Islandmagee Gas Project a lot of hot air?

Much has been said over recent days, weeks, and a month or two about the proposed gas storage project on and near Islandmagee.

It just happens there is a council election looming on the 2nd May, and all sorts are coming out of the woodwork to condemn and oppose the plans. Wait - even some have done a U-turn on previous claims to please the electorate (i.e. try and earn votes!).

Because of this, I thought it was time to revive a few articles, comments, and opinions so that the people of this - my -area know exactly who is being sincere or not. (And forgive me if this goes on a bit but I think it's both necessary and worth it.)

Since this project as such first raised its head around 2011/12, I am the ONLY elected councillor to have opposed it from then until now. That was 2+ years before an election then, and 7 years before this one - so I hope you can see I have had genuine objections and not just self-gain at heart.

History

Late in 2012, the SDLP Minister responsible for environmental issues - Alex Attwood - granted approval for the project to proceed. At the time, I very strongly objected on the grounds that this was done with little to no community consultation:

‘Residents’ views have been ignored’ – Deputy Mayor Read more at: https://www.larnetimes.co.uk/news/residents-views-have-been-ignored-deputy-mayor-1-4404339


There can be no doubt as to my opposition - here is an excerpt from an email of 18 October:
Indeed, as Deputy Mayor of Larne at the time, I gave an interview to UTV Live in opposition to the proposal.

Following this, things died down for a while, as did a number of other energy proposals for the area, due to a range of reasons, including loss of interest, permission hurdles, and funding.

That was until mid to late last year when, with a change in personnel and structures, the gas storage project again raised its head and was progressing a bid for EU funding. As part of the restructuring, the proposed number of caverns was dropped from 8 to 7 earlier this year in order to reduce capital expenditure.

News of the renewed efforts to take the project forward began to circulate and local concerns again emerged. On 21 January 2019 I received a briefing via email and responded with a number of questions, primarily about the environmental impact. My response came on 18 February which was simply a copy of some 'relevant' parts of the Q&A section of their website.

Public Opposition

Between submitting my questions and receiving the 'response', the unrest among the public was growing to such an extent that many felt their feelings needed to be brought together in public. At quite short notice, a large crowd gathered at Brown's Bay with signs and banners, photos and videos were taken, interviews offered, and then those present took a walk around Skernaghan Point towards where the bring discharge is proposed to take place.

 

I was there, and was able to speak to a lot of people there voicing their concern, mostly regarding environmental issues and the fact that they felt things were moving ahead without them having the opportunity to input as local residents. This video gives a good flavour of the day.

Briefing

Political representatives were invited to a "political briefing". (The cynic in me would query if this would have taken place had opposing local voices not been so prominent.) There was no time, date, or place included, other than it would be in the "area". The date was secured, but we weren't informed of the venue until a few days before.

I had indicated from the start that I would be attending anyway, because there were many questions and concerns that were not being addressed, and I assumed the team from the company would want to resolve this.

The meeting was styled as a working lunch, so we were fed - I declared this and didn't try to hide the fact. Not that it would make a difference to my viewpoint, without answers, clarification, and proper community consultation!

There was a good enough attendance. The first part of the meeting (less than half, I'd say) was about the project, and how some of the management team had their own fishing boats for many years. The other part - the majority - was in relation to the community fund. Anyone wishing to support community initiatives gets my admiration and any money for local projects is very welcome. But given local unrest about the project, this part of the meeting was unsuitable and did nothing to suppress any suggestions of 'money for support' which may have been mooted before.

Main Issues

For most people, the primary concerns with this project are not necessarily the project itself. Instead, they are:

• significant environmental risks;
• impact on residents; &
• the failure/refusal to genuinely engage with the community.

To date these remain largely unaddressed.

My main focus at the briefing meeting was the environmental risk posed by the project. We were told that the previous day the company had met with local industry representatives who offered guidance (on the placing oh buoys etc.) and whose concerns had been allayed. I have tried to speak to these reps since that day and, in 2 months, have not been able to identify who they were.

Way Forward


In conjunction with my colleagues Cllr Andy Wilson and John Stewart MLA, we have been actively contacting both Infrastrata and other relevant bodies (such as the Department of Agriculture, Environment & Rural Affairs (DAERA)). You can see the sharp response received by John here.

There have been 2 'public' meetings since the political briefing. The first, in the Gobbins/Community Centre, was a surgery with residents required to pre-book appointment slots for a meeting with a panel of representatives from Infrastrata. Given my concern that the public feels left out of the process, when we raised the point of a public or more open meeting, the response was that they felt it wasn't the best way forward.

The second meeting took place yesterday in the form of a 'meet the experts' event. Like most people, I found out about this little more than 12 hours before the first drop-in session started. There was still a good turnout, and in fairness to the sub-contracted experts, they did their best to calmly and personally answer any questions posed to them on behalf of Infrastrata.

I will be writing to Infrastrata and their 'communications' team in order to express the concern that the community (rightly) feel left in the dark, and to highlight that communication should be a top priority from now on.

Licence & Number of Caverns

In terms of the project, the company have submitted updated information to DAERA in order to progress a marine licence, which is required before underwater work can begin. This will eventually be put to consultation, which is when objections to brine discharge and environmental impact will be considered. According to RPS, around 2 or 3 buoys will be placed to constantly monitor brine levels, and microphones to detect porpoise activity (these two points and their plans/conditions should be the focus of those particularly concerned about environment issues).

Should this licence be approved, the company's plans are to begin with 2 caverns initially, which will allow testing of systems, etc. These two caverns will apparently have enough gas for the NI market. Should they proceed with the next 5, these would be done on a rolling basis. At a rate of 18 months per cavern for extraction, with some overlap, the discharge could last for a considerable length of time - and the marine damage the company itself has admitted could take the same period or longer to fully recover.

The point about 15+ potential caverns was clarified yesterday. There are 2 companies - Islandmagee Energy, and Islandmagee Hub. The latter is a research company which will explore possible future projects, including more caverns and the option of reversing the 'snip' to allow gas to travel across the Irish Sea in both directions. That's all far in the future, so the focus is currently on the 2-7 caverns under the current marine licence application.

One of the most notable aspects I have noted about this process in the past number of years is how the community has pulled together - not just in the way residents usually come together when under threat or sharing common ground, but in a coordinated and cohesive way, with badges, yellow banners around Larne Lough, detailed preparations, and a real sense of cohesion.

The next few months will be very interesting as both the company and the community move to the next stage of the process with the marine licence application.

Dangerous Stretch of Road Requires Co-ordinated Approach

Cllr Mark McKinty has appealed for statutory bodies to co-ordinate efforts towards a solution regarding a stretch of road between Eden and Whitehead.

The Belfast Road section of the A2 has been dogged with issues for years, with speed being the main factor among complainants.

 

Following the latest accident involving a car and a motorcycle, Cllr McKinty has renewed calls for the PSNI, Department of Infrastructure, and other agencies to come together and reach a solution to the enduring problem.

Speaking after the news, he said: "Whilst speeding and traffic issues are not directly related to Council, they are constantly raised with me as I speak with residents and community groups".

"Since I began representing the Whitehead area in 2014, this part of the A2 has been a constant concern for locals and visitors alike. The number of cars passing in both directions on a daily basis is significant, and therefore the level of complaints, near-misses, and actual accidents is also a grave concern."

"Despite a recent extension to the speed restriction limits, the dangerous situation continues. Indeed, with the proposed re-development of the Cloughan Point fuel storage and its associated near-constant flow of traffic out of Quay Lane, I fear that the situation on the Belfast Road will only deteriorate at a worrying rate."

"I therefore reiterate my call to all those responsible for roads and traffic to come together and find a solution before any further accidents or, hopefully not, a fatality may occur. The time to act here is now."

Mid & East Antrim Council passes Ulster Unionist Animal Welfare Motion

Mid & East Antrim has tonight unanimously passed an Ulster Unionist motion calling for increased support for and awareness of animal welfare.

The motion was proposed by Cllr Mark McKinty and seconded by Cllr Miss Lindsay Millar, and read as follows:

“This Council regards cruelty against animals as a despicable crime; believes that more could be done to protect animals from cruelty and prevent reoffending, including the exploration of stricter punishments and raising awareness of animal cruelty and proper reporting methods. Therefore, this Council calls on the Minister for Justice to work with the Minister for Agriculture and Rural Development and local Councils to make it compulsory that those convicted of animal cruelty be prohibited from owning animals for a minimum period of time, establish and place those convicted of animal cruelty on a central register and outlaw the transferring of any animals to anyone on this register.”

On proposing the motion, Cllr McKinty said “Animal cruelty is a major issue, although I prefer to refer to this wider topic as the treatment of animals. It is an area in which Councils have a role, yet I would like to see local government play a bigger part, particularly in terms of reporting structures.”

“This motion is timely, as in little over 3 weeks families across this area will potentially have a new addition in the form of a pet given as a Christmas present. Yet in 2, 4 or 6 months, when the novelty wears off and the cost of owning a pet is fully appreciated, many of these end up in classified ads, in animal shelters, or, in the worst cases, abandoned completely.”

“Indeed it is also timely for another reason. On 25 October 2015 in Palma, Spain, a man was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment for beating a racehorse and leaving it for dead. The horse, which had previously earned the man a considerable amount of money, didn’t perform its best in a race and this was the outcome. This case was the first custodial sentence for animal cruelty in Spain, and is a welcome precedent at a European level. Further, when the defence applied for a suspended sentence, the judge denied this on the grounds that it would send out a negative lesson to others.”

“Keeping an animal is a huge responsibility, but those of us who are pet owners know, it is a wonderful experience, often lasting more than a decade. I ask members to support the motion to help ensure that the experience is just as enjoyable for the animals in question.”

Cllr Millar, seconding the motion, stated; "I pay tribute to the councillors in Belfast City Council with whom this motion originated earlier in the year. I am pleased that the elected members of Mid and East Antrim Borough Council have unanimously agreed that cruelty to animals cannot be tolerated in our society. Mid and East Antrim is no stranger to animal cruelty, during the summer I was distressed to learn that a beloved pet cat was blasted with a shot gun in Ballymena. I welcome the fact that this council has now agreed to raise awareness of the proper methods of reporting this crime."

All party-political groupings represented on Mid & East Antrim Borough Council spoke in favour of the motion, and all members present voted in favour.

In closing, Cllr McKinty said: "I wish to thank members for supporting our motion. I believe one measure of a society is how it treats animals, and I hope this motion will contribute towards better welfare of all animals under our care".

ENDS.

Notes to editor: photo attached - Cllr Lindsay Millar and Cllr Mark McKinty pictured in The Braid tonight.

Full text of proposer's speech:

“Animal cruelty is a major issue, although I prefer to refer to this wider topic as the treatment of animals. It is an area in which Councils have a role, yet I would like to see local government play a bigger part, particularly in terms of reporting structures.”

“This motion is timely, as in little over 3 weeks families across this area will potentially have a new addition in the form of a pet given as a Christmas present. Yet in 2, 4 or 6 months, when the novelty wears off and the cost of owning a pet is fully appreciated, many of these end up in classified ads, in animal shelters, or, in the worst cases, abandoned completely.”

“Indeed it is also timely for another reason. On 25 October 2015 in Palma, Spain, a man was sentenced to 8 months’ imprisonment for beating a racehorse and leaving it for dead. The horse, which had previously earned the man a considerable amount of money, didn’t perform its best in a race and this was the outcome. This case was the first custodial sentence for animal cruelty in Spain, and is a welcome precedent at a European level. Further, when the defence applied for a suspended sentence, the judge denied this on the grounds that it would send out a negative lesson to others.”

“It is this educational point which is central to this motion. For too long in Northern Ireland, cases of animal abuse have been dealt with far too leniently, if even at all. There is little deterrent, and personally speaking, I would advocate an animal abuse register so that repeat of offences are taken into consideration upon reoffending. It is also incumbent on us all to raise awareness of animal cruelty and how to report it, from animal abuse, involving violence, to mistreatment, including locking up animals for extended periods. We hope to contribute to that awareness-raising, but also trigger a change within local and regional government, and the legal system. Keeping an animal is a huge responsibility, but those of us who are pet owners know, it is a wonderful experience, often lasting more than a decade. I ask members to support the motion to help ensure that the experience is just as enjoyable for the animals in question.”

McKinty welcomes comprehensive approach to 'legal highs'.

Ulster Unionist ‎Cllr Mark McKinty has welcomed the inclusion of action on legal highs in Queen's speech.

Speaking following the announcement, Cllr McKinty said:

"I am pleased that on Wednesday Her Majesty The Queen set out in her speech to Parliament proposals to comprehensively tackle the issue of legal highs across the country."

"This came only a day after the very welcome news that Belfast City Council was successful in bringing legal action against suppliers."

"I previously met with Larne Council officers and the PSNI who subsequently met with Belfast officers to pursue the same course of action. Each case is different and extremely difficult to see through to a successful end, but I have requested Mid and East Antrim Borough Council officers give this issue the same priority treatment."

"I also wrote to Stormont, the Home Office, and the Prime Minister requesting comprehensive and robust action against this blight on our communities. Current legislation means each of the ‎ever-increasing new array of psychoactive substances, legal highs, has to be tested and banned individually. I am happy therefore that the Government is proposing to ban all such substances (except alcohol, tobacco and caffeine) and suppliers of new substances must prove their fitness for human consumption."

"Both items of news this week have been a success for public health and safety, and I will be again writing to the Government to encourage a swift fulfilment of the proposed legislative route; the safety and well-being of our communities, particularly those of our young people, depend on it."

Ends

For information on Belfast City Council conviction, see:
'Legal highs': Belfast sellers first to be convicted in the UK, as landmark city council prosecution succeeds

Translink's latest Larne Line consultation "narrow and unfair"

Translink's latest consultation exercise has been labeled "short-sighted, narrow, unfair, and unhelpful" by a local councillor.

Ulster Unionist Mark McKinty has suggested that 1 week's notice for consultation events, and their scheduling in Carrickfergus and Larne during working hours offered a "narrow window for response" and were "unhelpfully scheduled at awkward times, given that the majority of those views sought would be from school children, university students, and workers".

"Larne bus services recently escaped potential cuts by Translink only for the Larne Line now to be drawn into a railway consultation. Less than 8 days' notice was given for the meetings to be held - ridiculously - from 10 to 12.30pm in Carrickfergus Train Station and from 2 to 4.30pm in Larne Train Station."

"Most regular train users will be in school, university or work at those times, particularly since it is the early morning and evening services which Translink are interested in surveying. There are surveys taking place on trains, but I believe the consultation is inadequate and should be suspended."

"I have spoken with Translink reps and asked that if they are proceeding with the consultation, that it is opened up to evening and weekend times, that the period of consultation is extended, and that a survey be made available online."

"Leaving aside the flawed process adopted by Translink, their motivation is not to provide a better service but to cut their costs. They claim that any services affected will be served by an alternative - when Translink brought in new timetables a few years ago, Larne trains were downgraded to such an extent that the alternative for many is now to use the car."

"We should be encouraging public transport. I am a train user and know that users of the stations between Whitehead and Larne are already sometimes forced to take a train almost 1 hour before necessary."

"The solution is simple. We have new trains, a much needed improvement on what we had before (and I must note that the Larne Line was the last to get these trains, which also deterred use of the line). We must promote the line so more users use it. By cutting services, we reduce numbers and therefore reduce income, leading only to further cuts in the future."

"Translink must realise that those people on services which are cut will not simply use another. That option may not be appropriate for their work or life schedule. Invest in and market the line, and revenue will increase. It's simple business logic!."

"I have written to Translink highlighting my concerns and requesting a meeting at their earliest convenience to discuss the Larne Line and to lobby for retention of services."

Call for calm after Larne attack

Ulster Unionist councillor Mark McKinty has appealed for calm following paramilitary-style attacks on two men earlier today (Easter Sunday).

The incident, which took place around 2.05pm in the Linn Road area of Larne, involved baseball bats and a hatchet and left two men injured.

Speaking soon after the incident, Cllr McKinty said: "Firstly I would today appeal for calm and that there would be no attempted retaliation following today's incident. What happened was a terribly vicious crime but any return attach would be equally unlawful. The police and the courts must be the only organisations to implement the rule of law; no others should take the law into their own hands".

"Recently there have been a number of incidents particularly in this area of Larne which have heightened tensions, and I for one do not wish to see community relations or peace broken by a minority. The residents of this area deserve to live, work, and study in a peaceful and safe environment without fear of crime or antisocial behaviour."

"I would ask anyone who witnessed the event, or who has any further information, to contact Larne PSNI dectective on 101."

"Early language learning is long-term investment" - McKinty

An Ulster Unionist councillor has branded a recend decision to end funding for primary school language programmes as 'unsurprising but disappointingly short-sighted'. Cllr Mark McKinty, who is a Larne Lough representative on the new Mid & East Antrim Borough Council, has raised concerns following the announcement by the Education Minister, John O'Dowd, last month.

"My language learning began in Year 8 of secondary school, aged 11. From Years 8-10 we studied 2 years each of French, German, and Spanish. I decided to continue with Spanish for GCSE and A-Level, whilst German was ruled out due to timetabling issues. I began my university studies with Accounting and Spanish, later completing a Masters and PhD in Hispanic Studies."

"Endless studies have shown that language learning must begin as early as possible in order to have the greatest impact and to bear more substantial, long-lasting results. We all learned our own mother language by total submersion from the day and hour we were born, first listening, then first words, followed by learning to read and write."

Cllr McKinty worked in the secondary school IES Sierra Morena in Andújar, one of the first bilingual centres in southern Spain.

Cllr McKinty is also a PhD candidate in Hispanic Studies and teaching assistant in the School of Modern Languages at the Queen's University of Belfast. He previously taught English in southern Spain in a pilot programme which sought to create a large number of bilingual schools. He also worked in the Spanish department of Nissan's international marketing and customer care centre.

"I support primary and even nursery language programmes - early language learning is a long-term investment not only in the young people adquiring the new skills, but it also contributes to the local community and economy in a number of ways."

Cllr McKinty picture with Grace and Stephen, owners of award-winning Stealth Translations Ltd based in Larne.

"The immediate benefits of learning a second language are somewhat obvious, extending from ordering a meal in a French restaurant to conversing with locals in a small Italian village. Indirect skills acquired from the process include confidence, more opportunities, and a number of health and wellbeing benefits, as studies have shown."

"Language learning is essential for the modern world in which we live, with ever-increasing influences and opportunities from all four corners of the globe. Local Larne-based company Stealth Translations base their entire business model on the interaction of languages within business, government, and communities across the world. Language not only presents us with the opportunity to export goods and services abroad, but also to import, have a greater role in international tourism, and to improve all facets of society. Many European funding programmes require cooperation between groups in different areas of Europe, most of which requires knowledge of at least one other language. All these benefits are in addition to the increased cultural awareness gained from learning about ancient cultures through written records from their time."

"I am very pleased that fellow Ulster Unionists also recognise the long-term need to invest in our young people and the potential wealth of benefits which this would bring. Pulling this programme may be an unsurprising but disappointinly short-sighted attempt to balance the books, but the bigger picture will see our already worryingly inadequate levels of second language knowledge continue to fall. I am proud that the Ulster Unionist party supports an education system in which languages would play a significant role".

Ulster Unionists Jim Nicholson MEP, Danny Kinahan MLA, party leader Mike Nesbitt MLA, and Cllr Mark McKinty

Ulster Unionist MLA and Education spokesperson Danny Kinahan has challenged the Minister for Education to produce evidence that the primary modern language programme was not delivering. The scheme saw tutors go into primary schools to introduce pupils to foreign languages.

Mr Kinahan said: "The Minister for Education announced at the start of March that all funding for the Primary Modern Languages Programme would cease at the end of March. This was after his budget had been voted through by the DUP and Sinn Fein. It was also without any prior notice for the 100 peripatetic language tutors who had been delivering the programme, or any detailed discussion with the Education Committee who are meant to scrutinise the decision making of the Minister".

"This is no way to do government. I have challenged the Minister about the teaching of languages to primary school children at Question Time on the floor of the Assembly, and have been surprised by his response. More than just his normal line blaming everyone else for budget cuts, he has questioned the effectiveness of the programme, and suggested that it was not encouraging young people to go on to take modern languages later in their school career.  He said, “Over the seven years that the programme has been running, we have actually seen a slight slippage in the number of young people taking GCSEs and A levels in modern languages.”

 “How on earth can the Minister judge the programme based on numbers of pupils going on to study for GCSEs and A levels when the oldest pupils who were exposed to the language programme in Primary schools from 2007, would only now be in Year 10 (4^th Form) at secondary school?  The core programme was for P1 to P4 classes, it simply has not been in place long enough to be fully evaluated.  I have placed another question at the Assembly asking the Minister to reveal his evidence base."

 “The Minister goes on to suggest that individual schools have the option to continue to teach languages out of their own resources.  At this stage, with the new financial year upon us and school budgets already planned, this is a completely unrealistic suggestion.  I fear that in the immediate future there is unlikely to be any language provision at primary schools in Northern Ireland.  In contrast, the teaching of modern foreign languages like French, Spanish and German in primary schools, is being prioritised in the rest of the United Kingdom. This whole area needs to be looked at again.  We need a centrally organised programme which offers tutors a degree of job security and primary schools a reliable and committed resource for their pupils.”

Ulster Unionist MEP Jim Nicholson, has slammed the decision by the Education Minister, John O’Dowd, to axe a modern languages programme for primary schools.

The Primary Modern Language Programme was introduced in 2007 to support primary schools in teaching another language. Minister O’Dowd announced at the beginning of the month that the programme would cease on 31^st March.

Criticising the decision, Mr Nicholson said; “I am disappointed that the Minister plans to terminate the Primary Modern Languages Programme by the end of March. Working in the European political arena, I recognise the merits of having a second language. Never having learned another language is something I regret."

“When it comes to speaking languages, the United Kingdom lags way behind the rest of Europe. The effect of this means that sometimes the UK is not as well represented in the Commission secretariat and other EU institutions as it could and should be.”

“A second language is hugely advantageous if you wish to live and work elsewhere in the European Union, or even when seeking partners for EU funded projects. Learning another language from a young age provides perhaps the best opportunity to achieve fluency, something our European neighbours are acutely aware of."

“I believe, with this decision, the Minister is undervaluing the benefits of language learning, in terms of skills, employability and mobility for the future. The Primary Modern Language Programme operates in 54% of primary schools across Northern Ireland, so not only will scrapping this programme leave language tutors out of work at relatively short notice, but it will also leave many children worse off."

“Furthermore, it is disgraceful that a modern language programme is being axed at the same time as the Minister for Education is approving proposals for a new Irish medium secondary school near Dungiven, which is neither viable nor financially sustainable.

“This programme should not be axed and I urge the Minister to seriously rethink this short-sighted decision.”

ENDS