It has been a hugely significant week as I brought my Parliamentary Petition on the Morgan & Morecambe Offshore Wind Farm proposals first to the House of Commons Chamber, where I formally presented it before Parliament. On Tuesday I visited Downing Street with Councillors from across the constituency to give a copy to the Prime Minister.
The proposals as they stand are simply unworkable for Fylde, disrupting local schools, causing havoc for residence while causing potentially irreversible damage to agricultural land and the many family run farming businesses in the area. This is before we consider the impact on the sand dunes in St Annes, a nature reserve, and the nearby Blackpool Airport and other pieces of local infrastructure, such as Queensway or the nearly completed Moss Road.
With the next stage in the process being a so called ‘Targeted Consultation’ of local property and landowners, we have another chance to see that Morgan & Morecambe think again. I will be working with Parish Councils and residents’ groups to again mobilise and make sure that their views are heard loud and clear.
On a more positive note, we are making progress on the twin issues of water quality and flooding, with local organisation the Ribble Rivers Trust playing a key role. At Liggard Brook we already have £190,000 committed by United Utilities to invest in a programme of desilting that will restore the river’s flow, in addition to the creation of a wetland reserve. This work seeks to reduce local flood risk and increase the number of local fish and bird species in the Brook.
A similar project is due to go ahead in Wrea Green, with new ponds serving as both a haven for wildlife and a storage point for excess surface water, relieving pressures on the gullies and drains on nearby highways. Having visited Wrea Green following flooding incidents on far too many occasions, it was great to be in the village to talk about resolutions, meeting with Cllr Frank Andrews on Saturday to discuss this £351,000 project, funded by a government grant, the latest step in the Government’s Plan for Water.
I was delighted to visit Kirkham for the town’s inaugural Heritage Lantern Festival. The town is going from strength to strength, and it is wonderful to see how the town is starting to regularly host these weekend events that are such a draw for families from near and far.
The event served as a showcase of local talent, with the unveiling of a new mural that celebrates Kirkham’s history, as well as performances by local choirs, bands, and dance groups. A particular highlight was the variety in the performances, with everything from the traditional Morris dancing of the Fylde Coast Cloggers to the vibrancy of the samba and reggae groups, as well as the main lantern parade that evening.