Fight phosphate in Herefordshire - #LiftTheBan
Herefordshire's Construction Industry Lobby Group (HCILG)
In response to a phosphate moratorium, issued by Natural England, Herefordshire Council has decided to stop processing all planning applications in over two thirds of the county area. This is having disastrous consequences on jobs and businesses in Herefordshire. The future of the construction industry hangs in the balance if #LiftTheBan doesn’t happen.
The construction industry in Herefordshire is worth £1.2bn* per annum to the local economy.
Thousands of jobs and businesses in the county are being affected, whilst the industry faces economic ruin if the moratorium isn't lifted immediately. Furthermore, peoples development plans are on hold whilst the planning department have been forced to do nothing until #LiftTheBan happens.
Here are real examples of what's going on...
"We have a housing development being held up and all we want to do is amend floor levels, it's nothing to do with phosphate run off, so we're having to change our whole business model to keep trading as we can't start the build."
A Contractor Leominster.
"I bought a plot in north Herefordshire and sold my current house to live in a caravan on site, but the Council isn't discharging reserved matters conditions for drainage, but I am already discharging to the sewer as the Council said I could put the caravan on the site. I'm stuck and cant start my build."
A young couple looking to self-build their own home
There are hundreds if not thousands of similar application cases like this!
So how can you help...
Together, we are all building a local construction industry Lobby Group. We know that we can't just rely on the local council to save our industry. We need to take matters into our own hands - with a fighting fund to #LiftTheBan
This means money! - we are all volunteers, giving our own time without charge, to help #LiftTheBan on behalf of the construction industry in Herefordshire.
We need to resource a QC to provide robust legal opinion.
So give whatever you can and come to support jobs in the county – and help #LiftTheBan
£15’000 would resource QC opinion to help #LiftTheBan
If you are a developer, or volume house builder we suggest a minimum donation of £5000.
We are construction individuals, and now we are campaigners, and we ask you to join us, give what you can, and share the campaign widely with others.
HCILG is the only lobby group in Herefordshire working to help improve the environment and support better land management in the county to get the construction industry moving forward and unlock the phosphate moratorium - to #LiftTheBan
Your money will be used to fund:
• legal opinion to robustly challenge EU legislation
HELP TO #LiftTheBan
The funds raised will be sent to the HCILG organisation outside of GoFundMe.
FURTHER READING
(*) The Gross Value Added figure stated for year 2017 including all allied industries.
Herefordshire Council
Nutrient Management Board
Nutrient Management Dashboard
Guidance for developers - Herefordshire Council
Press - Hereford Times
Environment Agency Report
Contacts
HCILG Chaired by:
Jim Hicks: jim@oha-architecture.co.uk
Merry Albright: [email redacted]
Fundraising: [email redacted].uk
