Two local pensioners are determined that Leicestershire County Council will get the message that people living and working close to the proposed opencast mine on the Minorca site near Measham, Leicestershire want a decision made on this proposal by July 15th. Pensioners Phil Owen who turns 67 in August, and Bob Walsh, 69 will set out to trek 14 miles on the day of the next meeting of Leicestershire’s Development Control and Regulatory Board on June 17th to ensure that this message is delivered.

“We will be setting off at 7.00 am from Swepstone Church” says Bob. “We hope to get to County Hall by 1.00pm in time for the meeting which begins at 2.00pm.
Making a decision on this proposal has already been postponed six times. We want the County Council to assure us that a decision will finally be made on the Minorca Application on July 15th.”

The petition asks that the application be determined at the meeting of the County Council’s Development Control and Regulatory Board at its following meeting as since September 2008local residents have suffered anxiety and hardship over the threat of having such a large development so close to where they live and that it is unfair to allow this worry over whether permission is, or is not going to be granted to continue.
This initiative, of petitioning LCC, has the backing of the local MP Andrew Bridgen and local District Councillors Jason Summerfield and Rowena Holland. It has so far collected over 250 mainly local signatures.
Phil and Bob hope to be accompanied by other supports of the petition for all or part of the way. In order to complete the walk by 1.00pm and to present the petition for the DC&RB meeting which begins at 2.00 pm, Phil and Bob will be starting at 7.00am from Swepstone Parish Church which overlooks the proposed site.
Phil said
“Local people feel strongly about length of time they have had to wait for a decision on this issue. By the 15th of July we will have been waiting for over a year – that is long enough!! Our lives have been blighted, how much longer UK Coal need to complete their planning application.

It is also unfair that the only recourse left to us is to present this petition asking for no further delay in this matter. UK Coal, however, have the right to appeal to the Secretary of State to ask for a Public Inquiry for ‘non determination’ if they had been kept waiting for over a year for LCC to make a decision on this application. We don’t have that right, we can only petition for a decision. LCC should decide on the application already received.

People can let Terry Morrell (07988 697 554) know if they intend to join Phil and Bob for all or part of the walk on June 17th. Arraignments are being made for up to four people to join or leave the walk at two places along the route, at Ibstock (the Co-op Supermarket Car Park between 8.30 am and 8.50) and the Markfield Motorway Service Station between 10.30 and 11.00am.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THIS PRESS RELEASE CONTACT:
STEVE LEARY, SPOKESPERSON, MOPG
4 GREENFIELD ROAD, MEASHAM, SWADLINCOTE, DERBYSHIRE DE12 7LB, tel 05601 767981, email  steve46leary@googlemail.com

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON MOPG PLEASE GO TO:
 http://www.mopg.co.uk or
 http://www.leicestershirevillages.com/measham/minorca-protest.html