Saturday, 17 May 2008

Illegal tree felling behind Town Close


We have discovered that one of the owners of the farmland near "MIN40" has destroyed two clumps of trees, which were still standing when we walked around the site on 26th April. The first picture shows Town Close, looking south, with the pile of felled trees on the immediate left.


As you can see from the photos I have taken today, the trees have been uprooted.

There was a pile of burnt sticks further away from this site where the second clump of trees has been felled and incinerated.

A couple of the local children were playing near the felled trees.


They told me that there had been birds nesting in the trees at the time they were cut down. Tree felling whilst birds are nesting is illegal.

Furthermore, the children told me that they were worried about the farmer cutting down the trees, and had been making protest signs out of cardboard to stop them being felled.

As it turns out, the farmer, I am told, threw the sign of the pile of deadwood and burned it.

So now the kids have one less place to play (unless a grubby old patch of deadwood counts).

They also told me that they wanted everybody in the village to come out and join hands, to stop lorries coming in and digging the quarry.


So what is the farmer's explanation?

Was he just being on old sourpuss because the kids didn't want him to cut down the trees?

And why did this have to be done whilst birds were nesting?

Why flagrantly break the law?

When we visited the site on 26th April, these trees were still standing and pheasants were using them as cover.

As I stood next to the broken pile of deadwood earlier today, Saturday, 17th May, a pheasant scrambled out and took off a few feet from me.

So what I want to know is, who owns this piece of land?

Who ordered the trees to be felled?

What is their explanation?

The leaflet "Protecting hedgerows, trees and woodlands" from the RSPB says:

"The WCA [Wildlife and Countryside Act 1981] does not legally protect a tree.
The Act protects active nests of all wild birds, and should delay tree work, if this were to result in the damage or destruction of an active nest."

The children at the site today told me that there was a baby bird in one nest and eggs in a separate nest. They believe all the eggs & baby birds were destroyed.
I think those count as active nests, don't you?
Posted by Webmaster at 15:16

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"Why this website?"

NO MORE QUARRIES IN EAST WINCH AND WEST BILNEY!

East Winch is a village set in beautiful unspoilt countryside where until recently, we enjoyed a relatively peaceful existence. It is also one of many Norfolk villages affected by Norfolk County Council's (NCC) Plan to identify over 100 new sites for mineral extraction.

This means new Quarries! Loads of them!

They are also looking for sites for Waste Allocation to meet future needs -

That means new rubbish dumps in and around Norfolk! Loads of them!

NCC are looking to meet an annual quota set by the government for mineral extraction. So they contacted local landowners (without the resident's knowledge) and asked them to put sites forward for consideration.

This has resulted in the Minerals Site Allocations Issues and Options Document, and the Waste Site Allocations Issues and Options Document being published.

We are now in what has been called a consultation period. We were granted an extension on the original deadline of 28 March 2008 when a concerned resident noticed a sign whilst out walking his dog and spoke to the local Parish Council. A meeting was then arranged with the council and the extension to 25th April 2008 was granted.

The next stage will be selection of "Preferred Sites" and Planning Applications being drawn up.

We don't want to wait until then.

"Why Should I Care?" ...The answer is blowing in the wind!

We are raising awareness of this issue as a considerable number of the proposed sites are so close to existing villages that they would detrimentally affect our health, our economic wellbeing, our way of life and the future inheritance of Norfolk families and people living in Norfolk.

What's the big deal?
A significant number of large sites locally have been identified for silica sand extraction. Some are being proposed now such as MIN 40 (Land to the East of Grandcourt Farm). Some already have current planning permission, including the area immediately to the west of MIN 40 (which we didn't know about at all until recently) and others to the north of the village are already in operation.

"All I need is the air that I breathe."

The Health and Safety Executive have published a document which states:

“Breathing in the very fine dust of crystalline silica can lead
to the development of silicosis. This involves scarring of
the lung tissue and can lead to breathing difficulties.
Exposure to very high concentrations over a relatively
short period of time can cause acute silicosis, resulting in
rapidly progressive breathlessness and death within a few
months of onset.”

www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/cis36.pdf

"Another one bites the dust."

Report On Carcinogens, 11th Edition - Extracts

Silica, Crystalline (Respirable size) "is known to be a human carcinogen".

"The link between human lung cancer and exposure to Respirable crystalline silica was strongest in studies of quarry and granite workers..."

"Residents near quarries and sand and gravel operations are potentially exposed to respirable crystalline silica."

“The findings in humans are supported by studies in experimental animals demonstrating consistent increases in lung cancers in rats chronically exposed to respirable crystalline silica by inhalation or
intratracheal instillation.”

“Single intrapleural or intraperitoneal injections of various forms of respirable crystalline silica caused lymphomas in rats (IARC 1997).”

“Respirable crystalline silica deposited in the lungs causes epithelial injury and macrophage activation, leading to inflammatory responses and cell proliferation of the epithelial and interstitial cells.

In humans, respirable crystalline silica persists in the lungs, culminating in the development of chronic silicosis, emphysema, obstructive airway
disease, and lymph node fibrosis.”

What's the Local Impact?
We are currently focusing on a site immediately next to the village designated by the council as MIN 40. Further excavations such as that proposed at MIN 40 will only increase the risk and accelerate the effects which, given the status of current sites already in operation, are likely to be at less than satisfactory levels already.

Irrevocable Destruction of Norfolk’s Heritage, the beautiful countryside we live in, it’s historic buildings and it’s animals despite species being on the Biodiversity Action Plan (e.g. Skylarks)

Our economic wellbeing, as the encroaching development will deter other buyers from moving in (and us from moving out!) Local businesses would suffer. These areas could become No Go areas.

Environment: Unique Historical Local buildings would be destroyed and undermined, and significant portions of the beautiful peaceful countryside we know and love will disappear forever under tons of rubbish.

What will we leave behind for our children?

A green unspoilt Norfolk,

or a desolate wasteland of dangerous dust?

Living with the consequences
Every day a site is in operation, those nearby will have to tolerate years of noise, light and dust pollution, and in many cases for our older residents, who were expecting a peaceful retirement, that level of nuisance will persist for the rest of their natural lives.

And for what?

Devastating long term consequences for the village, and short term profit for the developers and other parties directly at our expense.

All for some glass bottles, flatscreen TV's and some golf bunkers. Does it make sense?

We need your support
If we don’t stand together, as my “brother in arms” Sam Knox (Webmaster of the Save Pentney website) has stated, “We’ll only have our own apathy to blame”.

"What Can I Do To Help?"

We encourage anyone directly affected by these proposals to contact us and everybody else to actively support us by signing the respective e-petitions on our websites. We have sent in written objections to the proposals to Norfolk County Council.

You can also leave comments directly under the articles on this site, and we encourage you to do so.

Finally, please help us spread the word and pass on this message to your friends to enlist their support.

Thank You.

Let's Keep Norfolk Green!

"Don't Quarry - Be Happy!"

Contact Us

mrgrimsdale@hotmail.com



What's New...

Have a look and see for yourself!

Contact Norfolk County Council

Feedback can be sent by email, post or fax to:

Planning Services
Norfolk County Council
Planning & Transportation Department
FREEPOST NC22093/8
County Hall
Martineau Lane
Norwich
Norfolk
NR1 2BR

Tel: 0844 800 8020

Email: ldf@norfolk.gov.uk

Web: www.norfolk.gov.uk/nwmdf

Parish Council's Response to proposals in full...

Please read it and weep for the children of East Winch and their future! Then you can vote in the panel on the right.

We have highlighted what we feel are the most important bits in bold. Over to you.

***START OF DOCUMENT***

East Winch Parish Council

Responses to Norfolk County Council Re. Norfolk Mineral and Waste Development Framework.

Section: 6.4 Issue 2 “ Cumulative Impact of Development, How Option DC1 would be implemented

Whilst it is understood that there is a continuous requirement for minerals. With regard to Silica Sand, it is understood to be a strategic mineral which occurs in certain areas. However sand and gravel must be considered to be readily available in numerous sites in West Norfolk. It is felt by parishioners that there are sufficient workings in this Parish and that further developments of this nature are not desirable. Therefore the
feeling is that when a strategic mineral such as Silica sand is found in an area with large sites to extract this there should not also be large sand and gravel sites in the same area.

Option CS2 - Spatial Distribution of Development

This option as it stands will allow the same areas to be inundated with Mineral and Waste sites and possibly become just one large hole in the ground. It is understood that there is a continuous requirement for minerals but it is felt by parishioners that there are sufficient workings in this Parish and that further developments of this nature are not desirable in the same area and sites should be well spread across the county.

Section: 8.4 Issue 12 “ Waste going to Landfill, How Option DC5 would be implemented.

It is recognised that there have to be Waste Disposal sites but West Norfolk is adequately served by the landfill site at Blackborough End and any extension of this facility would be unwelcome and be considered an imposition by all residents therefore there should be no more landfill sites permitted.

Section: 9.6 Issue 18.1 “ Lorry routes, How Option CS6 & DC6 would be implemented.

It will be recognised that the parish of East Winch and many other small parishes are served by a system of minor roads and lanes all of which are neither suitable nor capable of additional traffic. Apart from the A47 trunk road all other roads in the parish are already in a dilapidated condition
and any further traffic such as mineral and waste lorries would cause them to become unsafe for normal traffic. The routing of lorries should not only be secured through planning conditions but should also be strictly enforced.

Preferred Option DC10. Development Control – Sustainable Construction and Operations. Section: 10.18 Issues 7, 31, 34, 36 and 37“ Recycled and Secondary
Aggregates, Water Resources, Flood Risk/Drainage, Greenhouse Gas Emissions,
How Option DC10 would be implemented.

The Parish of East Winch is known for its environmental diversity from the SSSI area surrounding the old gravel workings situated within and adjacent to the parish continuing on through woodland and open landscape of natural
beauty. There are recreational facilities in the immediate area for boating, quiet fishing and bird watching. Any devaluation of these facilities would be unacceptable to some 130,000 people within the Borough of King's Lynn and West Norfolk. All developments whether large all small should covered by enforceable conditions, not just guidance.

It may be seen from all of the above that major expansion of the already working mineral extraction facilities in the Parish would be both unwelcome and devaluing of amenities and lifestyle in this Parish.

Section: MIN 40 - East Winch.

Grandcourt Farm.

It is appreciated that silica sand is a strategic mineral and only occurs in certain areas but the scale of the proposed site is felt to be excessive as it encroaches too much on to the residential area of East Winch village.
There is a possibility that an area of half the size may be acceptable with adequate vegetation screening.

Section: MIN 40 - East Winch, MIN 40 - highways

Although the site is located adjacent to the A47 trunk road access from the site onto this would not be acceptable. The site should be accessed from an internal access road.

Explanation for above statements re. Grancourt Farm.

As Silica Sand is a strategic mineral and local policy will undoubtedly be overruled by national policy any reduction that can be gained on the proposed area of the site needs to be negotiated now and definitely at the next stage of consultation when it will be know which sites will be included in the final proposal and ultimately at the Planning Application stage which may not be for many years if the site is included.

***END OF DOCUMENT***

And there I was thinking people were of national importance...

Quotes...

"This is the gang rape of Norfolk."
SP

"This is a cancer on the beautiful face of Norfolk."
TR

"Killing the Goose that laid the Golden Egg - DEAD!"
NP

"Insight is better than hindsight."
Audit Firm PWC

"Money cannot fill an empty soul."
-- Julia Cameron & Mark Bryan

The MIN40 Petition [NOW CLOSED]

WBB Minerals (now known as Sibelco UK) are seeking planning permission for a quarry on land to the West of East Winch, Kings Lynn, Norfolk. This will result in quarrying being carried out within 150m of the village centre. Public rights of way will go, noise and dust will be produced and in general there will be a detriment to the overall character and scenery of this historic and pleasant village community. There will be a loss of habitat for birds, small mammals, the birds of prey which feed on them and brown hares. Financially, there will be devaluation to local homes at a time when recession is a real danger, creating for some, hardship within an already dismal economic climate. Local wages are low and well below the National Average. This will impoverish people when this Government insists that it is fighting poverty. The A47 Trunk road passes this site. The quarry will be on view to all visiting traffic. This will harm the local tourism economy. We, the residents of East Winch call upon you, The Prime Minister to view these proposals and put a stop to them in order that our rural way of life is maintained.

STATCOUNTER