Hoonaloon News September 2012

Among his many other interests, Harold H Mather was noted for taking an active interest in conservation, preservation and the history of Nottinghamshire, with a particular interest in industrial heritage.

His `Clock and Watch Makers of Nottinghamshire` is just one of the titles featured in the current Hoonaloon News. To find out more. click here ;

http://hoonaloon.blogspot.com .

Butterflies and Brownfields

We often assume that housing and other developments should take place on brownfield sites in order to relieve the pressure on green belt land and open spaces.

Sometimes that`s right, but look a little deeper and you soon start to think, as the song says, "it ain`t necessarily so".

Brownfield sites can be something of a lifeline for rare and endangered insects and invertebrates.

As I understand it, there are two main reasons for this ;

One is that changes to agriculture and the countryside mean that some species no longer prosper in rural areas where they used to be common.

The other is that the wildflowers that some species feed on can actually do quite well in an arid environment (because they have a chance to thrive without competition from more vigorous plant types which rely on richer soil).

The organisation Butterfly Conservation points out that  "low nutrient, thin or contaminated soils, with areas of bare and uneven ground...can provide a habitat with an abundance of  nectar-rich wildflowers and foodplants" but notes that "these are the type of sites often overlooked for their wildlife value and are often ear-marked for development or landscaping." 

All is not lost, however, and they also state that current legislation and planning guidance means that "developers and planners can no longer ignore brownfield invertebrates."

Fortunately, they have found that "brownfield wildlife can co-exist with industry and regeneration."

I believe that the Wildlife Trusts* provide some information and advice on this, but for now we will return to Butterfly Conservation who are running a Butterflies and Brownfields Project which focuses on former industrial sites such as quarries, railway lines, former collieries, demolition sites and former landfill sites.

 Two leaflets of theirs, `Brownfields for Butterflies` and `Butterflies in Towns and Cities` can be downloaded from their site.

Butterfly Conservation can be found at www.butterfly-conservation.org .





*see www.wildlifetrusts.org/wildlife/habitats/brownfield

Annesley Community Committed to Ensuring Sustainable Settlements (ACCESS)

Here`s an extract from an article written by a member of the Ramblers* recently concerning Oak Wood at Annesley in North Notts recently ;

"Last November, Taylor Wimpey acquired the wood from the Forestry Commission. However, their intention was not to leave the wood as it stood...Instead, a planning application was made for a large soak-away** which will waterlog part of the area and require the removal of a large number of trees, thus destroying its` wildlife.

The first application was turned down but a revised scheme has now been submitted.

Local residents have got together to fight and save the wood : they have claimed several paths in it, applied for tree protection orders, and tasked a professional to prepare an Environmental Impact Assessment.

This is an excellent example of why our woods should not be sold off."

Chris Thompson - Saving our Woods and Forests, Area Footpath Secretary`s Report, Nottinghamshire Walker, Spring/Summer 2012.

A quick search shows up that the area in question is also known as Little Oak Plantation, Little Oak Woods and/or Bluebell Woods and that the local people mentioned by Mr T are in fact ACCESS (Annesley Community Committed to Ensuring Sustainable Settlements), a well-respected local group with some experience in these matters.

The group appear to have no website, but I have found some articles online that may be of interest. The most recent is ;

Unsigned - Campaigners Fight to Save Woods - www.chad.co.uk , 11 April 2012

And these two may be of interest for background ;

Unsigned - Campaign to Save Ancient Woodland - www.hucknalldispatch.co.uk, 17 Nov 2011

Unsigned - Annesley Residents Call for Woodland to be Protected - www.chad.co.uk, 2 Nov 2011

Articles on the group`s other activities have appeared  in The Chad from time to time if anyone wants to seek them out. Surprisingly, there seems to be little or nothing online from group members themselves (unless I`ve missed it !).

For want of a better way to end the article, here`s another picture of Reggie the Hedgehog.

* For more on the Ramblers see www.ramblers.org.uk and/or  www.walkmag.co.uk/news .

** Taylor Wimpey have plans to build on land adjacent to the wood, hence their desire for a `soak way`.

Bradford Odeon

Bradford Odeon closed as a cinema in the year 2000.

Planning permission for demolition of the building was granted in November 2001 but the building is still (thankfully) standing, due in large part to campaigning by the Bradford Odeon Rescue Group,  a group whose aims are shared by Bradford Civic Society and the Theatres Trust.

There have been various changes of ownership of the Odeon during the period in question, which makes the recent history of the building a rather confusing saga. However, an important point to note is that, despite earlier claims to the contrary, a structural survey in June 2008 found no major defects. Internal photos taken by `urban explorers` during the period 2006 - 2008 show a building in a state of neglect as one would expect but also highlight many features that to my mind would be worthy of preservation.

I`m planning to ask the BORG if I can use a couple of pictures from their site to illustrate this article, but in the meantime, here are the websites of the relevant groups ;

www.bradfordodeonrescuegroup.co.uk

www.bradfordcivicsociety.co.uk

www.theatrestrust.org.uk

...and here are details of a recent newspaper article ;

Jane Merrick, Elsa Nightingale - Hockney Joins Battle to Save Derelict Cinema, 20 May 2012 at www.independent.co.uk

Undershaw Preservation Trust

The Undershaw Preservation Trust is a campaign to preserve Sir Arthur Conan Doyle`s former home in Hindhead, Surrey.

The building of Undershaw was commissioned by Doyle and it contains a number of features that he himself designed.

The building is standing empty at present, and the current owners, a firm called Fossway,  intended to divide it internally into separate properties.

The UPT opposed these plans and at a recent judicial review it was ruled that Waverley Borough Council had acted wrongly in it`s handling of the planning permission application.

Waverley Borough Council have not appealed within the time allowed but Fossway are doing so.

For an update on the campaign, see here ;

Unsigned article - The Judicial Review - 10 June 2012 at http://undershawhelp.blogspot.co.uk .

The UPT itself can be found at www.saveundershaw.com .

War Memorials

Having looked at the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission in my previous post, I want to turn now to the question of UK war memorials.

There is an interesting history to the whole question of war memorials. From 1915 onwards, it was UK government policy that the bodies of services personnel who had fallen abroad were not brought home. This was partly for practical reasons , especially questions of hygiene and matters of logistics, but also due to a policy of treating all families fairly - while the wealthy could afford to transport their fallen relatives, the poor could not hope to do so.

A great number of war memorials were created after World War One, so that families had a place at which to mourn, in the absence of a grave.

Surprisingly, that situation continued until the Falklands War, and only in 1982 did it become the norm to bring home the bodies of fallen servicemen and women.

At present, as we all know, the nation`s war memorials are under threat from thieves who try to steal metal plaques etc to sell for scrap. The scale of the problem is not actually as bad as I had imagined - there are around 100,000 war memorials in the UK and on average one a week is targetted by thieves. However, that is still too many.

There have been various responses, both locally and nationally.

In Derbyshire, the City and County Councils work with the Royal British Legion, the War Memorials Trust and the National Inventory of War Memorials to help preserve memorials in the area. A good suggestion that has come from them is that community groups which maintain a particular memorial should keep a record of the names recorded on it so that there is still a record to work from even if the plaque is stolen and not retrieved.

Nationally, the War Memorials Trust and the Smart Water Foundation have launched In Memoriam 2014, a scheme whereby plaques are treated with smart water, which helps prove where it has come from if it is found by the Police, and also hopefully acts as a deterrent by making it more difficult for offenders to avoid conviction.

It may well be that we can tend to take war memorials for granted, but they are at least as worthy of preservation as the woodlands, historic buildings etc that I usually comment on. For any interested parties, there are a number of sites which can provide information and assistance ;

National Inventory of War Memorials ; www.ukniwm.org.uk and http://ukniwm.wordpress.com

War Memorials Trust ; www.warmemorials.org

In Memoriam 2014 ; www.inmemoriam2014.org

Caruth Calls Cuts into Question ; An Archaeologist Unearthed

"With local government having to make swingeing cuts across the board...it can be hard to see why anyone except archaeologists should worry about cuts to local government archaeology services. However anyone with an interest in our history should be concerned about the long-term impact of these cuts."

To learn more, see the rest of this article ;

Jo Caruth - Why Local Government Cuts to Archaeology Matter to All of Us, 4 June 2012 at www.historyworkshop.org.uk .

Jo Caruth writes as a representative of Rescue - The British Archaeological Trust, in part to promote their Fighting Back campaign. She makes her case well, though I must admit that the role of the local government archaeologist is unfamiliar territory to me - prior to reading her article I was unaware that such a post even existed !

Given that Leicester County Council have recently made a Community Archaeologist redundant, one wonders whether it might be viable for neighbouring local authorities (in this case, say Leics, Notts and Derby) to pool resources and co-finance a sort of tri-county archaeology service. However, I don`t claim to any special wisdom on the subject.

Certainly it`s right that these sort of matters should be the subject of democratic debate, so I hope that Ms Caruth`s article is widely disseminated amongst interested parties.

Useful links 

Rescue/BAT ; www.rescue-archaeology.org.uk

All Party Parliamentary Group on Archaeology ; www.appag.org.uk

Return of the Lumberjills

The Women's Timber Corps existed during World War Two and was an offshoot of the Land Army.

It consisted of female lumberjacks (known jokingly as `lumberjills`) who carried out forestry work, filling in for the young men who were away in the armed forces.

The timber was used for pit props, aircraft manufacture etc.

The WTC are seen as one of the last unrecognised stories of World War Two, and in my personal opinion, theirs is a story that deserves to be more widely known. It`s worth remembering that the work was far more labour intensive in those days - there were no chainsaws and trees could only be felled with a saw or an axe.

The Forestry Commission is gathering information on the `lumberjills` and is currently keen to hear from anyone who served in the WTC in the North Yorkshire woods, or from family members of anyone who did so.

The WTC were active in a number of wooded areas in North Yorks, particularly Dalby and Cropton (near Pickering), and Boltby and Kilburn (near Thirsk and Helmsley).

The current appeal for information and contacts follows on from a similar project earlier this year concerning WTC activities at Chopwell Wood, near Gateshead.

Details of the current appeal are contained in Forestry Commission  Press Release number 15486, dated 7 June 2012. The contact point for members of the public is Petra Young, while media enquiries should be addressed to Richard Darn.

Useful links ;

The Forestry Commission  www.forestry.gov.uk

Women`s Timber Corp (tribute site) www.womenstimbercorps.com

Although the current appeal relates specifically to N Yorks, the impression I have is that they would be happy to hear from anyone with information etc concerning wartime WTC activities.

Star Saves Heritage

Doncaster newspaper The Star is part-way through an impressive Save our Heritage campaign, aimed (as you might imagine) at preserving that city`s architectural and industrial heritage. The campaign works in partnership with Mayor Peter Davies and others.

Buildings featured in the campaign so far include the Grand Theatre, St James` Baths, St George`s Minster and the empty High School for Girls building.

Inevitably there have been some setbacks and some questions of practicality - doubts have been raised about the viability of converting the High School for Girls building into a hotel, for instance. Nevertheless, handled correctly this project could combine preservation and regeneration in a very positive way.

A number of articles from the paper may be of interest, and here are a few ;

Minster Repairs Need Millions - 8 Feb 2012

Saving our Historic Baths (reader`s letter) - 9 Feb 2012

Industrial Heritage Saved by Lotto Cash - 19 March 2012

Save our Heritage (reader`s letter) - 10 April 2012

Doncaster Grand Theatre Talks Stall - 28 May 2012

For more details, click here ;

www.thestar.co.uk

Matlock Bath Grand Pavilion

For some time now, this blog has carried links to the sites of  campaigns connected to Matlock Bath Grand Pavilion, a purpose-built theatre dating from 1910.

The lower part of this building is occupied by the Peak District Mining Museum and some council offices. For a time (1993 - 2008), the upper part was used as a night club and I understand that the proprietors did little towards the upkeep of that part of the building.

Following the closure of the night club, the upper part of the building stood empty for a while and it would seem the owners, one of the local authorities, did no preventive maintenance but only responded to situations as they arose.

Eventually, a group of local people formed Save the Grand Pavilion, a campaign which I assume is self-explanatory. Admirable though that was, it was just the start as STGP evolved into The Grand Pavilion Limited, which acquired the lease on the building and then became a registered charity.

Following on came the formation of a supporter`s group, Friends of the Grand Pavilion and I understand that approaches have been made to potential large donors such as the Lottery.

Having followed these events with interest, I was glad to have the chance to see inside the  building over the Bank Holiday when it was opened to host an art exhibition with live music.

The art exhibition featured a range of styles, with the best known artist being Pollyanna Pickering, one of the Patrons of the charity, though I personally preferred Caroline Appleyard`s colourful evocations of Matlock and Whitby. There may be a touch of bias on my part as these are two places I visit frequently and which are very close to my heart. However, the quirky good  humour of her work is very appealing.

There was also much innocent amusement to be derived from the examples of "artist speak" in the accompanying brochure. Funnily enough I`ve never really thought in terms of "dystrophic brutalism" myself !

An unexpected bonus came in the form of live music from youthful folk musicians The Harker Sisters. As you might imagine, these are three sisters whose surname is Harker. They look terrifyingly young, but perhaps that`s because I am not so young ! As I`ve mentioned before, I am not a huge folk fan by any means, but these tuneful siblings impressed me very much. The younger members of our party were also enthusiastic, so if the Harkers ever decide to play for an audience of under fives, they might well have that market cracked !

Back to more serious matters, and I have to say I was shocked to see how much needs to be done to get the Pavilion back into a serviceable condition. However, it`s clear  that the Pavilion`s supporters have determination by the bucket-load and don`t shrink from a challenge.

To learn more about the Pavilion and the campaign to restore it, use the links already provided at the side of this page, or visit the websites of the Theatre`s Trust (www.theatrestrust.org.uk) and/or the Matlock Mercury (www.matlockmercury.co.uk) .

I`d like to close with a quote from another of the Pavilion Group`s Patrons, Simon Groom, a TV presenter who, if you`re anything like me,  may be inextricably linked in your mind with sticky-backed plastic and old Palmolive bottles ;

"As a young son of a Derbyshire hill farmer, the Pavilion was a window to the world outside Dethick. It helped me to enter that world and shape it in some small way. Seeing the building re-open and begin to be used again gives me hope. I feel sure that the larger project, for it`s restoration and re-opening, will not be more than a few years away. With that completed, the window to the outside world will be re-opened and inspire others, as it did for me."

One Coast for All ; Campaign for the English Coastal Path

Natural England has announced it`s intentions regarding the proposed English Coastal Path.

I`ve covered the background to this some time ago (see `Don`t Cut the Coastal Path - Claim the Coast`, this blog, Sat 2 Oct 2010), which is handy as it means I don`t have to go over it again !

The current plan aims to ensure that you can walk the coastline from Hull to Dorset via Hadrian`s Wall Path and the Welsh Coast (Does this make sense ? Geography was never my strong point.) by 2017.

Public consultations are underway in Cumbria, Durham Sunderland and Hartlepool concerning proposals for the path in those areas.

The first stretch of the path (near Weymouth) is expected to open during July.

This progress has led an emboldened Ramblers to relaunch it`s Coastal Path campaign under a new name ; `One Coast for All - the Campaign for the English Coastal Path`, with an accompanying petition in support of the path. 

For more information, visit www.ramblers.org.uk and/or www.walkmag.co.uk . Requests for more information can be e-mailed to the Ramblers Campaign Team on ecampaigning@ramblers.org.uk .

Mercury Rises as Knight Visits Brewery

Sir Peter Soulsby is no stranger to this blog.

When we first encountered him (The WAG Man Returns / Lodge House Controversy Continues, this blog, Fri 1 Oct 2010) , he was Sir Peter Soulsby, MP, heading up the Labour contingent in an excellent show of cross-party support for Conservative MP Andrew Bridgen`s `Buffer Zone` bill in respect of opencast mining.

Now he is Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, and could be found recently in the pages of the Leicester Mercury visiting  the derelict All Saints Brewery where he met with heritage groups and Leicester City Council Conservation and Building Control Officers.

The plan is to draw up a conservation strategy to save Leicester`s industrial heritage.

The Mercury article can be found here ;

Unsigned - "I Don`t Want our Industrial Heritage to Crumble Away - Wed 25 April 2012 at www.thisisleicestershire.co.uk .

It`s worth pointing out that a number of other sites of particular interest are also mentioned in the article.

Three heritage groups are mentioned, and I`m happy to give details of their web sites ;

www.leicestercivicsociety.org.uk

www.victoriansociety.org.uk/leicester

www.lihs.org.uk .

Democracy in the Dales

The Yorkshire Dales National Park Authority has launched a six week consultation exercise, asking Dales residents and businesses to contribute their views/suggestions for the National Park Management Plan for 2013 - 2018.

Sources ;

Unsigned - National Park Scheme, 21 March 2012 at www.scarborougheveningnews.co.uk .

Unsigned - 5 Year Development Scheme Sought for Yorkshire Dales, 20 March 2012 at www.yorkshirepost.co.uk .

Interested parties are asked to visit the authority`s site at www.yorkshiredales.org.uk . When I tried to visit earlier today, they did appear to be having problems with the site. If you experience any difficulty, try googling the phrase Your Yorkshire Dales National Park, and that should sort it out.

Fields in Trust

Parks-and-playing-fields charity Fields in Trust has issued it`s response to the selling-off of publicly owned recreational land in the London area.

In a statement provided to the BBC, the FIT commented ;

"There is finite provision of outdoor recreational space in this country, particularly in cities, with London a prime example. Given these statistics*, it is vital that the future of the precious remaining  spaces are assured for community use. The potential quick monetary fix which a disposal might provide should be resisted because these places have a value far higher than the price they command at sale, today or any day."

To learn more about the FIT and it`s proposals to safeguard public spaces, click here ;

www.fieldsintrust.org

*The organisation was asked to comment on news that "parks, playing fields and allotments equivalent to the size of 67 football pitches have been sold by London councils over the last three years."

Campaign for Ilkeston Train Station

A Derbyshire man has called for an "all-party community campaign" for the proposed train station at Ilkeston.

Peter Ball`s letter to one of the Derby Telegraph group of papers was prompted by a rather peevish little squabble in the local press between Cllr Helen Clark (Labour) and Jessica Lee MP (Conservative). While Mr Ball clearly tends to side with Ms Clark, the rest of us probably don`t really care which of the two, if either, came out best in the exchange.

More importantly,  Mr Ball points out that Ms Lee`s predecessor, Liz Blackman (Labour) was also a campaigner for the station, and that Cllr Howard Griffiths (Lab) "has pushed to get local cash committed to the station."

He points out that recent campaigns relating to train manufacturer Bombardier united Labour MPs, councillors from all parties on the local city council, trade unions and "a wide section of the community".

He ends his missive with a heartfelt plea for "an all-party campaign for a station everyone wants."

For anyone wanting to read his letter in it`s entirety, here are the details ; 

Peter Ball - Station Campaign Must be Fought by all Parties (reader`s letter) , 24 Feb 2012 at  www.ashbournepeople.co.uk and www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk .

I am presuming Mr B has no objection to my using his letter and mentioning his name as both already appear on two sites that are far more widely read than my humble effort.

Local paper the Ilkeston Advertiser has been running it`s own `Back on Track` campaign, and their coverage seems to confirm cross-party support at a high level ; 

MP and Minister to Discuss Station (11 Dec 2011)

 Shadow Minister Backs Station Plan (29 Feb 2012)  

(both at www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk ).

It is unusual to see cross-party consensus at the upper levels of the two major parties and rivalry and petty point-scoring at the local level (normally it`s the other way around). This probably reflects the fact that both major parties need to demonstrate a commitment to the area tout suite if they want people`s votes.

Opposition has come from local campaigners Greensqueeze, who  have indicated their opposition to the HS2 rail link generally and point out the impact of a line in and out of Ilkeston on the local environment.

The Campaign to Protect Rural England* have indicated that they don`t currently see how the link can be achieved without a massive impact on the countryside, but are content to wait until there are concrete proposals available before making a judgement.

For more on the rail link issue see ;

www.ramblers.org.uk/Campaigns+Policy/HS2

www.cpre.org.uk

*CPRE nationally has been fairly postive about HS2, with CPRE Chief Exec Shaun Spiers welcoming  the Government`s  "commitment to Britain`s railways" and stating that they have been "sensitive to the impact that HS2 will have on communities and the countryside", but acknowledging "there is still much more work to be done." (press release 10 Jan 2012).

National Park Consultation Continues

Natural England has begun the final round of consultation over plans to extend the boundaries of  the Yorkshire Dales and Lake District National Parks.

Article/links/contact points ;

Unsigned - Natural England Consults on Extending Boundaries of  Yorkshire Dales and the Lake District National Parks - Craven Herald and Pioneer, 5 Feb 2012 ( www.cravenherald.co.uk ).

Owlthorpe Community Forum

Some time ago, I noticed an article in the Sheffield Telegraph which I thought might be useful for blog purposes.

At the time it didn`t get used as for a period I put other interests aside to concentrate on work and family matters.

Nevertheless, the article is still interesting.

Although the article was principally about a descision by the Yorkshire in Bloom people to give a discretionary `Community Champion` award to Owlthorpe man Roger Marsh, it is clear that he does not wish to be given sole credit for the work of the Forum in cleaning up the area and launching numerus environmental projects (he comments that the award is "in my name, but it`s for the Forum. I have not done all the work on my own !") , and stresses the need for collaboration, with Clive Betts MP, with public sector bodies such as the Police and City Council, particularly Environmental Planning Officer Sally Pereira, and with Sheffield Landscape Trust.

Nevertheless, it is clear Mr Marsh`s background as a project manager in steelworks and at power plants has given him useful experience.

He stresses that most Forum members are retired ("Peoople who work just don`t have the time during the week."), which makes me feel better as I don`t do a fraction of the work for the community that he does, despite being over 20 years younger !

Anyway, the article, headed Community Champion Who Took the Bull by the Horns, is by journalist Peter Kay and appeared in the Sheffield Telegraph Thursday 29 Sept 2011.  The title refers to the innovative use of Highland cattle to graze derelict farmland. The cattle are moved from field to field, which encourages the growth of wildflowers on fields they have vacated.

The Sheffield Telegraph can be found at www.sheffieldtelegraph.co.uk . The Owlthorpe Community Forum appear to have no website, but Sheffield Landscape Trust, which is a venture jointly run by North Sheffield Conservation Group, Sheffield Countryside Conservation Trust and Sheffield City Council, can be found at http://www.woodlanecc.org.uk .

Regional Round-Up and Miscellaneous Updates

Demands on my time and energy are getting to be a bit much at present, so please excuse the brevity of these postings. In an ideal world I would present your enraptured gaze with a collection of gleaming literary pearls, complete with the effective use of bathos, pathos and irony. Sadly, I`m much too busy for that, so these entries are fairly minimalist ;

NORTH YORKS - Save North Yorks Libraries

Joe Willis - Public Outcry Forces North Yorkshire County Council to Reconsider Library Plans, 5 May 2011 at www.thenorthernecho.co.uk .

This news has met with an understandably cautious response from the campaign group. Further comment can be found on their website.

NORTH YORKS - North Yorks Waste Action Group

This group are currently waiting for the company Amey Cespa to submit a planning application before taking any further action.  In the meantime, they are asking those who`ve not already done so to visit their site and sign the petition. 

AMBER VALLEY - Amber Valley Against Incinerators

Unsigned - Campaigners Fuming as Waste Plant Gets Permit, 13 April 2011  at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk .

AMBER VALLEY - Lodge House/Smalley Action group

Chris Mallett - Stud Manager`s Fury as UK Coal Tells Her to Buy Farm or Move, 14 March 2011 at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk .

Chris Mallett - Concerns Over Noise Lead to Objection About Coal-Mining Plan, 22 April 2011 at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk .

The latter article follows a decision by Amber Valley Borough Council planning committee to object to the proposed extension of Lodge House mine after hearing submissions from Nigel Mills MP and Cllr Kevin Parkinson, both of whom oppose UK Coal`s plans. 

SPONDON AND SINFIN - Spondon and Sinfin Against Incineration and others

Chris Mallett - Now Gasification Firm Heads for Court to Fight City Planning Rejection, 5 May 2011 at www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk

NOTTINGHAMSHIRE - Emergency Services Campaigns

Fire Service  ;   Dom Howell - Stations to Stay Open for a Year Says Authority Member, 2 March 2011 at www.thisisnottingham.co.uk .

Police Service  ;  Unsigned - Police Station Closure Fears After Front Counters Shut,  28 April 2011 at www.eastwoodadvertiser.co.uk .

That`s all for now !

Meanwhile, Back in the States...

... a coalition of environmental groups is calling for a fuel economy standard of 60 miles to the gallon by 2025.

In a letter to their  President, they cite global pollution, rising fuel prices, political considerations, the need to invest in clean energy and job creation as reasons for their call.

Their website addresses Americans directly, giving four reasons to support the initiative ; to save money, to reduce air pollution, as a step towards energy independence and to "spark innovations that create new jobs".

Their target may sound a touch ambitious but there again, a target date 2025 does allow generous time for that to be achieved. Those of us who live in manufacturing areas of the UK (Aerospace and Toyota both have plants in Derbyshire),  will be aware that the UK is already heading in the direction of fuel efficient technology, with Aerospace in particular having introduced a number of innovations.

The G60 campaign can be found at ;

www.go60mpg.org .

Organisations involved in the campaign include the Sierra Club (the US sister organisation to the UK`s John Muir Trust) ,  an umbrella group called Environment America and scientific group UCS. For full details see www.go60mpg.org/about-us .

Mr Bridgen`s Proposal

Not so long ago we looked at the attempt by Andrew Bridgen MP and others to introduce a legal requirement for a 500m buffer zone between opencast mines and nearby dwelling places.


As I`ve previously indicated, Mr Bridgen`s proposal has cross-party support and also the support of environmentalists and groups representing coalfield communities.


Among his supporters we find real ale afficionado and Notts County fan Nigel Mills MP. Mr Mills is the member for Amber Valley and has this to say on the subject ;


"We are trying to protect people who have had the unfortunate accident of living next to these sites from some of the worst aspects of the blight that arises if they are unlucky enough to have an opencast mine proposed near them."


Mr Mills knows the issues that can arise. His Midlands constituency is home to UK Coal`s controversial Lodge House mine and another company, LEM, is proposing a second mine in the area.


The issue has given rise to strong feelings in the area for a variety of reasons, not least because central government (the previous administration) over-ruled the local authority in allowing the Lodge House development to go ahead. There are clearly issues in terms of  impact on the environment and on the quality of life of local people, and that`s before we touch on the merits or otherwise of reliance on fossil fuels.  Anna Soubry MP, who faces similar proposals in her Nottinghamshire constituency, has cited Lodge House as a situation where UK Coal promised to generate local jobs but is now having trouble justifying those claims.


Coverage in the local press has been extensive. Competing for your attention with literary epics on other burning issues of the day such as `Half Term Potato Fun` (Ilkeston Advertiser), `Thieves Pick up a Penguin` (Ripley and Heanor News) and `Strange UFOs Spotted on A38...`  (Ripley and Heanor News again), a number of very good articles on issues around opencast mining have appeared. Here are a few of the more recent ones ;


Derby Telegraph Group (http://www.thisisderbyshire.co.uk/)


Catherine Oakes - Anti-Open Cast Group Appeals for Secret Vote... - 22 Feb 2011
Unsigned  - Villagers Fight Second Mining Bid - 22 Feb 2011
Chris Mallet - Open Cast Mining Plans `Intolerable` Says MP...- 10 Feb 2011


Ilkeston Advertiser (http://www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk/)


Unsigned - `Free For All` On Mine Bids - 2 Mar 2011
Unsigned - Mining `Could Last Decade` - 2 Mar 2011
Unsigned - Government Does Not Back Buffer Bid - 23 Feb 2011

Ripley and Heanor News (http://www.ripleyandheanornews.co.uk)

Unsigned - Mining Plan Goes to Vote - 28 Feb 2011
Stephen Sinfield - `Under Siege` by Opencasting - 19 Jan 2011

With new developments on a fairly regular basis, it`s also worth a bit of background reading. Sarah Bould ot the Ripley and Heanor News (see link above) wrote an informative but also readable and concise article `Where the Smalley Opencast Debate Began` (16 March 2007) which is still online.

If you`re misguided enough to want to read more of my own efforts you might try one of these;

The WAG Man Returns...(this blog, 1 Oct 2010)
Congratulations and Commiserations...(this blog, 20 Feb 2011)

It`s interesting to see how `real politics` like this often transcends the narrow, Westminster-based party politics our leaders like to play at.

In my personal view (I have no party political allegiance), at leadership level both the major parties have behaved badly over this issue - Labour by over-ruling the local authority and allowing Lodge House to proceed, and the Conservatives by not backing Mr Bridgen (though many Conservative MPs, particularly those from the Midlands, did give their support). By contrast, Mr Bridgen  has fought a good fight and certainly won the respect of many who may not always agree with him on many other issues. As I`ve been at pains to stress, his Bill is supported by a number of political parties and I hope that will continue to be the case.

As for Mr  Mills, since he`s fond of football, I`d hope that we`s all agree that on this issue the boy from Brinsley done good !