Linslade Woods saved from the bulldozer

There was good news from Bedfordshire last week when it was announced that Mid Bedfordshire Council had purchase Linslade New Wood for the community. This brings to an end a 16 years battle to preserve the 68 acre wood for the public.

Even better is the news that the woodland abuts the council-owned Bluebell Wood, meaning there is now an even larger swathe of contiguous woodland for dog walkers and countryside enthusiasts to enjoy.

Local campaign group, “Friends Of Linslade Woods”, have spent years campaigning to secure the site’s future as a public amenity, thus saving it from “development”. In 1993 residents were invited to take part in a tree-planting ceremony for a new plantation on the land. One of the conditions of the Woodland Grant Scheme, which paid for the trees, was to allow public access to the area.

Since then volunteers and The Greensand Trust have acted as caretakers and have regularly removed rubbish dumped in the area by anti-social and criminal elements, as well as reporting fires and vandalism in the wood.

However six years ago the then owners of the wood said they wanted to sell the site for housing development and the fight began to save the scenic area from the bulldozers.

In 2004 the threat was blocked when Friends Of The Earth, supported by local campaigners, stopped tree-felling and had a tree preservation order slapped on the woodland.

The chairman of Friends Of Linslade Woods, which was formed in 2006, said:

“It is a great relief to us that a precious green site is being made secure for local wildlife and enjoyment of the public. We hope to continue to be involved in the management of the woodland as well as providing activities for our local community. Credit is due to our local community for the part it has played in saving and maintaining the new wood so that Central Beds Council could take it on as a viable proposition. Perseverance, persuasion and patience have won through in the end.”

Land & People believes that wildlife sites such as Linslade Wood should be protected for future generations to enjoy. It should not be bulldozed for development – which, more often than not, means destroyed merely to provide the homes neeeded to facilitate the Labour and Tory supported colonisation of our country by foreigners.

Ancient Sussex wood spared “development”

One piece of good news that barely made it into the media last month was the decision by Wealden District Council to refuse planning permission for a large residential development adjacent to beautiful and precious ancient woodland at Lake Wood, just outside Uckfield.

It is widely recognised that ancient woodland is Britain’s equivalent of rainforest in the sense that it contains the richest habitat for species in this country. Lake Wood, together with adjacent woodland, is reported as having numerous ancient woodland indicator species such as bluebells, five species of bat, dormice and great crested newts.

According to environmentalists the ancient woodland at Lake Wood is made even more special because it is ghyll woodland and these types of woodland are almost unique to southern English counties such as Sussex and Kent.

Had the application for “development” been approved by the Council then experts believe it would have caused a total collapse of the local habitat network with a serious negative impact on ancient woodland, ghyll woodland and protected species within.

A spokesperson for the Woodland Trust commented:

“We are delighted by the decision to reject the planning appeal. It’s a win for the environment, for wildlife, and for the numerous local families that enjoy the wood. The plans are in contravention to several planning policies and it is heartening to see that the protection of these valuable habitats is taken seriously. The decision to dismiss the Inquiry is a step in the right direction for the protection of ancient woodland, but this success could not have happened without invaluable advice of Natural England and the support of the Downlands Action Group, only by working in partnership has the Trust managed to safeguard this precious ancient woodland in East Sussex.”

These sentiments were echoed by a spokesman for the Downlands Action Group who added:

“This campaign has helped to create a greater sense of community locally, and I have made good friendships with a number of very committed and interesting people. All the efforts of everyone involved have not been in vain, for all of us have come to an even greater understanding and appreciation of our rich environment through this process, and the degree to which our natural heritage is vulnerable if we do not take it upon ourselves to seek to protect it.”

It is not known whether the developers intend to appeal against Wealden District Council’s decision. Let’s hope not!

The tide is turning for an energy revolution

There is a renewable energy source that has little if any environmental impact, does not scar the landscape or try to harness wave energy.

Forget the Severn Barrier schemes being touted by the government right now and which has the so called ‘Green’ lobby at one another’s throats. Forget wind farms, off-shore or on shore. For there is an alternative and its being pioneered right now by a British company – Hull based Lunar Energy. What is this renewable energy source? It’s ‘Tidal Stream’ energy. And it’s not only a theoretical concept, it’s about to be built! Not here in Britain though. No, this British designed renewable energy scheme is to be built in South Korea!

Lunar Energy seals £500m tidal power deal with Korea

Lunar Energy, Britain’s leading tidal power company, yesterday announced an agreement with Korean Midland Power Co (KOMIPO), which will create a giant 300-turbine field in the Wando Hoenggan Water Way off the South Korean coast. The plant will provide 300MW of renewable energy to Korean Midland Power Co by December 2015. Fabrication and installation of the tidal turbines will be carried out by Hyundai Samho Heavy Industries (HSHI), while Rotech Engineering provides design optimisation and specialist components.

There is a detailed report on Tidal Stream energy in the Yorkshire Post. It is written by Tony Lodge, a Research Fellow at the Centre for Policy Studies. Read this important article via this link

Then ask yourself why both the ‘Green Movement’(?), and the government, are still prattling on about the virtues of inefficient wind farms?

An overview of how a ‘tidal stream’ power system would work may be viewed here

Severn estuary: Reef better than barrage?

According to a recently published report, a new tidal power scheme involving the creation of an artificial reef, could safeguard wildlife and generate more clean energy from the Severn Estuary than a 10-mile barrage.

A tidal reef built further downstream would not only be less costly than the proposed Cardiff to Weston barrage but it would also minimise the threat to most of the Severn estuary’s salt marshes and mudflats. The latter providing home for up to seventy thousand birds in the winter months.

Furthermore, it is claimed, the manmade reef would operate for longer and have more underwater turbines than a conventional barrage – hence affording the possibility of greater power generation.

A spokesman for engineering consultants, Atkins (the largest consulting engineering firm in Europe), who authored the report, is quoted as saying: “We believe this scheme could be more powerful but less costly than other plans being put forward, particularly the Cardiff to Weston barrage.”

As previously reported on by Land & People, current thinking revolves around utilising the 45-foot tidal range of the Severn – the difference between low and high tides – to generate electricity.

Government ministers are to shortlist some of the 10 proposals for the Severn estuary in December and the tidal reef and Cardiff-Weston barrage are among those being considered.

The Atkins study, makes four major conclusions:

(1) That the technology behind a conventional barrage could be used to build a tidal reef.
(2) That a tidal reef could generate more energy than the conventional barrage.
(3) That a tidal reef would cost £2 billion less than the Cardiff-Weston barrage.
(4) That a tidal reef could be designed within the government’s target date.

The Atkins proposal suggests an artificial reef stretching 12 miles from Minehead in Somerset to Aberthaw, in the Vale of Glamorgan. Its design would allow for locks at set points to allow large container ships to pass and allow for construction in sections – enabling the much earlier generation of power.

An engineering expert added: “The potential of a tidal reef is enormous. As well as electricity, it could produce hydrogen for use in non-polluting cars or the gas network. Its construction would mean far less road traffic because of rail connections, and would require less material and cost significantly less than other tidal options or nuclear power. It would cut Britain’s carbon emissions by around 12 million tons annually, create more than 30,000 jobs during construction and give a global lead for local manufacturing companies, particularly in the marine engineering sector. Other schemes either defy the laws of Europe and would result in years of litigation, and some even defy the laws of physics and simply wouldn’t work.”

On paper, at least, the reef proposal would appear to have four advantages over the Severn barrage proposal. Firstly, it is significantly cheaper. Secondly, it can generate more power. Thirdly, it can deliver power to the national grid much earlier and lastly, it is potentially less destructive to the wildlife habitats of the estuary.

Land & People will be monitoring progress on this interesting proposal.

Too little water – too many people – but still they come!

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According to an article in The National Trust Magazine, Autumn 2008 page 60

“The average demand for household water has increased dramatically; we now use half much water again as we did in 1980.

This is partly to do with lifestyle changes – almost most households now have washing machine, a third have a dish washer. It’s easy to think that the UK has a plentiful supply of water, but many rivers and wetlands are dryng up. Such water shortages impact on wildlife where water is required for fish, wetland birds and other wildlife to survive and prosper

Southern and Eastern England are officially classed “serious water-stress zones” by the Environment Agency, as south-east England has less water available per head than the Sudan”

I wonder how much increase in demand has to do with the rapid increase in population since 1980? And, of course, the introduction of such things as washing machines and luxury items like dishwashers into the home play a part, as does the increase of small business that require water along with their industrial sized dish washers.

It is rather telling that per head the Southeast, the most densely populated area of the UK, has less water than the Sudan! I guess there is no accident in using such a reference to a desert land, as it seems to refer to the millions of immigrants from such desert lands that have assisted in the mass consumption of water supplies that have helped to reduce the Southeast, (the most densely populated and the area of choice for most newly arrived), to near desert availability of water, with all the dire consequences for life, wildlife and natural habitat that this brings.

Of course, the endless expansion of developments of houses and businesses, restaurants and car washes don’t help. Neither does the mass of what I call transient populations, that visit and leave and the services such as extensive hotel building that goes with the “globalisation” of the UK.

I guess these things are the “lifestyle change” or rather, demographic change, that the writer of the National Trust article must be referring to.

BNP campaign in the New Forest

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An interesting (Sunday) morning.

New Forest BNP with members from Dorset and the Isle of Wight, attended a meeting this morning arranged by a local dog owners group regarding the closure of forest car parks to dog walkers and to be addressed by two local CONservative MPs .

Upon arrival I met with a lady official known to me and asked if I could put up some posters displaying our stance on the National Park Authority and offered our support to their group. We received a rather frosty reply saying that as the party logo was displayed on the posters that probably would not be permitted. A senior official was duly summoned which resulted in headless chicken syndrome taking over and shortly after, several Police officers arrived.

Officials from the dog group concerned made it clear that they did not want us there – presumably because the two Tory MPs would be offended. However the police duly informed them that as it was a public meeting we were entitled to attend – although it was made very clear that we could not hand out any leaflets in the meeting.

Undaunted and prior to leaving, we made sure that the police officers in attendance were given a liberal supply of Voice of Freedom (VoF) to relieve the effects of boredom which was increasingly evident as the two Tory MPs droned on.

Rather than waste the morning we then set up a stand in nearby Brockenhurst shopping centre and handed out numerous VoF and Land & People leaflets to interested people and received a very good response – apart from the usual one or two who were probably Lib-Dem supporters.

Around 2.0 pm, feeling rather tired from the effects of waving at the numerous police officers who kept driving through and others on foot and bicycle, we decided to call it a day and went our separate ways. I then treated my Cavalier King Charles Spaniel to a nice well-deserved stroll across the New Forest.

As an aside we wonder whether the two Tory MPs concerned apologised to those attending the meeting for the part their party has played in facilitating the immigration that is behind Labour’s proposals to “develop” New Forest villages as commuter towns for London?

Stansted: Yet another public enquiry farce!

Land & People have two comments to make in respect of the recent public enquiry decision into Stansted Airport expansion.

The first is that Brown’s EU puppet regime would appear to have lost what remains of its credibility in as much as the issue of climate change is concerned. Its decision to allow the expansion of Stansted Airport – which has occurred in the very same week in which it acknowledged that more severe cuts in carbon emissions are required and finally recognised that aviation should be included in Britain’s emmision reduction targets – is nonsensical! How can giving the green light to the expansion of Stansted Airport do other than to increase the number of flights operating from that facility and thus adding significantly to Britain’s polluting air miles?

Yet whilst sanctioning this development – much in the same way that Heathrow’s Terminal Five project was sanctioned – Brown’s regime has also exhorted us to use more low-energy light bulbs and to spend more money on insulating our homes! Does the Labour Party have benefactors with interests in lighting and home insulation we wonder?

Stating the obvious, the Government is sending out mixed messages and seen – yet again – to be following the diktats of their friends in the City rather than adopting consistant and ecologically sound policies.

Secondly, we are wondering why we bother with public enquiries anymore. We say this because it is becoming abundantly clear that the so-called government sponsored public enquiries are little more than an exercise in letting off steam; forums where public fury can be safely vented – before being ignored! Regular visitors to this site will recall the massive outpouring of public anger at the enquiry into Heathrow’s fifth terminal. Yet despite the massive opposition to the project it was rubber stamped as approved. And for no other reason than The City wanted it!

What value public opinion – indeed – what value democracy, in Labour run Britain?

Welsh countryside to suffer vandalism

Here we go again! It has been revealed that plans are afoot to build one of the largest in-shore wind farms in Britain – blighting the landscape with over sixty 137 metre (over 400 feet!) tall turbines.

The wind farm, if it gets the go ahead, will be located at Llanbrynmair, in Powys. This development – called the Carnedd Wen Wind Farm and Habitat Restoration Project – will generate up to three megawatts of electricity. According to Npower it will be a “unique habitat restoration project”. Quite how erecting five dozen plus steel monstrosities in the countryside can be described as “habitat restoration” is beyond us!

But it gets worse!

According to one media report: “The habitat restoration project, developed in partnership with leading UK environmental consultants and conservation experts, would be the largest ever to be proposed in Wales, involving the clearing of the majority of the trees on the site within Llanbrynmair Forest in order to restore a habitat once considered by environmental experts to be one of the finest examples of blanket mire and dwarf shrub heath in Wales.”

So we lose a forest but “inherit” a mire dotted with massive steel windmills! And they call this progress!

We shall benefit – we are told – from this ecological vandalism because the proposed wind farm will generate enough clean green electricity to meet the annual needs of between 63,000 and 94,500 homes! That’s assuming the wind is blowing of course!

However, as is customary in such matters, Land & People have a far more environmentally friendly and immeasurably cheaper alternative.

If we take a mean figure, in terms of the number of homes this project will supply of, say, 80,000 – then at three occupants per home – that equates to meeting the energy needs of some 240,000 people. Now, if we were to deport 240,000 illegal migrants – people who have no legal or moral right even to be in our country – then – surely, we negate the need to progress this project at all, thus saving a whole forest and hundreds of millions of pounds in the process?

Indeed, if we were to deport all the one million plus illegal migrants, then far from having to build weather dependent wind farms, we could actually close down a conventional power station or two?

But, of course, enforcing the law and deporting those who should not be here is unacceptable – according to the ZaNu Labour and CONservative politicians – who, curiously enough, have no qualms about eradicating a swathe of Welsh countryside! And isn’t it strange how silent the Green “Melon” Party is over this proposal and, for that matter, Plaid! Perhaps not so strange when you consider their pro-immigration Marxist agendas!

Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route ill-conceived

A story largely missed by the media is that of the evidence given by the Woodland Trust Scotland (WTS) before the public inquiry into the Aberdeen Western Peripheral Route (AWPR). This evidence demonstrated the inadequacy of the environmental impact assessment as undertaken and presented.

According to the WTS should the AWPR get approval then no fewer than 15 woods listed on the ancient woodland inventory will either be lost or damaged. Yet despite ancient woodland being our richest and most important sites in terms of insects, birds, animals, flowers and trees populations – the developers seem to believe that this route is of greater importance!

We here at Land & People strongly disagree – as do most people we suspect!

Perhaps it hasn’t dawned on these “tarmac merchants” that our ancient woodlands are one of the glories of our natural heritage; they are places of inordinate beauty, reservoirs of evidence for environmental change, archaeology and economic history. And contrary to the apologists for this destructive scheme new planting can in no way compensate for their loss.

The WTS testified that, in their expert opinion, the threatened woods have been undervalued by the environmental statement, and will be effectively destroyed and others will be seriously damaged.

Furthermore, the WTS demonstrated that the official mitigation plans are substandard and that Transport Scotland’s approach to the issue can best be described as “simplistic”. Transport Scotland’s “answer” to the issue of the destruction of ancient woodland – that they’ll just plant new trees – would suggest that they have failed to grasp the significance of the word “ancient”!

A spokesman for the WTS said that their evidence demonstrates: “Transport Scotland’s complete disregard for the environment in choosing this route. There has been an assumption that offset mitigation is an appropriate alternative to avoidance of damage and loss. The government and planning authorities have a duty to protect trees, and areas of woodland where they have natural heritage value. We call on the government to prove their green credentials by listening to the evidence put before them and stop the destruction of the Aberdeen landscape. Do they want their legacy to be the destruction of our natural heritage?”

Land & People urge readers to support the Woodland Trust in their noble endeavours to protect our precious woodland.

700,000 on rural housing lists because of immigration

The fact that there is a dire shortage of affordable homes for our people in rural areas as, indeed, there is in urban ones, will come as no surprise to visitors to this site. For years now the mass immigration begun under the CONservatives and enthusiastically continued under ZaNu Labour, has resulted in ever growing pressure on housing – with demand exceeding supply. To make matters even worse the never-ending immigration into our urban areas has caused an outflow of alarmed indigenous Brits into rural areas – often pushing the prices of homes out of the reach of rural folk on more modest incomes. Our young folk have suffered in particular from this aspect of insane immigration “policy”.

The answer, of course, is to stop immigration and deport the one million, or so, “illegals” who have no moral or legal reason to be in our country. But rather than turn off this endless source of cheap labour and thereby incur the wrath of their pals in The City, both CONservative and ZaNu Labour politicians would rather concrete over our precious countryside. Of course, with the economic downturn, the building boom has come to a grinding halt. Yet, instead of shutting down immigration, these self-serving political freeloaders are doing nothing – allowing the pressure on housing to increase even further!

Today we learn, from a new report, that the number of people waiting for affordable rural housing has rocketed. According to the National Housing Federation (NHF) and the Campaign to Protect Rural England (but not against ruinous immigration) there are now some 700,000 Brits on waiting lists for homes. That’s about two years “worth” of immigrant inflow!

An additional uncomfortable fact is that over the past five years, the number of people waiting for rural council housing has risen by 37% – with Allerdale, in the Lake District, showing a staggering 107% rise over the same period!

According to a spokesman for the NHF, the “only solution” is to build more homes! Well – they would say that wouldn’t they!

According to a ZaNu Labour minister (this being a party – many of whose senior representatives have two, or more, homes – paid for at taxpayers’ expense) the answer is to build “more eco-towns”! The same minister then went on to praise this rotten and corrupt government for increasing council tax on second homes, which, of course, CONservative and ZaNu Labour MPs can claim back on expenses! Clearly we should expect no better from the Westminster trough frequenters!

So what do you, the public, want? More eco towns dumped on our countryside to house those fleeing the “enriching” consequences of immigration – or to save our Countryside from the “developers” by dealing with the cause of the problem – immigration?

Tough one that, eh?

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