We want to create an open access bike skills park in the heart of Edinburgh, making mountain biking accessible from within the city. Our site is an area of neglected woodland wedged between the Southside area of Edinburgh and the Western boundary of Holyrood Park (immediately adjacent to the Crags Community Sports Centre). We want to build: - An 800m Blue Graded MTB Trail looping through the woods (for beginners, younger kids, and cycle proficiency) - Red Graded Skills Development Features (located along the Blue Trail) - An awesome Pump Track that will be great for developing skills and improving technique But we are doing way more than just creating a cool new bike play space: We are also cleaning up a potentially lovely but badly neglected woodland and turning it back into a green space that everyone, young and old, will actually use, spend time in & enjoy. Specifically we are: - Cleaning up all the rubbish, dog mess etc - Getting rid of all the needles so the woods are safe again for kids & dogs to play in again - Planting 200 new native species & fruit trees - Installing 30 bird & bat boxes - Installing new benches & rubbish bins - Improving footpaths for dog walkers & runners After four years of hard work we have: - Planning permission - A 25 year lease for the site - 80% of the funding - Loads of support from local people, organisations and businesses! Once up and running, the woods will also be a great community resource for local Eco schools & forest school projects, for young people to achieve their JASS & John Muir Awards, and for led walks by park rangers plus interpretive guided tours. So why is this so important? Learning to ride a bike gives young people great confidence, and an ability to access and explore the outdoors independently, which often goes on to benefit them throughout their adult lives. Young people often can't do this in safety on the street because they are too congested and dangerous to learn on. The danger of future generations slipping into sedentary lifestyles is also well documented. Sign the petition & help us make the SKELF Bike Park happen! For more info or to get in touch: Website: http://theskelf.org.uk/ Twitter: @skelfbikepark Facebook: SkelfEdinburgh Email: [email protected]

By targeting the most precious and valued greenbelt land in the Village of Chalfont St Giles for possible housing or commercial development (Local Plan page 40) Chiltern District Council lost the confidence of local residents. The meadows were purchased with public funds by CDC in 2002 and should be preserved for future generations, they define and contribute significantly to the character of our historic village. The Meadows are set on an active flood plain and are unsuited to any development. Classed as An Area Of Outstanding Natural Beauty the meadows contain a rare and precious chalk stream river that flows through the picturesque Misbourne Valley. Home to protected wild life, flora and fauna the meadows are enjoyed by residents and visitors from all over the world.

Unconventional Fossil Fuels extraction and the Volatile Organic Compounds that are released as gasses and liquid spills are inherently dangerous, and we have plenty of evidence from other countries that it causes major damage to life and health. If this industry is to be allowed to operate in this country close to people they should be regulated and monitored stringently. If the cost has to come from the industry then so be it, we need to ensure that the public, animals and environment are safe, and so far with calls to the sites that have been active in the UK the response from the EA has been less than desirable; lying and failing in their duties. Millions of lives are at risk if these wells leak, we need to prevent this from happening. At this moment in time there is no public safety net from this industry who are releasing contaminants into the atmosphere.

If such large quantities of Black PET are being used in the food industry to sell food in all supermarkets, then this recyclable resource needs to be used for the manufacture of further new Black containers, rather than being buried in the soil at further cost to the tax payer, let alone the careless damage done to the environment. Please change our policy for the better. Thanks.

The area of Darley fields has already lost considerable habitat with the cutting down of dozens of trees, many of which were not on original plans for flood defences. Now the other side of the river will lose habitat diversity as the banks are cleared. Kingfishers have been noted there. The environmental impact will be considerable. Also spring is well on its way and many nesting birds and small mammals will be destroyed. STOP THIS SENSELESS CLEARENCE

Hinkley Point C is a vastly expensive project which has a good chance of failing, at great cost to UK electricity consumers. The model of reactor chosen for Hinkley Point C, the EPR (European Pressurised Reactor), is proving to be a technical disaster. Four are under construction in Finland, France and China and all overdue and over cost - the one in Finland is 9 years behind schedule. The cost of the Hinkley programme has escalated to £18billion and is likely to rise further. At present, the UK demand for electricity is falling and the cost of energy on world markets is also falling. Renewable technologies such as solar and wind are also rapidly becoming cheaper and represent far better value for money if we wish to invest in low-carbon electricity production. The Hinkley reactors will be funded by EDF, a company largely owned by the French government. Its finance director has resigned as he believes the company cannot afford the project. In order to attract investment in the project from France and China, the UK government has guaranteed a unit price for the power produced which is roughly three times the current price. This will inflate the electricity bills of all consumers for decades to come. Since it is a Government decision, it is effectively a tax which we can in no way avoid. A government which professes to believe in the free market has rigged the market by promising the French and Chinese investors a large return on their investment. Any profits will leave the country. Hinkley Point C is an infrastructure project that will end up as a white elephant. The next generation will not understand why we allowed such a grandiose project to be built. They will be left to pay the price through inflated electricity bills and to deal with the nuclear waste which the reactors will produce.

The Kings Arms has been on its current site in the centre of Kingsbridge since 1775 and has offered hospitality to locals and visitors since that time. It is currently closed and is in a dilapidated state - spoiling our main street which otherwise enjoys virtually fully occupancy with independent traders and giving a terrible impression to visitors new to the town. We want to open a dialogue with the owners to see about reinvigorating the building and to let it, once again, be the heart of our community.

With Five Quarters nolonger in operation there is only Cluff Natural Resources with licences who want use the North East as a testbed for undersea coal gasification (UCG), an experimental method of squeezing out the remaining drops of coal. They have received licences to test down the NE coast from Seaham to Hartlepool In Australia linc energy UCG wells were found to leak the same substances to groundwater as can be released by fracking resulting in a 320km zone be made around the plant. There are dangers of blowbacks and explosions. Many test have failed. It has never been used on a commercial basis. The gas produced is syngas or coal gas. It is a mixture of methane (natural gas), carbon monoxide, carbon dioxide and hydrogen. They plan to pump it back into the hole they have made using Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS). This is another process that has not been fully tested. Surely it would be better to use renewables and not produce the CO2 in the first place? There is of course the carrot of job creation. Any jobs created by UCG/fracking will be highly specialised. However, if the same amounts of money were to be invested in renewable energies and/or home and public building insulation, which the public have been shown to prefer as the majority of surveys have shown. There would be far more new jobs and far fewer environmental concern's. For more information see Frackfreehartlepool.co.uk

This is a nature reserve and contains an array of wildlife that will be affected as a consequence of building on the green land.

We can make a choice whether we wish to eat this food or not. We currently have no idea of the long term effects of this type of process

Hilperton Marsh [aka the Gap] is a flood plain and building over 200 houses risks increasing the risk of flooding for homes and businesses in the area and overloading the current water courses and drains. What's more it's a beautiful open area of green fields, historically dividing the village of Hilperton from the town. It is an easily accessible area used by both local residents and people from other areas for recreation and to enhance the quality of life for both young and old. Trees and hedges that support wildlife including bats, owls and kingfishers will be felled. The Hilperton relief road which has been built across the centre of the Gap is now being used as an excuse to build on the land - not the purpose that it was constructed for. Both Councillors for this area are opposed to these plans. One Councillor, Cllr Steve Oldrieve said: " The whole of the Hilperton Gap is vital to the well-being of our community and we cannot allow unwanted piece-meal speculative housing developments to destroy it." It's time to stand up to Save the Hilperton Gap. If enough of us support this petition it will put pressure on Wiltshire Council to refuse planning permission and consider alternatives to protect this land for future generations.

George, real people are struggling to deal with the effects of fracking in communities all over the world. From contaminated water that is unsafe to drink, wash and bathe in, through to the effects of poor air quality on health, damage to local economies through to the loss of tourism and agriculture and the decimation of areas of outstanding beauty and scientific interest. Here is a video link you might care to watch https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V3K0kV7UcME. Fracking requires large numbers of wells (usually 8 per square mile), huge quantities of water that will be forever poisoned, and industrial development of the English countryside on an unprecedented scale whilst causing and not preventing a rise in greenhouse gases (shale gas and oil are fossil fuels and so emit greenhouse gases - did you know?). George you have scrapped the Green Charter at a time when many of our European cousins are investing heavily in green technologies, making huge innovative strides in solar and other renewable technology and banning fracking because of its inherent risks and dangers. Still more countries have extended temporary bans due to their concerns, to allow more time to thoroughly assess the dangers. Others that have already suffered the negative consequences of fracking are now taking measures to prevent further fracking. Oh and by the way - I can see no evidence that fracking will drive prices down at home here in the UK. There is no guarantee that gas fracked in this country would be used here. We, as you well know, are part of a free market economy so gas will be sold wherever it will generate the largest profits. Those profits will go back to the corporates and their shareholders, not our economy unless, of course, we manage to close all those pesky off shore loop holes by the time those profits are made (Starbucks anyone?). Meanwhile with oil prices scraping the bottom of the proverbial barrel and the price of solar electricity falling fast, the likes of Citibank say big power stations could be redundant in 10 - 20 years’ time! What then will happen to the wells George? Who will be responsible for their upkeep and/or decommissioning and at what cost environmentally and economically?. Where will the contaminated water go? Perhaps you are hoping it will just seep neatly away into the cracks caused by fracking (along with the other 60% of water that 'goes missing' during the fracking process), that is assuming that the wells are even up and running by this deadline. Me? I like my water fresh from the tap, preferably uncontaminated. Fracking has the very real potential to adversely affect the food we eat, the water we drink, the air we breathe and the ground we walk on (remember the earthquakes George, that Cuadrilla admitted to causing?). Therefore we, the undersigned, request an immediate cessation to this Government's pro-fracking policies and any pro-fracking activity currently taking place until a thorough INDEPENDENT, cross party, scientific analysis and review has taken place with any research and conclusions reached made transparent and fully available to the public. We thank you for your earliest attention in this matter.