby Green party is compiling a list of empty properties and  we would encourage local people, especially in Benn, New Bilton  and Admirals wards especially, to report empty homes to the Council and to Rugby Green Party on rugbygreenparty@gmail.com . So that we can monitor any progress.

End

Comprehensive Spending Review: We need to run this country for the 99%, says Green Party leader Natalie Bennett

The Coalition Government’s determination to push ahead with another round of cuts in today's Spending Review is a "costly and avoidable" mistake, said Natalie Bennett, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales. Setting out the Spending Review that will see £11.5bn slashed from Whitehall budgets, Chancellor of the Exchequer George Osborne told the Commons the UK economy was "out of intensive care" but more cuts were necessary to avoid a relapse. Labour leader Ed Miliband has confirmed that Labour would match the current spending plans it inherits should it come into government in 2015.

“Austerity is simply not working”, said Bennett. “As both the IMF and OECD have indicated, Osborne’s relentless austerity measures have failed. They are preventing the British economy going through the transformation it needs. We need a program of investment in the real economy that brings lasting benefits to society and generates meaningful employment and stable incomes across the country.” Bennett added: “This spending review is a clearly ideologically driven attack on the very fabric of our state.

"It’s an attack on those employed to deliver vital public services, who face more job losses, continuing drops in real pay and overwork in denuded departments.

“It’s an attack on local government, with both funding cuts and a forced council tax freeze that prevents our elected local representatives from making choices to preserve essential local services from social care to libraries to children’s centres."

“And it is an attack on our environment, with the worst level of cuts on the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, with the Department for Energy close behind, just when we need to establish, after years of this government’s failures, sensible policies and plans to reduce our greenhouse gas emissions, deal with the impacts of climate change and secure our food supplies.”

She added: “The TUC only this week reported 180,000 children who have at least one parent working in the public sector are set to fall into poverty by 2015. As a nation, a wealthy nation, we should not be expecting our vital service providers to struggle along in such circumstances, let alone their children.

GREENS SAY - DON'T LET YOURSELF BE MUGGED BY THE CONDEMS AND THE BANKERS!