Other News In Brief

Call For Oil Drilling At Woodburn Forest To Stop

The Green Party in Northern Ireland is calling for the oil drilling at the Woodburn Forest site near Carrickfergus to stop.

The party said Part 16 of the Planning (General Permitted Development) Order (NI) 2015 needs to be removed.

Green Party leader Steven Agnew said: "It is an unfair and undemocratic piece of legislation which denies citizens and communities the right to participate in decisions which directly affect them.

"Permitted development is for temporary and non-contentious structures. I would like to know why 2000m of concrete and a drill is not considered contentious.

"We believe this planning rule is in contravention of the Aarhus Convention which secures citizens rights to environmental information and to participate in environmental decision making.

"It allows for officials and oil / mining companies to take clandestine decisions on drilling behind closed doors. Only in Northern Ireland do we have regulations which exclude the public from such decisions.

"The secretive nature of the decision making process under Part 16 causes community mistrust of elected decision makers and councils, undermining an open and transparent approach to decision making promised as part of Local Government Reform."

Farmer Fined At Ballymena Magistrates Court

A Ballymena farmer has been convicted for three charges of failure to notify the births of three animals, two charges of failure to notify the movement of two animals onto his holding and three charges of failure to notify the movement off his holding or the deaths of three animals.

Mr Jonathan Campbell pleaded guilty and was fined £1,600 plus £28 costs and a £15 offenders levy at Ballymena Magistrates Court.

The case arose from discrepancies found at a Cattle Identification Inspection of Mr Campbell's herd carried out by Veterinary Service Enforcement Branch.

SDLP Accused Of 'Playing Fantasy Economics

Alliance South Belfast Assembly candidate Paula Bradshaw has said the SDLP is "playing fantasy economics" after the party's manifesto was exposed as being uncosted, despite previous claims to the contrary.

The South Belfast Councillor was speaking after an appearance by the party on the Nolan Show on Radio Ulster, during which it was revealed only the SDLP's headline pledges had been costed.

"The SDLP has made a song and dance throughout this campaign of their claim to have a costed manifesto - Daniel McCrossan said on television last week theirs was the only such one, citing a figure of £217 million," said Councillor Bradshaw.

"In addition, senior SDLP representatives, including the leadership, have stated on social media the manifesto was costed at £217 million. That has now been exposed as a total fallacy to the electorate."

(CD)