Stonehenge Farm

Call for Review of County Minerals Quota

2010-07-24T20:28:00.002+01:00

BIG increases in gravel and sand extraction in Oxfordshire needs to be urgently reviewed, ministers have been told.

With fears mounting that large areas of Oxfordshire’s countryside could be under threat, the Government has been told to act on its promises to allow key planning decisions to be made locally.

Ian Hudspeth, Oxfordshire County Council’s cabinet member for infrastructure, has written to the Communities and Local Government Minister, Greg Clark, arguing that unfair extraction figures were drawn up by the regional assembly, which is to be abolished.

Mr Hudspeth said: “While we accept that in Oxfordshire we have a significant supply of resources, there are large areas of the county that have already been devastated by mineral extraction.”

The amount of gravel proposed in latest targets would see extraction rise in Oxfordshire by almost 20 per cent.

Nationally, however, gravel extracting is to go down by 2.4 per cent.

Mr Hudspeth has told the minister that an inspector should not have allowed a reduction in Kent and Surrey to be compensated by an increase in Oxfordshire, as the minerals would have to be moved more than 30 miles.

He urged the Government to look at making better use of recycled minerals and stone.

Sites in Oxfordshire that could be hit if the proposed minerals targets are not changed include Dorchester, Radley, Benson, Culham, Warborough, Sutton Courtenay, the Lower Windrush Valley, Eynsham and Cassington.

Another option is to include sites near Cholsey, Bicester, Chipping Norton, Faringdon, Bampton, Witney and Burford.

The Parishes Against Extraction group (PAGE), which represents eight parishes in South Oxfordshire, said key decisions affecting the Oxfordshire countryside should be left to the county council.

The group said it had been encouraged that the government had issued guidelines saying that councils could submit new evidence and figures.

PAGE spokesman Steve Thompson said: “We shall be lobbying local government hard to ensure county councillors know that they now have an opportunity for self-determination on minerals policy.

“It is time that every county councillor realises that the on-going plans to exploit the River Thames flood plain for sand and gravel are wholly unacceptable to local communities and must be challenged.”

Reg Little, 23 July 2010, Oxford Times

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8288245.Calls_for_review_of_county_minerals_quota/

Public Inquiry concludes

2010-07-03T07:50:00.002+01:00

The Stonehenge Public Inquiry finally drew to a close at 6.45 pm this evening.

THANK YOU to all those who came and witnessed any part of the proceedings this week; also to those who couldn't come but sent messages of support. It meant such a lot to the OUTRAGE team who have done their best to defend the local area from the proposed gravel extraction of 1.5 million tonnes and 20,000 lorry movements over the next 10 years.

The Inspector, Mr Ken Smith, concluded by paying tribute to the conduct of all those who attended the Inquiry, recognising how strong the feeling was on both sides but despite that, how civil and courteous each side was to the other. He gave no indication as to the speed of his decision. It will certainly take some weeks.

There will be more to say in due course but for the moment, thanks once again ...

Keep an eye on the OUTRAGE website for further developments: www.outragecampaign.blogspot.com

"Everyone must help stop floods"

2010-07-02T09:35:00.002+01:00

THE Environment Agency is urging local councils to find new ways of funding vital flood defences – three years after Oxford and much of the county was engulfed by floodwater.

Agency chief executive Dr Paul Leinster said contributions towards flood protection had to come from places other than the Government.

He said while this investment was important, councils “must now look at alternative funding streams, including increased contributions from those who will benefit from future defence schemes”.

In Hereford, supermarket chain Asda contributed £2m and constructed 440 metres of flood barriers as part of the conditions for a new supermarket in the town, he said.

Elsewhere, in Bawdsley, Suffolk, local landowners and residents formed a trust and raised £2.2m for flood defences by selling plots of land.

The EA warned that “businesses, landowners and communities will have to make a bigger contribution to paying for flood defences in their area in the future”.

Last night Oxfordshire flood risk manager Barry Russell said the way flood risk schemes were delivered would have to become more innovative in the future.

He said: “The more we can deliver in partnership, the greater flood risk protection we can provide.”

West Oxford city councillor Susanna Pressel agreed.

In July 2007 hundreds of people were evacuated from their homes in the west of the city after heavy rainfall.

Ms Pressel said: “It’s a very good idea and one that Oxford has been doing for many years now. Schemes like the one in Hereford are a useful source of money.”

Ms Pressel said it was the responsiblity of all sorts of people to pay for flood defences.

She said: “Private landlords should be building flood-proof houses with power points half way up the walls, waterproof plaster and things like that”

Factory owner Terry Siddall was one victim of the 2007 floods – he suffered £70,000 worth of damage to his farm near Hailey as the water destroyed 18 rooms.

He said disappointingly little had been done since to prevent future incidents.

He added: “Our home has been flooded twice. I live in fear of the third time because not enough has been done.”

Mr Siddall said local councils needed to ensure landowners maintained ditches and drainage systems.

“It would not cost the councils much at all,” he said.

Ms Pressel said action had been taken since 2007, including the building of a water wall on Bullstake Close and better drainage systems on Duke Street and Earl Street.

The EA, Oxfordshire County Council and Thames Water have also set up flood prevention schemes across the county over the last three years.

For example, in East Hanney, volunteers cleared vegetation from a local brook and built a flood defence bank and footpath. The EA and local authority both provided funding and equipment.

Ms Pressel said: “There is a lot more cooperation between councils and groups now. Things are getting done.”

Oxford Times, 1 July 2010, by Rhianne Pope

Part III of the Public Inquiry resumes ...

2010-06-28T13:39:00.004+01:00

in Northmoor Village Hall at 10 am on Tuesday 29th June & is scheduled to run until Friday 2nd July.

Having listened to all the reasons why Hanson believes gravel extraction SHOULD take place at this very sensitive spot - the junction of the River Thames with the River Windrush - it is now the turn of OUTRAGE & their legal representative, Charles Hopkins, to tell the Inspector, Ken Smith, why local residents believe gravel extraction should NOT take place at Stonehenge Farm.

Come along and hear the arguments for & against. Julie Hankey, on behalf of OUTRAGE, Terry Kirkpatrick, on behalf of the residents of Moreton & Chris Wood of West Oxfordshire District Council will all have the opportunity to present & debate the issues at stake here, to be examined by Charles Hopkins and cross-examined by David Park, the barrister representing Hanson.

Hanson fined for dumping prohibited waste at Cassington pit

2010-06-21T21:19:00.000+01:00

4 years ago today ...

Quarrying company fined

By Samantha Simpson, Oxford Mail » - 21st June 2006

A QUARRYING firm has been fined £8,000 for dumping prohibited waste on land near Cassington.

Hanson Quarry Products Europe is allowed to deposit items such as soil, rock, and construction waste at Cassington pit, in Worton, to restore land, after carrying out sand and gravel excavation.

But Environment Agency officers spotted unauthorised waste, including plastic, ceramics, and metal, dumped among construction waste on two separate occasions at the pit's Cresswell Fields.

At Bicester Magistrates' Court, the firm, which has more than 100 quarry sites across the UK, admitted knowingly causing controlled waste to be deposited on the land without having a waste management licence.

Rooma Horeesorun, prosecuting, said Environment Agency officers noticed a large pile of waste containing metal and plastic at the land during a visit on September 15, 2004.

Less than two weeks later, officers found two further piles of waste containing metal, plastic, rubble, and ceramics.

Mrs Horeesorun said the unauthorised waste had been deposited as part of a deal between Hanson and M&M Skips, which was based on the same site, the previous year. She said Hanson had previous convictions for environmental offences, but none similar to this offence. The illegal dumping had caused minimal contamination to the land.

Hanson said the dumper-truck driver responsible for picking up M&M's waste had been told not to leave the cab for health and safety reasons, so had been unable to see what the machine had been picking up.

However, the firm said the driver should have noticed and removed unauthorised items when the material had been deposited.

The company said it had broken off its agreement with M&M as soon as the problems had come to light, and had immediately removed the unauthorised items.

Magistrate Ann McCornack said Hanson was 'reckless' not to have a system which checked what was among materials being deposited.

The initial sentence was set at a £12,000 fine, reduced to £8,000, because Hanson had pleaded guilty. The firm was also ordered to pay £1,538 legal costs.

New Government confirms it is tearing up the South East Plan

2010-05-31T15:19:00.006+01:00

Under the SE plan, 55,000 homes were to be built between 2006 - 2026.

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8187218.Government_axes_county_homes_plan/

Destructive reservoir will require millions of tonnes of gravel

2010-05-27T14:51:00.001+01:00

The Oxford Times published the following leader on 20th May:

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/forum/letters/8173279.Destructive_reservoir/

Increase in annual targets "unnecessary, inappropriate & unacceptable"

2010-05-15T06:47:00.002+01:00

The County Council looks set to oppose the increase in annual targets in Oxfordshire at its Cabinet meeting next week ...

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/8161927.County_council__backs_gravel_pit_opposition_/

Gravel Plan is threat to countryside

2010-04-21T13:16:00.002+01:00

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/news/7986261.Region_pinpointed_as_major_gravel_pits_site/

Oxford Mail - Local people must fight gravel plans

2010-04-05T22:08:00.001+01:00

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/yoursay/letters/7985362.Local_people_must_fight_gravel_plans

Local people must fight gravel plans

7:02pm Monday 5th April 2010

I write in reply to your story about gravel extraction in Thursday’s Oxford Mail.

I write as Chairman of OUTRAGE (Oxfordshire Upper Thames Residents Against Gravel Extraction), a community group which has been fighting gravel extraction in the Lower Windrush Valley for more than 30 years. We deplore the decision by the Secretary of State to increase the amount of gravel that Oxfordshire is expected to provide. At the same time, the plan makes clear that the practicality and deliverability of the amounts apportioned to each county in the region will be tested at a local level.

The figures are not inflexible. Oxfordshire County Council should be prepared to stand up and say no.

The consultation exercise it has been conducting shows no sign of its willingness to do this.

All over Oxfordshire we are being asked to sign away either our own fields or someone else’s. You mentions the council’s plan to concentrate digging in one or two areas: in south Oxfordshire and in west Oxfordshire, in the Lower Windrush Valley.

The truth is that digging has been going on in the valley for 60 years. A large part of it is now a moonscape of pits, haul routes, banked up topsoil (known as bunds), aggregate heaps and conveyors.

Much of the rest is a string of old field-shaped gravel lakes. The people who live here have had to put up with noise, dust, gravel lorries, dangerous footpaths, and the destruction of what was once a landscape of largely water meadows.

The southernmost end of the valley, where the Windrush meets the Thames at Newbridge, is still unspoilt. Here you can walk safely through fields down to the river and the Thames Path without ever seeing a bund or a conveyor.

Now the minerals corporation Hanson Aggregates wants to dig it up.

Last November the council refused it permission to excavate gravel at Stonehenge Farm, Northmoor – an interesting name in view of the Devil’s Quoits henge at Stanton Harcourt, now destroyed by gravel extraction. Hanson has appealed against this decision and on April 13, at Northmoor Village Hall, there will be a public inquiry. Anyone who loves this part of West Oxfordshire, should come and support us.

Julie Hankey

Chair of OUTRAGE

The Green

Northmoor

Witney

outragecampaign.blogspot.com

Gravel Pit Battle

2009-11-05T22:19:00.000Z

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/archive/2009/11/05/Letters+(oxfordtimesletters)/4719514.Gravel _pit_battl e /

Gravel pit battle

Sir – A letter in your issue of October 22 praised Oxford city councillors for their good judgement in rejecting certain planning applications. The county councillors, too, won praise last year for turning down an application by Hanson Aggregates to quarry gravel at a site between Northmoor and Standlake. That was in November 2008.

But Hansons have appealed and there is to be a public enquiry in Northmoor beginning on November 17. There is no space here to set out the arguments against this application (risk of flooding, archaeology, footpaths, lorry traffic etc). In 1945 there was one gravel pit in the Lower Windrush area; now there are between 40 and 50!

Big corporations can pay for lawyers and technical experts. Villagers have no such resources. We have formed a group, Outrage, to co-ordinate our resistance. For more information please visit outragecampaign.blogspot.com. Donations (if you are kind) may be sent to The Treasurer, Outrage, Greenfields, Church Road, Northmoor, Witney OX29 5SX.

James Craig, Standlake

Flood Watch

2009-02-12T22:01:00.001Z

River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge

Current status:

Flood Watch
Location:

River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge including Burford, Asthall, Minster Lovell, Crawley, Witney, Ducklington, Rack End and Standlake.
Region:

Thames
Updates:

Call floodline on 0845 988 1188 and enter area number 171075 to get more information

This area is covered by our general early alert to possible flooding, known as Flood Watch.We can also issue more specific Flood Warnings in this area. Follow the link(s) below to check if Flood Warnings are also in force for the following location(s):

Flood Alert

2009-02-12T21:51:00.005Z

Oxford Times features Gravel

2008-11-29T21:38:00.002Z

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/search/3868317.Firms_fear_gravel_plans/

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/search/3874195.Gravel_protesters_celebrate/

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/search/3877164.Villages_defeat_gravel_pit_plan/

http://www.oxfordtimes.co.uk/search/2275155.Quarry_backing_causes_anger/

Oxford Mail features Gravel

2008-11-29T21:34:00.001Z

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/search/3877164.Villages_defeat_gravel_pit_plan/

http://www.oxfordmail.co.uk/search/3868317.Firms_fear_gravel_plans/

Witney Gazette features Gravel

2008-11-29T21:29:00.003Z

LATEST HEADLINES
http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/search/3877164.Villages_defeat_gravel_pit_plan/

http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/search/3874195.Gravel_protesters_celebrate/

http://www.witneygazette.co.uk/search/3868317.Firms_fear_gravel_plans/

OCC Planning Committee Meeting - 24th November

2008-11-24T20:14:00.004Z

This is to let you all know that the OCC Planning Committee met this afternoon to discuss the above application. After much debate the application was rejected (8 votes to 6).

Thank you to all of you who turned out this afternoon to hear the debate. Thank you to all of you who have supported this campaign in so many ways. All your support over past months has been greatly appreciated.

Let us enjoy this moment ...

Update from Outrage

2008-11-15T21:17:00.001Z

Message from Outrage

We now have confirmation that the Stonehenge Farm application will be considered by the OCC Planning and Regulation Committee on Monday November 24th, despite the fact that the WODC Strategic Flood Review is not yet ready and hasn't been published. The committee's resolution on July 21st was that consideration of this application should be deferred 'until such time as the WODC Strategic Flood Review was published'. The officers recommend that this resolution should be rescinded. Outrage's solicitors have written to the County Council and our barrister will be addressing the Planning and Regulation Committee on the day. For further information, take a look at outragecampaign.blogspot.com. You can access the Nov. 24th Agenda and the officers' recommendation at http://www.oxfordshire.gov.uk/content/public/Resources/hlpdownloads/PN/pn241108.htm)

PLEASE COME TO THE PLANNING MEETING AT COUNTY HALL, WESTGATE, OXFORD, ON NOVEMBER 24TH, AT 2PM.

It is very important that the committee should be exposed to public scrutiny on November 24th. If they decide to overturn their previous resolutions we should make sure that they do so in the public gaze. November 24th may be our last opportunity to defeat an application which may increase the risk of flooding and which will destroy our countryside.

MEANWHILE COME AND HAVE SOME FUN AT THE FAMILY FUNDRAISER AT NORTHMOOR VILLAGE HALL ON NOVEMBER 22ND.

Our Fundraising campaign has been a great success. The attempt to nullify the majority votes of the OCC Planning Committee means that legal representation is now more important than ever. Your contributions have made it possible for OUTRAGE to instruct both our solicitors and our QC. We want to thank everyone who has helped in any way - by giving donations, by buying and selling raffle tickets and by buying Family Fundraiser tickets. There are still tickets available for this event. It'll be a great evening out, with wonderful food, music and dancing - and of course the Grand Raffle Draw with lots of fantastic prizes. Please come along and bring your friends. More information on outragecampaign.blogspot.com.

Julie Hankey

Newbridge - Flood Alert!

2008-11-11T11:25:00.003Z

The Thames has burst its banks and flooded the fields at Newbridge this morning.

Flood Watch Today

2008-11-10T18:48:00.001Z

The River Windrush Catchment

Page last updated: 08:11 on 10-Nov-2008
Flood status checked every 15 minutes.

Current status:	Flood Watch
Status last changed at:	08:11 on 10-Nov-2008
Location:	The River Windrush from Bourton-on-the-Water to Newbridge and its tributaries

Stonehenge Farm - Proposed Site & Floodmap

2008-11-10T11:08:00.006Z

For more information look at http://outragecampaign.blogspot.com

Job losses at HeidelbergCement

2008-11-07T11:07:00.001Z

Heidelberg slashes over 4,000 jobs in UK and US

Issue date: November 6th, 2008

Globally, HeidelbergCement reduced its headcount from 68,783 to 64,638 over the year to September, with the majority of workers being culled from operations in the slowing economies of North America and the UK, the German company’s third quarter report highlights.

Following its acquisition of Hanson and as a result of slowing growth in the housing market in the two countries, 4,145 jobs were cut “…essentially from location optimisations and capacity adjustments in North America and the United Kingdom,” the report states.

The number of employees at the company on 30 September across Europe numbered 28,873, down from 31,663 the previous September. Meanwhile, the North America headcount fell 1,865 over the same period to 17,970.

The company is seeking to generate savings of €250million a year with its Fitness 2009 program, the full effects of which it expects will come next year, suggesting further headcount reductions could be announced over the coming months. Hanson and Castle Cement in the UK have already announced a range of jobs losses.

HeidelbergCement has been hit hard in the UK and the US. In late October ratings agencies Moody’s and Standard and Poor downgraded the company’s credit rating to sub-investment grade because of the lack of activity in the UK and North America, as well as a lack of further disposals and difficult refinancing conditions.

Message from OUTRAGE

2008-11-02T22:09:00.001Z

You can now buy tickets for the OUTRAGE Family Fundraiser and Grand Raffle
Draw by following this link: http://outrage.express.ts.com

You can also get to the ticket sales page by following the link from our new
campaign page: http://outragecampaign.blogspot.com

The number of tickets will be limited by the capacity of Northmoor Village
Hall, so please buy early to avoid disappointment.

Hot supper, disco, grand raffle draw, many prizes and a chance to help the
OUTRAGE campaign!

MQR

2008-10-31T21:40:00.001Z

Latest News

Gloom deepens for UK quarry firms

Issue date: October 30th, 2008

Further job losses and mothballing of operations could be necessary across UK quarrying firms as they prepare for worse conditions than during the 1991 recession, according to new figures.

The latest Quarry Products Association (QPA) sales statistics show ready-mix sales fell 21% during the third quarter compared with the same period last year, with sand and gravel sales falling by 17% and crushed rock by 15%.

As if suddenly hitting a wall, Q3 sales fell at a rate not seen since the 1991 downturn. However, warns the QPA, pre-credit crunch market conditions are set to make the effect of the slowdown much worse.

“The accelerating decline in demand seen in Q3 indicates that for 2008 the rate of annual decline of aggregates and concrete volumes will be similar to the 1991 recession – but the fundamental difference in this comparison is that the early 1990s recession followed historically high volumes in the late 1980s, but the current market decline is from much more modest volume base.

“There will be further significant declines in aggregates and concrete markets in 2009 as the downturn in construction output worsens,” it said.

The use of ready-mix and aggregates are often weighted towards the earlier stages of construction projects, says the QPA, and so the decline reflects not just the problems in the housing markets, but also the lack of new work elsewhere in construction, notably in the commercial and industrial sectors.

Bucking the trend, asphalt sales have been steady through 2008. The figures show between January and September this year sales grew by one percent compared with the same period last year – Q3 figures, however, show a decline of two percent.

The QPA said it anticipates a “…significant decline in asphalt demand…given the small number of major roads contracts in progress and inadequate local highways funding”.

Message from OUTRAGE

2008-10-13T14:53:00.004+01:00

We have now had confirmation from WODC that the Final 2007 Flood Report will not be published in time for the OCC Planning and Regulation Committee meeting of October 20th. OCC have therefore removed the Stonehenge Farm application from the draft agenda for that meeting. They hope to have it on the agenda for November 24th.

Meanwhile, OUTRAGE are gearing up the campaign. We have sought the opinion of a QC with experience of minerals applications and have been advised by him that we have a good case against Oxfordshire County Council. Together with the firm of solicitors who have advised us in our case against the Environment Agency, our QC will write a legal opinion on our behalf to all members of the OCC Planning and Regulation committee and will address the committee on the day itself.

All this will cost - but OUTRAGE believes that it will be a sum well worth paying. As laymen we have little power to move a Council so determined to favour this application. If we are to be taken seriously, our arguments need to be delivered by professional lawyers. For maximum impact, we believe that our QC is the man for the job.

WE appeal to you to help us raise the necessary funds. Our four-year campaign against gravel extraction at Stonehenge Farm is now facing its greatest challenge. The possibility of increased flood risk hangs in the balance, together with the fate of our roads, footpaths and countryside. We need to show that we are serious, that our opposition is real and that we will not be rolled over.

As part of our fund-raising campaign we are arranging a Grand Raffle with a top prize of £500, plus other prizes including a case of wine from the Oxford Wine Company’s own vineyard donated by Ted Sandbach, a Northmoor lamb (ready to freeze) donated by Julia & Graham Shelton, a meal for four at the Black Horse, Standlake, donated by Andy & Debbie Jones, a round of golf at Frilford Golf Club donated by Luke List, and a meal for two with a bottle of champagne at Pierre Victoire in Little Clarendon Street, donated by Claire Harvey. Many thanks to all our donors.

Raffle tickets will be £2 a ticket and the Grand Draw will take place on the evening of November 22^nd at Northmoor Village Hall – details to follow shortly.

A prize of chocolates and champagne will be given to whoever sells the most tickets.

Monetary donations of any amount, large or small, would be very much appreciated.

They should be made payable to OUTRAGE and sent to our Treasurer:

John Downes, Greenfields, Church Road, Northmoor, Witney, Oxon, OX29 5SX

PLEASE HELP US TO SAVE OUR VILLAGES!

OUTRAGE

outrage@thegreen.co.uk

Hanson - More Closures

2008-09-29T14:12:00.003+01:00

Latest News

Asphalt plants and quarries to close at Hanson

Issue date: September 24th, 2008

Six asphalt plants at Heidelberg-owned Hanson are facing the axe as are as many as 10 quarries as the company struggles to fight the effects of the downturn.

Asphalt operations facing closure are Gwalchmi in Anglesey, Pottall Pool in Cannock, Clee Hill in Shropshire, Chipping Sodbury in South Gloucestershire, Penderyn near Aberdare, and Machen near Caerphilly.

Any closures are dependent on review, however, Hanson spokesperson David Weeks told MQR today that given the weakened state of the forward order book closure was likely. Around two-three jobs will be lost at each site with production in each area moving to a nearby site.

Hanson is also looking to close up to ten quarries in response to the downturn. The majority (six or seven, says Weeks) will come from operations at the end of their reserves including Cassington in Oxford and Trentham in Stoke-on-Trent.

The news comes as the company confirmed further brickwork job losses along with the closure of a kiln and three cement mills at its Castle Cement Ketton operation.

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine (MQR)

2008-09-19T13:32:00.002+01:00

Latest News

Lafarge UK set to mothball quarries

Issue date: September 18th, 2008

As the effects of the credit crunch continue to amplify across the construction products market, Lafarge UK says it will be mothballing quarries, which could lead to further industry job losses.

Following a slump in demand across the quarry products sector, which has led to both Tarmac and Cemex announcing job losses, Lafarge UK told MQR today it was too cutting back on production but that details had yet to be finalised.

The French-owned company said in a statement: “Mothballing of some sites will be necessary, but exactly when and which sites depends on varying local market conditions.

“We may well be bringing forward the closure of some sites which are nearing the end of their natural life, and needless to say we are monitoring each of our operations very closely.”

The group’s interim report at the beginning of August recorded an 11% fall in UK revenues during H1 compared with the same period in 2007. Gypsum, cement, concrete and aggregates fell from €734million (£583million) during the same period in 2007, to €653million (£514million).

These results compare with the other Lafarge Group Western European operations in France and Spain that experienced growth of £55million (€70million) and £12million (€15million) respectively over the same period.

The United States was the only other operation to experience losses with revenues falling from £1,031million (€1,309million) to £780.5million (€991million) over the period.

Britain's Summer of Miserable Weather

2008-09-17T21:38:00.003+01:00

June 27: The Association of British Insurers said the overall cost of the floods would run into hundreds of millions and urged government to improve flood defences.

July 6: The Chartered Institute of Loss Adjusters (CILA) calculated that domestic claims from the June floods would reach £825m, while those from businesses would be £680m.

July 22: Environment Secretary Hilary Benn defended the Government's response to the floods and Environment Agency chief executive Baroness Young said £1bn a year was needed to prevent future flooding.

Oxford floods ...

2008-09-17T21:32:00.002+01:00

Oxford floods deepen as more rain is forecast

By Richard Edwards

Last Updated: 1:50AM BST 27 Jul 2007

1 of 2 Images

Allotments in Oxford. In pictures: UK under water: Oxon | Worcs | Glos

Flooding may have caused greater devastation in affected areas than the foot and mouth crisis, farmers warned last night, as the floods extended throughout the Thames Valley.

Oxford became the latest area hit yesterday and parts of the city will be left under water for two days.

There are further fears with forecasters predicting up to half an inch of rain today in some areas already suffering.

The worst floods in modern history have now stretched more than 150 miles along the Severn and Thames from western England towards London.

Farmers in the worst-hit areas of Gloucestershire, Herefordshire and Worcestershire said it could take three years to recover from the disaster and said the impact could be worse than that of foot and mouth outbreak of 2001.

David Fursdon, President of the Country Land and Business Association, said: "In affected areas it could be worse than foot and mouth disease as in this situation there's no automatic right to compensation. One farmer has lost 200 acres of arable crops and many are battling to save their livestock."

The National Farmers' Union has drawn up a list in Gloucestershire alone of 20 high-risk farms. Dozens of dairies - which require up to 10,000 litres of water a day - are under threat and farmers are using winter supplies to survive. Entire summer crops have also been wiped out, which are likely to send food prices soaring. Ian Johnston, of the NFU, said: "We are facing a complete catastrophe."

Oxfordshire became the focus of the continuing flood crisis. Emergency rescues were carried out at 250 homes in west Oxford in the early hours and authorities confirmed 900 homes in the county have now been flooded.

Emergency services battled successfully to save the Osney Mead electricity sub-station, which provides power to most of the city.

However, 200 people off Abingdon Road, one of the main routes into the city, had their power supplies cut last night and are not likely to be reconnected until later today.

The developments came despite Hilary Benn, the Environment Secretary, announcing in the Commons on Tuesday that he "anticipated no additional, significant flooding in Oxfordshire".

Dr Evan Harris, the Liberal Democrat MP for Oxford West and Abingdon, said he was surprised by the error. He said: "Why did the Government and the Environment Agency get that prediction wrong? These floods are not 1 in 40 year occurrences, since this has now happened three years in eight."

OCC Planning Committee - Future Dates

2008-09-15T18:42:00.002+01:00

Dates for your Diary

The WODC Final Report on the Summer Floods of July 2007 is due to be published on 15th October. It is likely therefore that the application will be discussed at County Hall on Monday 20 October. Failing that, the next Planning Committee meeting is on Monday 24 November.

Please note these dates. Your support is VITAL.

Further details will be posted as they become available.

Countryside Alliance CE speaks out on Flooding

2008-09-15T18:38:00.001+01:00

Flooding should be treated on the same level as terrorism or a flu pandemic

The official Government report into the 2007 floods, led by Sir Michael Pitt, suggested the much needed infrastructure that will reduce the impact of flooding - but this could take months, even years to implement. While medium and long-term plans must be put in place to ensure adequate defences, it is in the short term that the misery is most apparent. The Pitt report suggests that flooding should be treated on the same level as terrorism or a flu pandemic. Fair, when you consider the floods of 2007 were not only the most serious inland flooding that England and Wales had experienced since 1947, but were ranked as the most financially costly floods in the world for that year.

With over 11,000 people still living in temporary accommodation owing to 2007's floods, we can ill afford this latest blow. Rural Britain's tenacity is being tested to the limit, and supporting our communities has never been more important.

Simon Hart
Chief Executive

Flood Alert

2008-09-09T12:02:00.002+01:00

The River Windrush Catchment
Status: Received at: Location:	Flood Watch 10:37 on 09-Sep-2008 The River Windrush from Bourton-on-the-Water to Newbridge and its tributaries

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine

2008-09-08T14:02:00.002+01:00

Latest News

Hanson loses Hope in Flintshire

Issue date: September 3rd, 2008

Councillors in Flintshire have thwarted Hanson’s application to modify conditions on its existing permission to quarry sand and gravel from Fagl Lane quarry in Hope, leaving the Heidelberg-owned company to assess its way forward.

Non-operational for three years and now up for sale, the quarry is at the centre of a definitions tug of war with Flintshire County Council over whether the site was closed for good in 2004 or whether it was simply mothballed.

The council says a letter sent by Hanson when it closed the quarry states the operation had ceased and so the quarry firm should get on with restoration – a condition in the permission says if work stops for a year then restoration has to begin.

Hanson, which is not seeking to work the site, maintains the operation has simply been mothballed and seeks to modify the conditions for work to potentially begin again. However, the planning committee yesterday rejected the application.

A planning official for Flintshire Council told MQR today: “It was the view of the committee that the site had been abandoned and so needed to be restored. Although there was a balance between those for and against.

“We need to make provision for sand and gravel and as quarries go this is the least problematic site around. But there was a feeling that patience had been tested on this matter. Hanson has no intention of working the site.”

Hanson can now appeal the decision, take the financial hit of starting to restore the site while they find a buyer or simply take the view that a change in permission is not needed because the site has simply been mothballed, the planner said.

Daily Telegraph - 30th August 2008

2008-09-04T16:03:00.005+01:00

Growing flood risks

Sir - I recently attended a meeting called by the Environment Agency to discuss the final draft of the North Essex Catchment Flood Management Plan. It covers the maintenance of watercourses on nearly 750,000 acres of farmland, through 14 towns and innumerable villages.

After four years' work on the project the agency gave one week's written notice of a meeting. The 600-page report arrived one working day beforehand. Present were the contractor, three agency staff, three professional environmentalists and one member of the public (myself) to represent the views of the 2,504 homes and 400 plus businesses at risk from river flooding.

In all areas, apart from three towns, we have been told to expect an increased risk of flooding.

If I were Ken Wilkins (Letters, August 28th), I would not rely on the Environment Agency unless I was a water vole or great crested newt.

Andrew St Joseph
Tollesbury, Essex

Letter published 30th August 2008

Flood Watch today

2008-09-04T15:57:00.009+01:00

The River Windrush Catchment

Page last updated: 15:27 on 04-Sep-2008

Current status

Flood Watch

(Flooding of low lying land and

roads is expected.)

Status last changed at:

15:27 on 04-Sep-2008

Location:

The River Windrush from

Bourton-on-the-Water

to Newbridge and its tributaries

Parish Flood Report Roadshows

2008-09-03T14:30:00.003+01:00

West Oxfordshire District Council will be holding four Parish Flood Report Road Shows in September as follows:

1) 9^th September 2008, 2 to 7pm, at New Beaconsfield Hall, Shipton –under-Wychwood, for the north of the District

Covering: Salford, Chipping Norton, Cornwell, Kingham, Little Tew, Enstone, Chadlington, Charlbury, Ascott-under-Wychwood, Milton-under-Wychwood, Shipton-under-Wychwood, Taynton, Fulbrook, Swinbrook & Widford, Burford, Westwell, Asthall, Leafield

2) 11^th September 2008, 2 to 7pm, at Standlake Village Hall, for the south east of the District

Covering: Standlake, Northmoor, Aston, Cote, Shifford & Chimney, Hardwick-with-Yelford, South Leigh, Eynsham, Cassington, Stanton Harcourt

3) 16^th September 2008, 2 to 7pm, at Woodgreen Offices, New Yatt Road, Witney, for central and east of the District

Covering: Witney, Minster Lovell, Curbridge & Lew, Ducklington, Crawley, Hailey, North Leigh, Freeland, Combe, Woodstock, Bladon, Hanborough, Ramsden, Finstock, Fawler

4) 18^th September 2008, 2 to 7pm, at Bampton Village Hall (booked), for the west and south west of the District

Covering: Bampton, Clanfield, Black Bourton, Grafton & Radcot, Kelmscott, Little Faringdon, Langford, Filkins & Broughton Poggs, Broadwell, Kencot, Alvescot, Carterton, Shilton, Brize Norton

Members of the public affected by flooding have been invited by letter to attend their nearest event; however, they will be welcome to attend whichever road show is most convenient for them.

Representatives from the Environment Agency, Oxfordshire County Council, West Oxfordshire District Council, and Thames Water will be at all the events. Cottsway Housing will be attending the 16th and 18th September Road Shows, and representatives from RAF Brize Norton will be at the 18th September Road Show in Bampton.

These are informal events and a good opportunity to drop in, ask questions and find out more about flood prevention.

Flood One Year On

2008-08-03T08:38:00.004+01:00

In the Oxford Times Andrew Ffrench writes:

FLOOD ONE YEAR ON: 'Never say never again'

Comment | Read Comments (1)

Charlbury Road bridge when the floods hit last July

Households in Oxfordshire have spent "millions of pounds" in a desperate effort to ensure a repeat of last year's devastating flooding never happens again.

In the past year, homeowners - some of whom are still out of their properties - have purchased a range of equipment designed to keep rising water at bay.

Some have even spent their insurance pay-outs flood-proofing their properties.

But exactly a year on from the chaos, the Government has warned those living in flood-prone areas to brace themselves for more frequent deluges in years to come.

Although significant progress has been made clearing up a large part of last July's mess, floods recovery minister John Healy last night said "never say never again".

He added: "The blunt truth is we are faced with the sort of rain we have never seen before in Britain in records going back 250 years. We can never say never again."

More than 2,100 homes across Oxfordshire flooded last summer.

Mary Dhonau, chief executive of the National Flood Forum, said: "Millions of pounds has been paid by residents in Oxfordshire on repair work and, as well as insurance cover, they have also invested their own money on protecting their homes."

By the end of June, the number of families still out of their homes in Oxfordshire had fallen to 158 - down from 231 in May and 291 in April.

Of those, 18 Oxford households are still in temporary accommodation.

In west Oxfordshire, 90 families are still out of their homes, while in the Vale of White Horse the figure is 50.

Nick Hills, 59, of Earl Street, West Oxford, said: "Since the flood I have been living with friends.

"I got about £25,000 in insurance and I spent that and several thousand more to make my home more flood-resilient.

"I got a stone floor fitted and I am waiting for a fully submersible recycled plastic kitchen to be installed."

Craig Woolhouse, of the Environment Agency, said: "We've had a huge challenge in responding to the floods, but we've been pressing ahead with the job we are here to do.

"Since last summer, we have spent £2m to complete river maintenance, de-silting work, channel maintenance and improving river structures in Oxfordshire.

"We acknowledge we haven't been able to do everything people wanted."

Earlier this month, a demonstration of demountable defences was held in West Oxford.

About 100 people attended the event, where a variety of flood defence products, including absorbant sandbags, water pumps, air brick covers and door and garage barriers were sold.

Tim Sadler, executive director of city services at Oxford City Council and chairman of the joint Oxfordshire group on flooding, said: "The reality of climate change means the risk of floods is ever-present and increasing."

Oxfordshire County Council has spent £600,000 on improving highway drainage at 30 locations in the county.

21st July 2008

Floods: "Apparent Lack of Action"

2008-08-03T08:15:00.003+01:00

The most viewed article in the electronic version of the Witney Gazette this week was an article written by David Horne

Comment

"I don't want to have to go to my insurers with yet another very expensive bill," said Terry Siddall

A MAN whose home was flooded in July last year has highlighted the 'apparent lack of action' to prevent it happening again.

77-year-old Terry Siddall suffered damage running to more than £50,000 when water poured into his house at New Found Out Farm, near Hailey. Four other cottages were also flooded, with families moved out to temporary accommodation.

He has had a barrier ramp built at the entrance to the farmyard properties, but is still fighting to solve the source of the problem, blocked ditches and highways drains. He said: "I've seen plenty of words about what needs to be done since last July, but it's action that's needed. There seems to have been no apparent action about the problems here."

Mr Siddall's home is adjacent to the B4022 Witney to Charlbury road on a hill coming down from Finstock. In heavy rain, the road becomes awash with water and, within the last two months, became impassable when it collected at a dip just past his home.

Floodwater last summer also poured into the farmyard from surrounding fields.

Mr Siddall, who has lived at New Found Out Farm since the 1960s, said: "It is well-known that ditches on both sides of the B4022 and the road to Ramsden have not been maintained over the years, and they have been allowed by the landowners to deteriorate.

"I am naturally worried that all these properties will flood again unless proper maintenance is carried out. I don't want to have to go to my insurers with yet another very expensive bill."

More than 1,600 properties received flooding of various levels in West Oxfordshire last July, and about 80 are still vacant while repairs are carried out.

In the post-flood analysis, the Environment Agency and county and district councils agreed that much of the damage was not caused by rivers bursting their banks, but ditches overflowing because of poor maintenance.

Although inspections have been carried out, and action plans are being drawn up for all 80 of the district's parishes, it is conceded that the work is taking a long time.

Lawrence King, action principal engineer for West Oxfordshire District Council, said: "In many cases, it is a shared responsibility between landowners and the highways authority. Land searches to find out ownership is a long process, and not always clear. Where we can establish responsibility, we contact them to clear out ditches, and assist run-off. This is taking time.

"In Mr Siddall's case, we can see that grips, or channels, from the road need to be properly maintained to take water away, and that ditches need to be cleared."

The problem at New Found Out Farm would, added Mr King, be highlighted in the flood report due to be published on Hailey parish.

An officer from the county council's highways department visited Mr Siddall to assess what work needs to be done.

He himself has suggested using adjoining fields as run-off areas to take water from the road and away from nearby homes. But agreement is still needed from landowners.

Witney MP David Cameron was on Friday meeting residents in Milton-under-Wychwood, as well as the Witney Flood Action Group over continuing concerns about repeat flooding.

29th July 2008

Letter from Outrage

2008-07-25T13:22:00.001+01:00

Dear All

It was a fantastic turn-out on Monday. Thanks to everybody for coming, for wearing the T-shirt and holding up the placards! Thanks also to the various folks who spoke on behalf of the local residents. Keep the T-shirts until next time - we're going to have to do it again. Keep writing too.

For those of you who weren't able to attend, the OCC Planning Committee voted to delay the decision regarding Stonehenge Farm until after the WODC Final Report on the Summer Floods of July 2007 which is expected in September/October.

Julie (Hankey), Chair, OUTRAGE

County Hall, Oxford on 21st July

2008-07-25T12:25:00.004+01:00

OCC Planning Meeting - 21st July

2008-07-21T21:41:00.003+01:00

The OCC Planning Committee met again today to consider the application to extract 1.55 million tonnes of sand & gravel at Stonehenge Farm, Northmoor. There were about 145 people present to witness the proceedings at the meeting. After two and a half hours of presentations and debate, a motion was put forward and subsequently carried to defer further consideration of the application until the publication of the WODC Final Report on the Summer Floods of July 2007.

The dates of the next two OCC Planning Meetings are Monday1st September and Monday 20th October. Please note these dates in your diary.

Hanson lays off 130 workers

2008-07-21T21:38:00.003+01:00

Extract from the Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine weekly newsletter:

"And as the house-building market continues to slump the effects are starting to be felt by suppliers. Key stories this week are that Tarmac Building Products has laid off over 300 workers, Hanson around 130 and 28 are to go in Cemex."

Watch this space ...

Another Letter to Councillors

2008-07-21T08:04:00.003+01:00

Dear Councillor

I have lived in Northmoor for 20 years and have observed the very noticeable and obvious increase in the frequency and severity of flooding in and around the village during that time. Last July, after just one day of heavy rain, the village suffered the worst flooding I have witnessed. Fortunately my house did not flood. My neighbour, who has lived in his house for 48 years, did flood – for the first time during his time in his home.

There has to be a root cause for the changes to the flood levels and frequency. To the villagers the reasons are obvious – and are very well articulated by the letter you received from Graham last Thursday. I sincerely hope you have read his letter because it puts our concerns so clearly and I wholeheartedly endorse and support his views. I saw the dramatic volume of water that flowed in a torrent across the Stonehenge site when the Windrush burst its banks and millions of gallons of water were held back on the “safe” side of the flood bank. Would the proposed gravel workings and bunds improve the flow of water when the Windrush bursts its banks – I think not.

To save your valuable time I will not reiterate all the points Graham made to you but I implore you to seriously consider what he said and to understand the damage that will be done to our community if the proposed development at Stonehenge Farm goes ahead.

Thank you for taking the time to read this letter. Please also take time to consider the critically important decision you will make on Monday.

Sent in by Peter Winder, Northmoor

Letter to Councillors on the Planning Committee

2008-07-17T22:15:00.003+01:00

Dear Councillor

I am writing to every member of the OCC Planning Committee to register my strong objection to the application to dig gravel at Stonehenge Farm. The principal reason for this objection is the clear risk of flooding that will result from the works.

Unlike the EA, I live in Northmoor right in the thick of the floodplain, and my objection is based on personal observation of real water flows over many years and not on the inadequate modelling of theoretical water flows performed in support of the application.

A key source of flooding in Northmoor is the Windrush, which joins the Thames at Newbridge. The Windrush floods easily and copiously as a result of the previous gravel diggings higher up the Windrush, which removed the usual buffering from vegetation and the sponge effect of the land now occupied by lakes. Flooding typically occurs when the Thames is high because a huge backlog of water builds up at the junction of the two rivers, bursting the banks of the Windrush and overflowing into the fields. This excess water then drains down to the Thames lower down via the various brooks and ditches across the fields. Importantly, all this floodwater is deposited the ‘wrong’ side of the flood bank, which was designed and built before the worst of the gravel diggings expressly to protect Northmoor from water coming up from the Thames not down from the Windrush.

Stonehenge Farm currently accommodates an important part of the Windrush overspill. In my opinion it would be irresponsible to interfere with our fragile hydrology by the excavation of huge open-caste mines, development of clay-lined lakes, and building of massive earth walls or bunds at Stonehenge Farm. I am astounded that the hydrology model does not show the flooding risk more clearly from this development and can only conclude that it is a poor model that does not correspond with the real-life experience of those who live here.

The proposed gravel digging will increase the risk of flooding on our farmland, it will increase the amount of flooding in Moreton Lane and it will increase the amount of flooding in the village of Northmoor. We have no need of models to show this, we observed the process in action last year on the ground.

At a time when the EA has cut back savagely on waterway maintenance, especially of the Thames and its ‘main river’ tributaries, we already suffer from poor local drainage, as evidenced by the pools of water which appear in the fields after just a couple of days of rain. Right now we are another flood waiting to happen. Approval of the application will just bring the threat of flooding that much closer to us.

Let those who would take the responsibility for approving the application also take responsibility for the economic and personal consequences of the flood that will follow.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Please do think long and hard about this decision and take account of the real concerns of so many residents. For your information, I have sought Counsel’s opinion from Harry Wolton, one of this country’s most senior Planning QCs and he is ready and eager to take on the fight should that become necessary.

Sent in by Graham from Northmoor

T Shirt Collection

2008-07-17T21:30:00.001+01:00

Thank you to all those who have ordered a T shirt to support Outrage. Maureen will be collecting the T shirts on Friday from Leicestershire, and would greatly appreciate it if you could collect them from her on Friday evening if possible. Anytime between 5.30pm – 10.00pm.

If you are unable to collect please could you let Maureen know and make alternative arrangements. Maureen has very kindly already paid for the T shirts so please could everyone who has ordered one ensure she is reimbursed as quickly as possible. The final cost has I am afraid come out at a slightly higher price, due to the quantity ordered and the need to get the T shirts here by tomorrow. The cost per T shirt will be £ 4.85 this includes a donation to Outrage of 50p per t shirt, or alternatively £4.35 if you would prefer not to make a donation. Apologies for this increase in cost, but it was due to circumstances beyond our control. Maureen worked very hard to obtain the best possible price.

E-mail searsmaureen@yahoo.co.uk

Many Thanks for your support and for helping us distribute (and pay for) the T shirts as quickly as possible.

Anniversary of July Flooding - Street Party!

2008-07-16T13:06:00.003+01:00

Rack End Street Party

“No More Floods Please”

1 Year after the floods (well within two days) please come and join us for some BBQ food and beers, and take a look at the new anti-flood bund.

Location: 21 Rack End, Standlake. Saturday 19^th July 3pm onwards.

We are also hoping for media coverage on the day and help give back up to “Outrage” in their campaign against the proposed gravel extraction. This could lead to increased flooding of Rack End in the future if planning is granted, so please do join us and show your support to get the message across to the Planning Committee

RSVP via email to adrian.list@buildbase.co.uk or Mobile 07775 921021 or simply write names on back of this invite and post through our letter box.

Flooding - A Government Response - 8th July

2008-07-13T13:29:00.003+01:00

The Stationery Office published Flooding: Government Response to the Committee’s Fifth Report of Session 2007–08 (publication number HC901) on 8th July 2008

This is the government response to the House of Commons Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (EFRA) Committee report on flooding published on 7^th May this year. The EFRA Committee undertook a very wide consultation and made some excellent recommendations, not only on flood mitigation but also on drainage.

The 18-page government response to the report is clear and offers some key recommendations which are relevant to the Stonehenge application. These include the following.

“Local authorities should have a statutory duty for surface water drainage. It should be the duty of the local authority to ensure its area is, and continues to be, effectively drained of precipitation to an agreed national standard of service”

“Any proposed new scheme should have an estimated maintenance schedule in the same way that it is accompanied by a construction bill of quantities”

“A key component….is the maintenance schedule over the whole life of the asset”

“Local people have to be involved, and consulted, in the formulation of decisions about watercourse and river maintenance”

This is just a tiny selection. The full report can be found at: http://www.publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm200708/cmselect/cmenvfru/901/901.pdf.

CALLING ALL LOCAL RESIDENTS!

2008-07-09T16:55:00.012+01:00

This application to extract 1.55 million tonnes of sand and gravel from the Stonehenge Farm site over 8 years was deferred to the OCC Planning Committee meeting at County Hall on 21^st July to allow time for the Committee to study the Environment Agency’s response to WODC’s Final Report on the July 2007 flooding in this area.

The WODC report on Northmoor Parish was published on 4^th June. It included a requirement for the EA to undertake a full flood zone modelling study and also Hanson and the EA to prepare a satisfactory flood defence solution.

We have learned that the WODC final report is now not due until September. It appears that the EA has closed its consultation. Despite this, Stonehenge Farm will still be on the agenda for the OCC meeting on 21^st July.

Please come to County Hall at 2pm on the 21st July to witness the proceedings.

If you have strong views on this application, NOW is the time to write to:

* Our local papers - Oxford Times, Oxford Mail & Witney Gazette

* Our local MP, Rt Hon David Cameron (camerond@parliament.uk)

* Our local Councillors on the Planning and Regulation Committee (see below).

NB. When writing to the Councillors, please ask them to forward your letter to their nominated substitute in the event that they are unable to attend the meeting on the 21st July.

Councillor Steve Hayward <steve.hayward@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Chairman) (Witney West)

Councillor Mrs Catherine Fulljames <catherine.fulljames@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Deputy Chairman) (Ploughley)

Councillor David Turner <david.turner@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Chalgrove)

Councillor Don Seale <don.seale@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Bampton)

Councillor Timothy Hallchurch MBE <timothy.hallchurch@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Otmoor & Kirtlington)

Councillor G A Reynolds, Grange Farm, Malthouse Lane, Shutford,
Banbury, Oxon OX15 6PB <george.reynolds@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Wroxton)

Councillor Hilary Hibbert-Biles <hilary.biles@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Chipping Norton)

Councillor David Nimmo-Smith <david.nimmo-smith@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Henley North & Chilterns)

Councillor Ray Jelf <ray.jelf@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Deddington)

Councillor Chip Sherwood <chip.sherwood@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Isis)

Councillor Terry Joslin <terry.joslin@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Didcot South)

Councillor Barbara Gatehouse <barbara.gatehouse@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Leys & Lye)

Councillor Alan Armitage <alan.armitage@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(West Central Oxford)

Councillor Jenny Hannaby <jenny.hannaby@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Grove & Wantage)

Councillor Michael Gibbard <michael.gibbard@oxfordshire.gov.uk>
(Kidlington & Yarnton)

EA Flood Watch

2008-07-09T16:21:00.005+01:00

Current Flooding Situation

The River Windrush Catchment

Page last updated: 07:04 on 09-Jul-2008
Flood status checked every 15 minutes.

Current status:

Flood Watch

Status last changed at:

07:04 on 09-Jul-2008

Location:

The River Windrush from Bourton-on-the-Water to Newbridge and its tributaries

For more information, follow the link:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/subjects/flood/floodwarning/061WAFW04?time=1215583440

Message from Outrage

2008-07-08T06:34:00.001+01:00

OCC Planning Committee meeting at County Hall, Westgate, Oxford, on July 21st at 2pm.

The Stonehenge Farm application will be on the Agenda of the OCC Planning Committee meeting on July 21st, and the County Council intends to reach a decision at that meeting.

PLEASE COME TO THIS MEETING IF YOU POSSIBLY CAN, EVEN IF YOU CAN'T STAY TO THE END. As soon as the agenda is published, we can get a better idea of when the item will come up, and people can plan their afternoon accordingly.

We made a big impact last time, and WE MUST DO IT AGAIN ON A LARGER SCALE. It will be our last chance. The councillors need to be made aware of how strongly we feel. The floodrisk, the noise and dust, the conveyor crossing, the heavy traffic, the destruction of the countryside - we have seen it all up and down the Windrush Valley for years. This is where it must stop.

SAY NO TO GRAVEL EXTRACTION AT STONEHENGE FARM.

It would be great if you could confirm you are planning to come along to the meeting on July 21st (outrage@thegreen.co.uk) (or not) to help us gauge our numbers, support etc. We hope as many residents as possible do come along, please don’t leave it to your neighbour, come along yourself. Thank you for your support.

Outrage T Shirt Campaign

2008-07-08T06:25:00.002+01:00

Dear All

We plan to run a T Shirt campaign, to reinforce our objection to the proposed gravel extraction at Stonehenge Farm, and Maureen Sears has very kindly agreed to co-ordinate it for us.

We hope to place an order for 100 Black T shirts with white print, saying:

WE SAY NO

GRAVEL EXTRACTION

STONEHENGE FARM

The cost of the T shirts will be £ 3.75 each (this includes a donation to Outrage of 50p / t shirt) but we need at least 75 orders before we can go ahead and get the t shirts printed.

If you would like to order one of these T shirts (available in Large & Ex Large) to show your support for Outrage, please could you contact:

Maureen Sears searsmaureen@yahoo.co.uk

"Common Sense" is added to the debate ...

2008-07-07T16:02:00.004+01:00

I was present at the planning meeting on 19^th May 2008 and it is important to remember, with regard to this application, that it is planning law which will determine it. Sometimes planning law can be as clear as the mud the developers seek to remove here; however, the submissions by Col Terry Kirkpatrick (representing Moreton), Robert Florey (Chairman of Northmoor Parish Council) and Julie Hankey (Chair, OUTRAGE) shed commendably clear light on the planning issues that matter and should be read carefully.

But the voice of common sense sounds loudly here too. Above all else, in an age where many a headline trumpets the perils of flood risk where recent evidence let alone future predictions are so compellingly and chillingly clear, why consciously add to those risks?

This application does just that. It fails the common sense tests first and foremost. It should not be permitted and I add my name and all my energies to seeing that it does not.

J Spring
RESIDENT OF NORTHMOOR

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine (MQR)

2008-07-04T21:10:00.009+01:00

The OCC Planning Committee meeting took place on 19th May. This article, published by the MQR magazine two days later, clearly reflects the view that the decision has already been made.

What happened to the resolution at the meeting "to defer the application to the July meeting in order to consider the application in conjunction with West Oxfordshire District Council's final report on the 2007 summer floods?"

EA gives green light to Hanson Northmoor

Issue date: May 21st, 2008

The Environment Agency (EA) has backed Hanson Aggregates’ proposals to extract 1.55million tonnes of sand and gravel from Stonehenge Farm in the Northmoor area of Oxford.

Development of the site has been objected to by West Oxfordshire District Council and pressure groups on the grounds that it would pose a flood risk to the area.

However, the EA feels that the work carried out by Hanson to address the environment body’s initial concerns over flood risks and hydrology has been sufficient to allow it to give the project the green light.

The site is in the Windrush area which is rich in sharp sand and gravel deposits, material Oxfordshire’s Minerals and Waste Development Framework says is greatly needed in the area.

It predicts between 13.7million tonnes of sharp sand and gravel will be needed to 2019 with 24.3million tonnes being needed to meet demand through to 2026. Permitted reserves at the end of 2005 numbered 6.07million tonnes.

To see the magazine, you can follow the link below:

http://www.mqr.info/showarticle.php?db_id=197&

Wildlife Trust

2008-07-04T20:53:00.001+01:00

Flooding - Government needs to show strong leadership

Can nautral areas help protect your home from flooding?

25th June, 2008

As the Pitt Review report into last summer’s devastating floods is launched today, The Wildlife Trusts urge the government to put nature at the heart of dealing with the future risk of flooding.

The Wildlife Trusts welcome the recommendations in Sir Michael Pitt’s report, particularly to work with natural processes through land management and land-use planning to reduce flood risk. The Wildlife Trusts believe that working with nature, such as creating wetlands to slow down and store flood water, alongside targeted hard defences is the best solution for many areas at risk of flooding.

Intensive agriculture, including overgrazing and over-abstraction of water; failure to address surface water drainage in towns and cities and inappropriate development on floodplains, coupled with the destruction of many wetland sites means that many of the natural spaces for water in our landscape have been lost. We have created an impermeable landscape and lost the sponge-like qualities of natural areas to soak up heavy rainfall.

Stephanie Hilborne, chief executive of The Wildlife Trusts, said: “The flooding in summer 2007 must be a wake-up call to end all wake-up calls. The Government now needs to show strong leadership by adopting Sir Michael Pitt’s recommendations to seriously tackle the increased risk of flooding that we now face as a result of unavoidable climate change.

“Natural solutions can make a valuable contribution not only to flood risk, but also in delivering education, recreation, economic and wildlife benefits. The Government should develop flagship projects to increase our understanding of these approaches and demonstrate the wider contribution they can make to society. The Government should also invest in a new land use funding scheme to deliver more natural solutions to flooding, including wildlife habitat restoration and re-creation.”

‘Nature’s place for water’, The Wildlife Trusts’ report on flooding demonstrates the landscape-scale approach needed by illustrating the work of Sheffield and Yorkshire Wildlife Trusts which contributes to reducing flood risk in the River Don catchment. Projects include restoring upland habitat to hold water upstream, using Sustainable Urban Drainage Schemes (SUDS), such as ponds and reedbeds to store and clean surface water and managing wetland nature reserves for flood storage in rural and urban areas.

Potteric Carr, Yorkshire Wildlife Trust’s flagship nature reserve, is one such flood storage area and saved hundreds of homes from flooding last summer by storing 200,000 cubic metres of water on the site. It is also home to hundreds of species, including the rare avocet, golden plover and swarms of black-darter dragonflies. The special design of the reserve meant that during the flooding of 2007, wildlife was able to take refuge from the floodwaters. The reedbeds also act as a water filter, improving the quality of the water before it leaves the site. Just two miles from the centre of Doncaster, the reserve attracts thousands of visitors each year.

The key now is to implement these schemes on a much wider scale than ever before. Rob Stoneman, chief executive of Yorkshire Wildlife Trust, said: “Taking a catchment approach to flood management as we are doing in the Don Valley is the only realistic long-term option. If we are to make this approach work, we have to include natural solutions alongside targeted hard defences.”

• ‘Nature’s place for water’ will be available in July on the website www.wildlifetrusts.org

For link to website, see: http://www.wildlifetrusts.org/index.php?section=news&id=2433

Water UK

2008-07-04T20:49:00.001+01:00

Water UK welcomes Pitt Review

25/06/08

Water UK welcomes the direction and key recommendations of Sir Michael Pitt’s review of last summer’s floods, published today.

Among the key issues for the water industry highlighted by the Review are:

• Clarification of roles and responsibilities for managing flooding, mirroring the Government’s announcement earlier this month to give a strategic role to the Environment Agency and specific responsibilities to local authorities;

• The need for an improved understanding and management of flood risk, particularly for critical infrastructure. This includes incorporating the likely impacts of climate change, an area where the industry has already undertaken a great deal of work;

• Improved building and planning development and control and removal of the automatic right of connection of surface water to the public sewer, which the industry has long campaigned for;

• Involving utility service providers in emergency response procedures; and

• Improved sharing of appropriate information, moving from a 'need to know' to a 'need to share' approach.

Water UK’s own independently chaired review of the floods will publish its second report on 29 July. It will complement the Pitt Review and the recommendations will be focused on action the water industry needs to take, on its own or in collaboration with others. See the terms of reference for the review.

The first Water UK report was published in February 2008 and concentrates on the emergency response to the floods. This was intended as a 'wake up call' for the industry and describes a series of recommendations that water companies need to action to provide a better response the next time such events happen.

http://www.water.org.uk/home/news/press-releases/pitt-review

RSPB - Working with Nature to cut Flooding

2008-07-04T20:43:00.003+01:00

Restoring the UK’s natural flood defences has emerged as a key recommendation of Sir Michael Pitt’s review into last year’s disastrous floods.

Sir Michael’s report has said planning for future floods should include ‘working with natural processes,’ to create a countryside more able slow floodwater and to store it away from towns and cities.

In the process, wetlands would be created, providing homes for wildlife and places for people to relax and enjoy nature.

Dr Mark Avery, the RSPB’s Director of Conservation, said: “We are very pleased Sir Michael’s review has recognised the importance of working with nature to reduce flooding.

“Restoring our rivers’ natural floodplains would allow them to store vast amounts of water during floods while provide many benefits to people and wildlife at other times.

“New areas of wet grassland, reedbed or wet woodlands could all hold on to floodwaters and slow their progress across the landscape.

“On farmland too, simple measures like more hedgerows and trees could help to slow flood waters and in our uplands, the restoration of peat bogs could have a similar effect.”

He added: “It is now up the authorities to act on the recommendations in Sir Michael’s report.

“When the Environment Agency comes to approve and fund new flood defence schemes, we hope they will give due weight to those which make use of the natural processes.”

See RSPB site for more details:
http://www.rspb.org.uk/media/releases/details.asp?id=tcm:9-193189

EA welcomes findings of Pitt review

2008-07-04T18:26:00.003+01:00

The Environment Agency today warmly welcomed Sir Michael Pitt’s comprehensive final review into the 2007 summer floods as a significant contribution to managing the future flood risk in England and Wales.

In welcoming the report, Chief Executive Paul Leinster said the Environment Agency had highlighted the need for further clarity on the responsibilities for flooding from surface water drains, infrastructure protection, more publicly available information on flood risk, and additional resources to help adapt to climate change as key issues to be swiftly taken forward.

“Sir Michael’s report puts the spotlight back on the need for the country to be prepared and able to respond to the devastating impacts of flooding. He covers a wide range of topics – many directly related to our work – and all of which are essential to better protecting people and the environment from flooding into the future,” Paul Leinster said.

“It’s also important that the real risk of climate change has been acknowledged by Sir Michael Pitt. Recent flood events have highlighted the urgency of adapting to the potential effects of climate change to protect lives, property, the economy and the environment. Now that the Government’s Foresight report has been reviewed, and it’s clear that we are going to face less predictable weather and more extreme events such as flash flooding, investment in flood risk management should continue to rise to keep up with the changing climate,” Paul Leinster said.

“This report is comprehensive and well researched, and overall we’re pleased it’s raised issues of importance and ways forward, for not only the Environment Agency, but for local authorities, utilities and emergency responders.

“It’s also encouraging that the report reinforces the importance of individuals in taking responsibility for protecting themselves and their properties. We can’t stop the rain but we can all work together to reduce the impacts of flooding,” Paul Leinster said.

People can check their flood risk and find advice on how to prepare for flooding at www.environment-agency.gov.uk. To sign up to the Environment Agency’s free Floodline Warnings Direct, call 0845 988 1188.

For link to EA website, follow the link below:
http://www.environment-agency.gov.uk/news/2072209

CLA supports Pitt Review

2008-07-04T13:56:00.002+01:00

The CLA today (25 June 2008) gave its support to many of the measures recommended in the Pitt Review into last summer's devastating floods.

The rural economy experts also welcomed Environment Minister Phil Woolas' statement that the Government was ready to back up the proposals by "providing authorities with the powers to ensure that organisations and landowners responsible fulfil their obligations, for example by maintaining drains".

CLA President Henry Aubrey-Fletcher said: "The CLA supports this approach and it serves as a reminder to the Environment Agency and other relevant authorities that they need to get their house in order where they have a responsibility for maintaining water courses. This applies equally upstream and downstream of towns and villages but the agency must be provided with meaningful funds in order to undertake these additional tasks.

"Land managers and farmers are ideally placed to help prevent downstream flooding through managed flood alleviation projects. We have been consulting with partners to try to find ways of funding this type of scheme through environmental contracts. There is huge potential if the Government can be flexible enough to encourage environmental markets that can then save millions of pounds downstream."

The CLA will be looking closely at how the extra £37.5 million that has been made available is spent - along with how the proposals are implemented so that land managers can make a positive contribution.

Sir Michael Pitt's review – launched today (25 June 2008) - recommends working with natural processes to reduce flooding risk.

For more, follow the link here:
http://www.cla.org.uk/News_and_Press/News_Archive/Flood_and_Coastal_Defences/Flooding/10313.htm/

NFU speaks out on Flooding

2008-07-04T13:50:00.003+01:00

Farmers miss out on flooding fund

23 June 2008

Farmers and growers will not share in the EU flooding fund set up for damage caused by the flooding during summer 2007 despite suffering losses worth millions of pounds.

The EU Commission has announced 162.4 million euros from the European Solidarity Fund to help deal with the 'consequences of devastating floods' that hit the UK last summer.

However, the NFU is angered none of this money will find its way to helping farmers and growers who had homes ruined, crops destroyed and livestock put at risk. Vice President Paul Temple has spoken with farmers across the country who lost crops and suffered severe economic damage.

"Farmers and growers bore significant costs and disruption during last summer's floods with estimates of almost 50,000ha being flooded", he said.

"While the EU's announcement of 162m euros is obviously welcome for the nation as a whole, it again highlights the totally inadequate assistance made available to farmers and growers last summer.

"While farm businesses suffered losses of up to £250,000, help was limited to £2,500. Farmers are seeking recognition of the problems that occurred and are looking for local solutions to be found.

"We hope Sir Michael Pitt, in his report on the summer floods to be published on Wednesday (June 25), will recommend increased help following the flooding of last summer."

Watercourse maintenance key to effective flood risk management

24 June 2008

Good watercourse maintenance is vital in both flood risk and water level management and the Pitt Review must ensure adequate attention is paid to the issue says the NFU and the Association of Drainage Authorities.

Both the NFU and ADA made watercourse maintenance a key point of their submissions to the Pitt Review into last summer's floods, the report of which is due to be published tomorrow (Wednesday).

NFU Vice President Paul Temple said: "Inadequate maintenance is one of the key concerns of our members and is the reason why many of them suffered prolonged flooding, sometimes lasting several weeks, following the events of last summer. Efficient and suitable maintenance activities may not have prevented the exceptional flooding we saw but would certainly have reduced the impact in some areas and allowed many communities to recover much quicker. It is vital the Pitt Review considers the maintenance issues that arose following last summer's floods and recommends action is taken to deal with them."

Henry Cator, chairman of the ADA, added: "Recent years have seen a change of emphasis to strategy and warnings. Welcome though these are a better balance is needed between these important activities and the delivery of capital works and maintenance out in the field if we are to significantly reduce actual flood risk to people, their property, and the nation's infrastructure.

"In increasingly stormy and unpredictable climatic conditions, there is, in my view, unlikely to be any substitute for increased national expenditure on the whole range of activity we include in flood risk management - and maintenance is crucial. It seems to me there is a worrying lack of will to protect our national assets. We must do better than just 'give up' in this way."

For link to NFU website, see here:
http://www.nfuonline.com/x28559.xml

Natural England - Press Release

2008-07-04T10:40:00.003+01:00

Natural flood prevention should be part of long-term flood defence plans, says Natural England

25 June 2008

Any long-term approach to flood risk management must include the vital role played by the natural environment, says Natural England today (Wednesday 25 June) in response to Sir Michael Pitt’s review into last year’s summer floods.

In particular, Natural England warmly welcomes Sir Michael Pitt's review recommendation that Natural England works with Defra and the Environment Agency with partners to establish a programme through Catchment Flood Management Plans and Shoreline Management Plans to achieve greater working with natural processes (Recommendation 27).

By increasing the natural capacity of our urban and rural environments to absorb and hold excess water, we can help to slow run-off and dramatically decrease the risk of flooding. Thriving wetlands, restored peat bogs and free-flowing rivers are recommended by Natural England to reduce the harmful effects of flooding. This requires an integrated, landscape-scale approach from the uplands right the way through to the coast.

Sir Martin Doughty, Chair of Natural England, said: “Natural flood defences could be the key to long-term flood prevention. Well-managed landscapes not only play a crucial role in our need to cope with the increased probability of extreme rainfall, but they have huge potential benefits for biodiversity, pollution reduction and carbon storage."

Natural England supports the recommendation that the Government commits to a strategic long-term approach to its investment in flood risk management planning up to 25 years ahead. Natural England would also like to see green infrastructure as central to any new developments or as part of regeneration projects as parks and green spaces within built up areas as these can help to reduce flooding.

“'Flood friendly’ land management is not a replacement for, but a necessary complement to existing flood defence. Traditional flood defences of concrete and earth embankments may no longer be adequate or sustainable in the long-term,” concluded Sir Martin.

The full report can be found at www.cabinetoffice.gov.uk/thepittreview/final_report.aspx

Follow the link below to find the Natural England website: http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/press/news2008/250608.htm

CPRE - Response by Outrage

2008-07-01T09:20:00.003+01:00

Julie Hankey, Chair of Outrage, responds:

"The support of the Council for the Protection of Rural England is greatly appreciated by OUTRAGE. As they say, 95% of gravel for Oxfordshire is provided by the Lower Windrush Valley and 45% of the valley has been dug up since the war. This is shocking and Oxfordshire County Council should be made to see that it is. As a direct result of presentations made by Outrage, the Structure Plan 2016 states that the cumulative impact of gravel digging across an area will be taken into account when considering planning applications. This is the first Oxfordshire Structure Plan ever to include the criterion of cumulative impact.

The Stonehenge Farm application will be the first test of that principle in the history of minerals planning for Oxfordshire. If the County Council's words mean anything at all, the Stonehenge Farm application ought to be rejected. We need to press Oxfordshire County Council to have the courage of its own convictions. It's not good enough to put fine-sounding phrases into its planning documents and then sweep them aside when it comes to the crunch. The map for the area shows an almost unbroken series of lakes between the proposed site and Witney.

Other planning authorities can do it. Northamptonshire, for example, has decided that the Nene river valley can no longer be dug up 'without excessive environmental impact'. Exactly the same is true for the Lower Windrush Valley. Precious little is left unspoilt, and that little is indeed precious.

Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE)

2008-06-30T20:04:00.005+01:00

Follow the link below to see in full what CPRE has to say:

"Ninety-five per cent of gravel for Oxfordshire comes from the Lower Windrush area and forty-five per cent of Lower Windrush has been excavated since the War."

"CPRE West Oxfordshire District has lent their support to the Northmoor pressure group ..."

"It is likely that Hansons will get one of the permissions - probably Northmoor - an absolute disaster for what little remains of the Lower Windrush valley. At the moment the consultation process is on hold because OCC messed up the procedures and it will, at some point, have to be done again."

http://www.cpreoxon.org.uk/campaigns/sustainability/minerals/eynsham_gravel.html

Flooding in Northmoor - A resident writes ...

2008-06-29T13:48:00.005+01:00

Being a resident of Northmoor I attended the Council Meeting on July 19th and was as surprised and appalled at the conduct and outcome of the meeting as were so many others who have contributed to this blog. In particular I want to add my support to the notion that the first vote rightly and properly overturned the motion before the committee, The second vote was therefore irrelevant and improper in its presentation to the committee by the chairman.

To be clear and to the point I have a vested interest in stopping the Stonehenge development going ahead. This is not a NIMBY thing. In fact when I bought my house in Northmoor twenty years ago I was aware of the possibility of the extension of the then existing gravel workings. It was in the County Council’s plan as a potential site for future development and I was quite prepared to accept that and went ahead with the purchase. What I didn’t know then but have discovered since is the accelerating risk of both the frequency and the severity of local flooding.

In fact my house has not flooded in all the time we’ve been here. According to long term residents of the village it hasn’t flooded since it was built in 1935. But I have noticed that the local flooding has got more frequent and deeper year by year (witness the Maybush Inn). These days a heavy rainfall leaves large puddles in our field which can take a week or more to drain away. This is also evident in several fields between the village and the river where new semi-permanent ponds are forming. This never happened a few years ago. Similarly the bridleway behind Mount Pleasant is regularly wet during the winter, as expected, but has had standing water throughout this year. Why should that be?

The way I see it we have two problems which together put the Northmoor community at increased risk of flooding. One is the woeful state of the historic drainage systems in our local area. The other is the impact of the massive amount of gravel extraction which has taken place.
In twenty years the Thames has burst its banks most winters. The flood bank which might protect the village is in a sorry state of repair and is breached so that the areas which it should protect are regularly flooded. The ditches are not maintained and therefore can’t drain water to the river and the Thames itself, which when we moved to the village was regularly dredged by Thames Conservancy, is now, as far as I am aware, never cleared. Does this sound like an accident waiting to happen?

Well, the accident happened in July last year. A few hours of seriously heavy rain and the disaster started. The results are well documented elsewhere on this site.

We were lucky. No water in the house but our field, garden and drive were flooded for the first time ever. The main drains flooded and backed up and we were without a loo for a week. We had to prepare to move furniture and ourselves upstairs. We moved the horses to dry land and dogs to friends outside the flood risk area. (Dog’s don’t do their business in floods - or upstairs in my house!) Do I believe that the severity of the flooding was in any way due to gravel extraction and that further digging will make things worse? You bet I do.

My elderly neighbours have lived in their house for forty eight years. Like us, they had never flooded – until last July. They managed to stay in their house but their downstairs rooms were under water for a week. By a miracle their summerhouse was not flooded and they could (literally) wade across their drive and, ironically, enjoy the sun which followed those few hours of rain. However they were extremely upset by the disruption, uncertainty and damage and emotionally drained by the whole experience. Do they believe that the severity of the flooding was in any way due to gravel extraction and that further digging will make things worse? You bet they do.

Climate change happens – it’s a global issue. Gravel extraction happens – it’s a local issue. Will new workings at Stonehenge Farm exacerbate the chances of future flooding in Northmoor in the face of further climate change? You bet they will.

Can anyone in Hanson’s or the Environment Agency persuade me or my neighbours that extracting gravel from Stonehange Farm site will not increase the risk of flooding in Northmoor. Fat chance.

Sent in by Peter Winder, Resident of Northmoor

Orchids

2008-06-27T18:52:00.011+01:00

You will have seen the orchids pictured in the post dated 17th June entitled "What does the proposed Extraction Site look like?"

The Cotswold Rare Plants Group (CRPG) found a number of orchid species on the site: the Early Marsh, Southern Marsh and Bee Orchids. The other rare species that the Group found was Adder's Tongue Fern. Having drawn up a list of plants, the plants they discovered indicated that these fields were once water meadows.

The CRPG stated: "the presence of just one or two of these species would not be so special, but the presence of this number as a whole, the orchids and the Adder's Tongue in particular, make the site worth saving from a botanical point of view... What we have here is a moment in time in the long process of reversion from arable to meadow. Provided the regime is continued of taking off a hay crop every year, the ground will gradually become more impoverished. The false oat-grass will decrease and more delicate meadow grasses and more flowers typical of the Thames flood plain eg Ragged Robin, will have a chance to establish themselves."

OUTRAGE argues that "if left alone, its (the site's) biodiversity would in time equal that which is claimed for it under the applicant's (Hanson's) open water and reedbed restoration scheme." Furthermore, OUTRAGE claims that "the kind of biodiversity attainable without the development is more appropriate to the traditional character of the Upper Thames Valley." The assessment by the applicant (Hanson), although confirming the findings of the Cotswold Rare Plants Group (CRPG), failed to note the presence of Adder's Tongue."

The CRPG report states that "Adder's tongue is an unusual plant to find."

"It grows in neutral wet meadows but ploughing and fertilising of grasslands have destroyed many of its old habitats" (CRPG 'Botanical Report on Stonehenge Farm', 2005). The Oxfordshire Local Biodiversity Plan: Habitat Action Plan for Neutral Grassland and Grazing Marsh states that: 'the extent of neutral grassland in the UK has declined dramatically with a loss of 97% of semi-natural sites between 1938 and 1984 and subsequent declines of between 2 and 10% per annum".

The CRPG Report lists a number of species which indicate that these fields 'were once old water meadows' and that their current condition represents 'a moment in the long process of reversion from arable to meadow'.

OUTRAGE argues that "the fields in question have been under their present regime for approximately 12 years. The gravel development is estimated to take about 8 to 10 years. The evidence shows that, during that period the fields will continue to revert to water meadowland. The lakes that currently cover so much of the local area are essentially alien to this landscape. Reedbeds, which would form a relatively small proportion of the restoration scheme, are already abundantly present at the Cassington development... "

As Oxfordshire's own HAP states, more than 97% of the nation's neutral grassland has been destroyed. The Upper Thames Valley is characterised by just such grassland. Here is an opportunity to recover some of that plant and wildlife diversity. The applicant (Hanson) describes the establishment of lakes and reedbeds as 'restoration' and as adequate compensation for the loss of the two grassland fields. But this is not 'restoration'. Lakes and reedbeds would be new features. By contrast, the return of water meadows would be a genuine 'restoration', the loss of which could never be adequately compensated for by yet another mosaic of wetland habitat."

OUTRAGE Appeal

2008-06-26T18:18:00.003+01:00

We are approaching a critical period for the fate of Stonehenge Farm and, in order to continue to get our message across to the decision-makers, Outrage needs to raise funds. We appeal to everyone who supports our campaign, to donate as generously as they can.

So far we have managed on very little. We have had a donation from the Council for the Protection of Rural England, a few donations from individuals, and the generous gift of all our printing costs. Apart from that, everything has been done on a voluntary basis. Outrage committee members have put in huge amounts of time on research, letter-writing, report-writing, attendance at planning consultative meetings and meetings with the planning officers, not to mention running up phone and travel bills.

Before the Oxfordshire County Council planning committee meeting on May 19th, Outrage decided that we needed the help of a professional media consultant. This resulted in excellent coverage in the press and on local TV. It was money well spent. We would like to do this again in advance of the next OCC committee meeting on July 21st, but we have very little left in our account.

This is a cause that affects us all in Northmoor, Standlake, Stanton Harcourt and Sutton. Please help us to win it. Send your donation payable to Outrage to: John Downes (Outrage Treasurer), Greenfields, Church Road, Northmoor, Witney, Oxon, OX29.

Thank you.

Julie Hankey

Independent Review of Summer Floods - June 2008

2008-06-25T07:42:00.017+01:00

Sir Michael Pitt carried out an independent review, published today.

"Flooding Plan needs Improvement"

"Urgent and fundamental changes" are needed to improve flood defences, the report into last summer's floods says.

"Severe flooding was "an ever increasing threat", and waiting for another crisis before taking action would be "a dangerous strategy of luck".

For more information, select the links below:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7472564.stm

For yesterday's update:
See the BBC Video on Flooding

For more footage on the flooding in July 2007:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/in_pictures/6911497.stm

Local Government Authority (LGA) Press Release of 11th June http://www.lga.gov.uk/lga/core/page.do?pageId=702027in response to Flooding Report

Response to today's report received this morning from a resident of Northmoor:

"The national report on flooding published today (25^th June 2008) shows the stark deficiencies in our current flood prevention and management. Nowhere is this more clearly demonstrated than in our area. Your recent photographs show how high the water still is and thus how much we are still at risk should we have another period of heavy rain, as we typically get during the latter part of the summer (never mind the winter).

Right now we are another flood waiting to happen. There is no evidence that the government will provide the money from our taxes to do what is actually needed: long-term investment in our drainage infrastructure (see note below). Until that time, interference with our fragile hydrology by the excavation of huge open-caste mines, development of clay-lined lakes, and building of massive earth walls or bunds must be prevented at all costs. I am astounded that the hydrology model does not show the flooding risk more clearly and can only conclude that it is a poor model that does not correspond with the real-life experience of those who live here.

Approval of the application will just bring the threat of flooding that much closer to us. Let those who would take the responsibility for approving the application also take responsibility for the economic and personal consequences of the flood that will follow.

Note on flood prevention

Flooding occurs when drains are unable to take the flow of water demanded. As the population of London grew, the Victorians invested in sewers to take the extra effluent. We need to invest in drains and keep them free-flowing. Around us there is only one effective drain and that is the Thames. No amount of ditch-clearing will affect the flooding if the Thames is not dredged and managed. A key need is to keep the water low ahead of rain. This is achievable; we need the EA to make it happen."

by Graham from Moreton Lane, Northmoor

What does Gravel Extraction look like?

2008-06-24T23:25:00.004+01:00

The topsoil is taken and used to build "bunds",
banks which provide some visual and accoustic
protection and are storage for the soil until it can
be used again. It is proposed in the plans that
these bunds range from 2-3 metres in height on
the Stonehenge site ...

The gravel is extracted ...

and the huge excavated areas, lined with clay,
gradually filled with water ...

The gravel is transported by truck to the start
of the conveyor belt ...

You can get a feeling for what the conveyor belt
sounds like in this short film below ...

and transported across the open countryside
via conveyor belt ...

Water levels are very high in the River Windrush
which flows alongside this site, even in the second
week of June ...

There is surface water everywhere ...

It is really quite deep - and this is on the 10th June ...

Sutton - Flooding in July 2007

2008-06-23T18:56:00.003+01:00

Sutton Lane - July 2007

Sutton Lane - 8th June 2008

Sutton Lane - 3rd June 2008

Northmoor - Flooding in July 2007

2008-06-23T13:35:00.001+01:00

Two fields east of Lower Farm, Northmoor
towards Bablock Hythe ...

Moreton - Flooding in July 2007

2008-06-23T12:34:00.009+01:00

The view from Moreton Farm was water as far as the eye could see in every direction ...

Hundreds of sheep had to be evacuated from Moreton.
The only way to do it was by horseback or boat ...

Standlake - Flooding in July 2007

2008-06-23T11:39:00.011+01:00

The following photographs were taken by a resident of Standlake in July 2007:

Evacuation of Meadow View Nursing Home ...

The childrens' recreation ground ...

The childrens' playground ...

Rack End

To hear the sheer volume of water rushing from
the field into the recreation ground, you might like
to look at the following short video clip ...

Natural England - Press Release on 12th June 2008

2008-06-23T11:16:00.006+01:00

"Reducing flooding naturally – one year on from 2007 summer floods"

"The key to long-term, cost effective flood prevention could be held in England's National Parks and farmland landscapes, says Natural England today (Thursday 12 June) one year on from last year’s summer floods."

For the full press release, follow the link below:

http://www.naturalengland.org.uk/press/news2008/120608.htm

Residents write in ...

2008-06-20T15:06:00.007+01:00

Helen Hutchings from Northmoor writes today ...

"As a resident of Northmoor I was heartened to read the very obvious common sense of the flooding report ie

1) ''The Environment Agency to undertake a full floodzone modelling study, including effect of gravel abstraction, of the Windrush delta, including Newbridge Cut and Northmoor New Cut.

Prepare flood control options from the Study conclusions drawn.'

2) 'Hanson's in conjunction with the EA to prepare a satisfactory flood defence solution with regard to their proposed quarrying operations.'

but I am seriously concerned that the EA and Hansons, if their previous arrogance is anything to go by, will ignore or ride rough shod over the recommendations.

Surely if they were both so confident that the extraction would not increase our risk of flooding then they could produce models to prove it or put up a guarantee to compensate us in full if we do suffer flooding as a result."

Steven Cooling from Northmoor has written in too ...

"Having travelled and lived all over the world it was with utter disbelief I witnessed my first English Council meeting. The meeting was supposed to discuss and make a decision about the Stonehenge Farm site for the extraction of gravel. The lax attitude of the councillors (one yawning and slouched in his chair) had to be seen to be believed. Information the councillors had been given was minimal and not enough to make this very important decision. A decision that could have a detrimental effect on a lot of people's lives. They seemed to be unaware or unconcerned that a flooding report commissioned by the West Oxfordshire District Council which is clearly highly relevant to the decision they were taking was not yet available for them to study.

If the local alarmed residents had not turned up in numbers and the very articulate and well informed speakers had not put forward their concerns, it was obvious that the proposal would have been pushed through. As a resident of Northmoor it seems common sense that the extraction of gravel in the area will have an detrimental affect on the water levels. If there is proof that this extraction and its clay bunds will have no affect, let Hansons and the Environmental Agency put a guarantee in place that if there is flooding or wells drying out the affected residents will be compensated in full.

There seems to be no concern about the impact such an enormous hole in the ground has on the diverse natural environment in the area. It will be changed forever and future generations will only see a 'man made' lake and reed beds!"

Julie Hankey from Northmoor also responds ...

"One of the things that motivates me in the fight against gravel extraction at Stonehenge Farm is the loss of landscape: fields wrecked, trees cut down, a place for wild animals and plants turned into a moonscape. But the loss of landscape, it seems, is low on the list of the planners' priorities.

In theory there are protections. Policy M2 (Oxfordshire Structure Plan 2016) says that in identifying appropriate locations for sand and gravel working, the County Council will take account of 'areas and sites of nature conservation importance, especially Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Special Scientific Interest' and also 'features of landscape importance, especially Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty'.

In practice this policy is useless for anywhere which is neither designated nor labelled - neither a BAP (Biodiversity Action Priority) nor a HAP (Habitat Action Priority) nor an SSSI nor an AOB. In other words, if you're not part of the planners' alphabet soup, you're sunk.

Stonehenge Farm doesn't fall into any of these categories. So we're left with trying to explain what the landscape means to us. Our difficulty is that we can't quantify or measure this meaning. It's not like noise, or dust, or air quality. The planners and developers try to be scientific about it by using phrases like 'visual receptor points', 'major or minor adverse visual impacts', and 'intervisibility'. But in the end, they can twist this language to mean anything they want it to mean. If they can't avoid admitting that the whole thing is going to look like a disaster area, they'll say that it will only affect walkers actually walking through the site; that the conveyor belt will only be seen by people passing on the road; that only people living in the closest houses will be able to see any of it.

What they don't realize or acknowledge is that a big opencast mine like the one they propose at Stonehenge Farm has a far wider effect. This corner of the Thames Valley, between the Windrush and the Thames is very special. It has never been touched by the gravel companies and it feels different precisely because of that. There isn't that sense of violation and blight. I can't give it a number, or chart it on a grid. It's just the feeling of someone who, over the last twenty years, has come to love this part of the world."

What does the Proposed Extraction Area look like?

2008-06-17T13:35:00.002+01:00

For those who are interested to see what the proposed extraction area looks like now, there follow a few photos of part of it ...

There is grass ...

Lots and lots of grass, home to a myriad of
insects, birds and animals ...

Many types of orchid ...

An existing haven for wildlife and wild flowers all around ...

This will all disappear if the proposed gravel extraction goes ahead.
Take a moment to look at this short video clip below ...

Impressions of a Meeting (19th May) ...

2008-06-13T08:13:00.008+01:00

Having attended The Oxfordshire County Council’s planning meeting of 19th May to consider the application for gravel extraction at Stonehenge Farm, Northmoor, I write to express my serious concerns about the conduct of the meeting and the simplistic manner in which some Councillors arrived at their conclusions.

Representatives for residents of The Windrush Valley gave the most carefully considered presentations, particularly in respect of the increased incidence of flooding caused by continuing gravel extraction in this area. Presentations were backed up by as much scientific and practical evidence as possible. It is absolutely clear that the objections expressed were not made as a result of the ‘nimbyism’ often associated with planning objections these days but with a sincere and genuine fear of the flooding which will undoubtedly result if excavation in The Lower Windrush Valley is allowed to continue.

In response to the considered presentations, some Councillors summed up the complex matter with comments like “another 80 acres won’t make any difference” and “It’s not our place to question reports from The Environment Agency”.

These councillors showed a complete lack of understanding of the dire danger to public and to property by choosing to ignore the obvious. Over half of The Lower Windrush Valley has already been dug for gravel, leaving lakes and wastelands that are entirely useless for absorbing water in times of flood. Gravel acts like a sponge, absorbing water when the water table is high and releasing it slowly back into the streams and rivers as the flood recedes. No thinking person on earth can say “gravel extraction will not cause additional flood risk” when HALF the natural absorbency of the land has been removed. I say nothing of the added dangers of the associated ‘bunds’ which interfere with the free flow of water and endanger many residents of The Lower Windrush Valley.

It seems to me that to ignore such basic facts borders on the criminally negligent and I shall take legal advice as to the recompense that might be sought a) from Oxfordshire County Council b) from the Environment Agency & c) the operator, should I ever sustain flood damage as a result of continued gravel extraction.

I should mention that I live in a house that I understand has not been flooded at any time during the last 550 years, although the Thames has flooded up to 20 yards from my front door on a number of occasions. Climate change is here to stay and it is the job of our elected bodies to minimise danger wherever possible. For those of us living in The Lower Windrush Valley, gravel extraction exasperates our vulnerability to flooding. We look to Oxfordshire County Council to protect us.

Sent in by Peter Strange, Sutton

For more "Impressions" from others on this subject, see the "In My Opinion" post of Sunday 25th May.

A Northmoor Farmer ...

2008-06-12T05:59:00.010+01:00

One beef farmer in Northmoor tells me that part of his farm is in the Upper Thames ESA (Environmentally Sensitive Area).

The Environmental Stewardship Scheme (ESS) was launched in March 2005 to build upon the Environmentally Sensitive Areas (ESA) Scheme, the Countryside Stewardship (CS) Scheme and the Organic Farming Scheme (OFS).
The main objectives of the scheme are to:

Conserve wildlife and biodiversity.
Maintain and enhance landscape quality and character
Protect the historic environment and natural resources
Promote public access and understanding of the countryside
Conserve genetic resources
Provide flood management

This farmer wanted to bring his farm up from Entry Level Stewardship (ELS) to Higher Level Stewardship (HLS).

HLS aims to provide significant environmental benefits in priority areas and situations. Examples of these include:

Hedgerows - e.g. maintenance to high environmental value
Grassland - maintenance & restoration of species-rich semi-natural grassland or wet grassland
Restoration and Maintenance of Lowland Heath
Wetlands - Maintenance of ponds of high wildlife value and reed beds.
Resource Protection - to prevent erosion and run-off.

In order to encourage wading birds such as lapwing and snipe he wished to restore an old pond which had been trodden in by cattle over the years (see photo below). All it needed to restore the pond back to its former state was for this small area to be dug out and the spoil graded up the sides. He was however informed by both the RSPB & Natural England that the Environment Agency would object to his plan as it could impede the flow of flood water.

In July 2007 95% of this farm was under water and his whole pedigree herd of 170 North Devon cows had to be evacuated.

The animals have not been the only casulties of the excess water. In the background of the photo below dead ash trees can be seen. The trees have gradually died, roots rotting due to the excessive amount of surface water.

EA urges "national effort" to tackle flooding

2008-06-11T11:15:00.005+01:00

"Nearly one year after severe floods in England, the Environment Agency has warned that ministers, councils and utility firms need to act."

"People should also protect themselves and their homes from flooding and sign up to warning schemes, the agency said."

"The Local Government Association said the law should be changed to introduce penalties for utility companies and other organisations who fail to take proper action to reduce the risk of flooding."

Paul Bettison, chairman of the Local Government Association's environment board said:

"There are glaring gaps in this country's readiness to cope with widespread and prolonged flooding."

"Last summer's floods were no fluke, and we run the real risk of witnessing a repeat - or worse - unless urgent action is taken now."

"We need to get back to basics. There should be no opt-out, no excuses and clear penalties for anybody who refuses to cooperate with managing our water systems."

"Councils should be allowed to start banging heads together so we can be better prepared to protect people and property."

Click on the link below to read the article in full:

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7446561.stm

A Northmoor Resident appeals to the EA

2008-06-10T14:12:00.011+01:00

After the publication by WODC of the Parish Flood Report on Northmoor, Mr Stuart Cope, a resident in the Standlake Road, Northmoor, wrote on 9th June to Mr Martin Long, Planning Liaison Team Leader for the Thames West Area of the Environment Agency, as follows:

"I have been asked to copy you in on the flooding situation last week.

After the prolonged rain on Tuesday last week I was quite alarmed how quickly the water table rose. We only had around 2-3 inches of rain in our area and this was below the July 2007 rainfall. Within 8 hours of persistent rain the sewage System in Northmoor ceased to work efficiently and the water was bubbling out of the manholes and seeping out of the walls around our house. Fortunately we have taken steps to combat this and we prevented the water from flooding the house again after July 22/07. This is now the 4th time in just under 1 year that this has happened and never in the last 5 years of living at the property.

It is with this is mind that I am very concerned about the potential excavation of gravel from the Stonehenge Site which is in very close proximity to our property. I have been unable to confirm if the application were granted, if this would make the situation worse in the short or long term. The village of Northmoor is sandwiched between both the Windrush and the Thames and the possibility of gravel excavation seems in my opinion absurd given the complex flows of the ditches and drainage channels that exist within the area in order to aid the flow of water away to the Thames. Before gravel excavation could even be considered we need to have a 100% guarantee that the excavation will not affect this situation for the immediate and long term future of the village and its properties.

I hope my requests and email will be considered."

Kind regards
Stuart Cope
Managing Director
Margaret L Johnson Ltd

Mr Cope received the following reply on 10th June from Mr Long:

"Thank you for your email.

The Environment Agency (EA) has been consulted on this proposal and we have given our formal response to Oxfordshire County Council (OCC), who are the decision making body. This concludes the EA's involvement in the planning process. You will be able to log onto the OCC website and look up all the details of this application, including the current status of the application. The application will be presented to the Council members in July for a decision. Members of the general public are given an opportunity to comment on any proposal and this should be made formally to the relevant council.

I note the contents of your email and will forward it to my contact at OCC for their information."

Kind regards
Martin Long
Planning Liaison Team Leader
Thames West Area

Newbridge

2008-06-08T14:01:00.007+01:00

Sunday 8th June

The Maybush Pub garden, 5 days after the heavy rainfall of Tuesday 3rd June:

One of the Maybush car parks:

Showing the height of the River Thames flowing towards Newbridge and The Maybush:

Showing the height of the River Thames flowing past the Rose Revived:

David Cameron debates Flooding

2008-06-08T06:32:00.008+01:00

On 7th May this year Rt Hon David Cameron MP bought Flooding in West Oxfordshire to a parliamentary debate in the House of Commons.
To read the full report from Hansard
Click Here
A few extracts from his speech:
"... there are times when a particular issue dominates a particular constituency. That is true of west Oxfordshire, my constituency and the floods of last July – not only the problems and clear-up that took place, but the fear that flooding could happen again. In fact ...... it has already happened again ...... I must say to the Minister that every time that there is hard, big rainfall in west Oxfordshire, the fear starts all over again that rivers will burst their banks, that there will be flooding, and that businesses will be hit again. There is large-scale concern about that."
"I shall never forget seeing the biblical scenes of the scale of floods: cars and houses were completely overwhelmed, and in Bablock Hythe, for example, mobile homes floated away. The council distributed 40,000 sandbags and helped enormously with the emergency response and community support. That is the first lesson that I for one learned from the floods: when it came to working with local businesses, organising volunteers and deploying the local knowledge, West Oxfordshire District Council, which is one of the smallest district councils in the country did an extremely good job ....... The fact that it is a small council actually helped, because it was in touch on the ground: it knew the networks and the volunteers and how to get the RAF to help. The council knew its area incredibly well."
"People understand that flash floods are particularly difficult to protect against, but people in my constituency want to know that everything that can be done will be done to reduce the impact of such floods in future. They are not satisfied that everything is being done. There is a general perception that everybody is talking a good game about flood defences and what we need to do for the future, but people fear that not much is actually happening."
"... On the Environment Agency, when one talks to people who have been flooded, one question keeps coming up again and again: why has so little been done to clear out the ditches, dykes and culverts, and why is there so little dredging of rivers and streams compared with the past? I am not a scientist and I am happy to listen to the arguments, but I am not convinced that they are all old wives' tales. There is truth in them, and such activities can make a difference."
"That brings me to my concern about the agency, which arises from dozens of meeting with homeowners, farmers, councillors and those living in affected communities ...... the agency gives too great a weight to animal habitat and not enough to human habitat."

"On some occasions, the Environment Agency has been responsible for clearing; on others, it has not given permission for the necessary clearance. There are too many examples of people saying, “I cannot clear out this ditch, because I've been told that I would be disturbing important habitat.” Of course habitat is important, but in the end, we must try to protect households from flooding."
"My biggest concern is the potential disadvantage at which rural communities are being placed."
"Farmers are another concern in rural areas. A number of farmers who have been flooded again and again have come to see me. They are worried about water being left on the land for such long periods, which is bad for habitat."
"I hope the Minister can give us some answers about the work of the Environment Agency, how we might focus better on flood prevention and what work needs to be carried out locally. Above all, I hope that he can examine the issue of how to help small, sparsely populated rural communities. They have suffered badly, they have shown extraordinary courage and bravery in dealing with it and they want to know that the Government is on their side."

WODC Flooding Report for Northmoor

2008-06-08T06:19:00.004+01:00

You may be interested to read the flooding report for Northmoor published this week.

It recommends:

1) 'the Environment Agency to undertake a full floodzone modelling study, including effect of gravel abstraction, of the Windrush delta, including Newbridge Cut and Northmoor New Cut.

Prepare flood control options from the Study conclusions drawn.'

2) 'Hanson's in conjunction with the EA to prepare a satisfactory flood defence solution with regard to their proposed quarrying operations'.

Northmoor Flood Report - Upload a Document to Scribd

Northmoor Update

2008-06-06T05:53:00.002+01:00

On Tuesday 4th June, in response to the heavy rainfall, Michael Ryan, Clerk to Northmoor Parish Council, emailed those living in the locality (slightly selective as many do not have email) and has thus far received the following flooding reports:

Brook Farm - Sewage backing up.

Northmoor Barn - Garage under water.

Park Lodge - Driveway submerged.

Park Farm - Serious flooding throughout the complex (see photos below), including raw sewage.
Rectory Cottage - Garage flooded

Hollyhock Cottage - Water to the top of the brook just outside their front door.

Park Farm Estate, Northmoor

2008-06-05T18:16:00.017+01:00

These photos are typical of the way this week’s flooding adversely impacts the various businesses trading at Park Farm, Northmoor. They are just a few from a substantial collection built up over the last few years...

Question: "Re Yesterday's Rain - I would like to know if any property in the village suffered from floodwater as a result of yesterday's heavy rain?" Michael Ryan, Parish Clerk, Northmoor

Answer: "Michael - I was at Park Farm yesterday with Steve Good and can confirm that all the business premises were flooded. One tenant complained that he has been flooded five times in the past eighteen months and on a number of occasions, including yesterday, there has been raw sewage (see photos below) from the village floating around. Insurance claims have recently been settled amounting to hundreds of thousands of pounds. I have photos of the flooding on Tuesday evening." Peter Jones, Standlake

River Windrush

2008-06-04T18:54:00.018+01:00

... at Broad Bridges on 3rd June

and at Gill Mill on the 4th ...

and on the 5th the water is still rising ...

On 4th June, "summer pastures" at
Lower Farm in Northmoor ...

Flooding on the Stonehenge Farm site

2008-06-04T15:59:00.013+01:00

The photos below show clearly the flooding which occurred yesterday (3.6.08) both to property which adjoins the application site as well as to the proposed extraction site/application area.

Environment Agency Flood Map

2008-06-04T11:50:00.006+01:00

You may be interested to look at the EA flood map for the Stonehenge Farm application site.

Check out the link below:
http://maps.environment-agency.gov.uk/wiyby/wiybyController?topic=floodmap&ep=map&lang=_e&x=440933.479&y=202430.388&scale=5&layerGroups=1,&layerGroupToQuery=1&location=Stonehenge%20Farm%20application%20site

Flooding Reports

2008-06-03T17:35:00.007+01:00

"Moreton Lane, Northmoor, is impassable".
Source: Radio Oxford, 1730 hours

"I can confirm that Sutton Lane is flooded today."
A Sutton resident

"The lane was a river by lunch time."
Roger from Sutton

Flood Watch

2008-06-03T14:13:00.007+01:00

Current Flooding
Situation

The River Windrush Catchment

Page last updated: 13:04 on 03-Jun-2008
Flood status checked every 15 minutes.

Current status: Flood Watch

Status last changed at:
13:04 on 03-Jun-2008

Location: The River Windrush from Bourton-on-the-Water to Newbridge and its tributaries
Region: Thames
Previous statuses:

All Clear 11:30 on 30-May-2008
Flood Watch 16:38 on 28-May-2008
All Clear 11:52 on 27-May-2008
Flood Watch 12:58 on 26-May-2008
All Clear 15:51 on 15-May-2008

Photos of Site & Surrounding Area

2008-06-02T15:27:00.019+01:00

Below: After a couple of days of heavy rainfall, the surface water on the proposed site is most evident. Photo taken on 29th May 2008

Below: On yet another part of the proposed site the water lying on the surface is quite deep ... Photo also taken on 29th May 2008

Below: View over to Park Farm from the public right of way & proposed conveyor belt route.

Above: Photo of Rose Cottage, Northmoor, taken just a few paces from where the one presented by the Minerals Officer to the Planning meeting on 19th May 2008 was taken. It demonstrates how clearly the house can be seen from the footpath, unlike the photo shown to the Planning Committee which showed only the road.

Above: Photo taken in January 2007 looking in a north-westerly direction towards Park Lodge diagonally across the proposed conveyor route, illustrating the significant amount of surface water in winter.

Above: Flooding looking west over Park Farm in July 2007. The water snaking through the field on the left is where a dry dig is proposed. Had the bund had been in place in 2007, all that flood water would have been diverted towards our houses.

All photos kindly sent in by local residents.

For an aerial view of Stonehenge Farm, click on the link below:

http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/305605

Conveyor Belt

2008-06-01T20:42:00.005+01:00

An artist's impression of the Stonehenge Farm gravel conveyor crossing at the Standlake to Northmoor road, looking south: driving gear with gravel shute into tunnel.

Restoration - Comments

2008-06-01T11:41:00.004+01:00

" .... Another point which seems to be completely overlooked is the so called "restoration". At the moment this land is productive and gives employment. This will cease when gravel is extracted, and the land will never be productive again.

In all mineral and industrial developments in the past, little thought has been given to restoration (from the 18th century on), but eventually the land can no longer be tolerated in the condition it was left, and restoration at vast cost is carried out. You only have to look at the iron ore diggings at Corby and Scunthorpe, or the industrial areas and coal fields in South Wales, to see what has to be done.

We are being left with the field system but no land, only water. The talk of reed beds, as if they contribute to the wealth and employment of the country needs rigorous investigation if it is to be justified. Today, when we need all the agricultural land to feed ourselves, to willfully destroy it, and leave it derelict seems perverse.

You may be interested that it is normal practice in mineral extraction internationally, to ring fence a proportion of the turnover from the mineral sales for restoration, thus avoiding the need for our children to pay for it."

Comments submitted by Philip Rogers, Yelford

History of Northmoor

2008-06-01T08:42:00.002+01:00

You may interested to peruse the following:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.aspx?compid=15970

Impact map

2008-05-31T20:00:00.001+01:00

Here is a map showing the impact of the proposed workings.

Site Map

2008-05-31T13:35:00.003+01:00

Here is the site map

Water, water everywhere ...

2008-05-31T07:02:00.002+01:00

The problem that we have is that its just more workings here. Look at this map of our area ...

View Larger Map

See all the water filled gravel pits that are here already. And you cannot see on this map the old pits that have been used for landfill too.

What is OUTRAGE?

2008-05-30T21:49:00.019+01:00

OUTRAGE (Oxford Upper Thames Residents Against Gravel Extraction) is a Northmoor based community group which has has been active since the 'Seventies in opposing gravel applications in the area:

"It recognises the need for gravel. Oxfordshire is required to deliver its quota. Northmoor is however not the right place to dig. Stonehenge Farm is a pit too far. For decades West Oxfordshire has contributed most (70%) of Oxfordshire's gravel requirements. Other gravel-bearing areas of the county have suffered much less. ENOUGH is ENOUGH!"

Follow this link to the OUTRAGE Website: http://www.wospweb.com/site/OUTRAGE/index.htm

Presentations to Planning Committee on 19th May

2008-05-30T06:35:00.003+01:00

Below you can read three of the 5 minute presentations made to the Planning Committee on 19th May: the first was made by Terry Kirkpatrick, representing Moreton; the second by Robert Florey, Chairman of Northmoor Parish Council and long time resident and the third by Julie Hankey representing OUTRAGE.

Presentation by Col Terry Kirkpatrick

Chairman, I'm here today representing the residents of the hamlet of Moreton.

Environmental Law is governed by the overarching ‘precautionary principle’. This law also requires that the environment and its residents should not be put at any increased risk as the result of any development. Together, these mean that a developer is required, beyond reasonable doubt, to demonstrate that a scheme will not increase risk. In their turn, Planning Authorities and their statutory consultees have a duty to ensure that developments cannot increase this risk. Notice, not ‘significant’ risk, but risk in an absolute sense.

Hanson Aggregates has not followed the precautionary principle in preparing this application in at least two respects:

* Firstly, it recognises that, without mitigating measures, the only water supply to a number of properties will be cut off by the quarry, but it has not demonstrated that the proposed mitigating measures can work in all climatic conditions. This contravenes the Water Framework Directive.

* Secondly, it has not demonstrated that flood levels at local properties will be the same or lower with the quarry in place, than they would be without a quarry. This contravenes Planning Policy Statement 25.

Equally, The Environment Agency has not required Hanson Aggregates to undertake the straightforward, inexpensive work that would be required to demonstrate the precautionary principle here. This failure of duty by the Environment Agency has resulted in legal action leading to a Judicial Review being taken against them.

By its own admission, The Environment Agency has also been unlawfully withholding information submitted to it supporting this application. My neighbours and I, therefore, have been unable to make comprehensive and reasoned objections to the application. This is in direct contravention of the EIA Regulations 1999.

Furthermore, although it is admitted in Hanson’s application, your officers have omitted to mention in their report to you, that the permeable margins surrounding the lakes and reed beds will require maintenance in perpetuity to ensure hydraulic connectivity between the lakes and the aquifer. Without this maintenance, the local wells will dry up at some time in the future. This maintenance has not been funded and, it is understood, the site landowner has refused to accept responsibility for it.

Also, the Environment Agency has only recently recognised that the siting of this development must undergo the full sequential test required by PPS25. This analysis has been rushed through by the council’s officers and we have not been given the opportunity to scrutinise their work. An analysis of currently identified locations will show that a number are available in lower flood zones that would satisfy all the demand for sand and aggregate for this area. It is not a valid argument to say (as your officers have suggested) that these sites are not owned by Hanson Aggregates.

Finally, we believe that the omissions and language in your Chief Officer’s report are couched so as to persuade you to accept his recommendations, rather than reporting to you in a balanced way, and letting the facts speak for themselves. For example, he says that the Environment Agency has no ‘cause’ to raise an objection, which he is not qualified to judge, when, in fact the Environment Agency has ‘chosen’ not to make an objection, which is the subject of the request for Judicial Review.
We fully understand that there are many dangers for a planning authority that chooses not to accept the advice of a statutory consultee. This is a clear case, however, of the circumstances in which it is proper for the determination of the application to be postponed.

My neighbours and I believe strongly, therefore, that this committee is not yet in a position to take any informed decision regarding the Hanson Aggregate’s application. It should postpone consideration until further work has been done:
· on maintenance costings,
· on the sequential test,
· on proving the groundwater mitigation scheme,
· on a full Level 3 Flood Risk Assessment and
· on the outcome of the request for a Judicial Review against the Environment Agency.

Presentation by Mr Robert Florey

Mr Chairman -I am addressing this committee on two counts. Firstly as Chairman of Northmoor Parish Council and secondly as a long standing resident of the village of some 48 years and a local landowner.

Firstly, looking at this application from a Parish Council point of view, the Head of Sustainable Development states in his report that this application cannot be viewed as an extension of the quarry. It must be viewed as a completely new site. The Parish Council has always emphasised this and I urge this committee to view it as such and not as an extension.

I move now to the matter of the Routing Agreement.

In past years this agreement was supposed to be in place, but it has never worked. Gravel lorries were still to be found ignoring the regulations and using local minor roads, not intended or suitable for such traffic. I sit on the Liaison Committee which comprises representations of this Council, Hansons, Parish Councils and other local bodies. Time and again, this would be bought up at the meeting and time and again it was found not to be working.

If it were successfully implemented and the heavy traffic routed onto the A415, A40 towards Oxford and then the A34, it would lead to bedlam. The Parish council, when making representations to this committee stated this point. These roads at the best of times are heavily congested and at worst are at a standstill. The local highways infrastructure is not capable of withstanding this amount of extra traffic, especially as vehicle numbers continue to increase as they are at present and this does not take into account the increase in traffic that will come from the huge expansion of Witney and Carterton.

I will now move on to how the gravel workings have affected the village of Northmoor.

The officer in his report states that the quarrying of gravel has not really affected the village and its residents. I can tell this committee that, having lived in this village for some 48 years, this is certainly not the case. Where once upon a time, residents of this village enjoyed a large farming landscape, vast areas of this have now been destroyed.

Where we now have Stoneacres Lake, it was good agricultural land – now gone forever.
We now have the lakes at Watkins Farm which was good agricultural land – now gone forever.
Where we had the Ireland land excavated, more good agricultural land, this has also gone forever.

This is by no means all the land that has been excavated in close proximity to the village.

In his report, the Head of Sustainable Development describes the area as “not the best and most versatile agricultural land”. We may not be in the fens of East Anglia but this land is capable of producing some very good, high yielding crops. I ought to know as I farm alongside the application area.

The next area to look at is the matter of Representations.

We have seen some detail in the report regarding representations to this committee from individuals and certain bodies. However, many of the points that are quite rightly raised seem to be dismissed with hardly a comment or debate.

One point that was raised by many people and also the Parish Council was the problem with the earth bunds and the increased risk of flooding. I think this committee needs to look more closely at the response from the Environment Agency.

As a landowner in close proximity, I recently wanted to restore an old pond which had been trodden in by cattle over the years. All it needed was for this small area to be dug out and the spoil graded up the sides, to restore it back to what it was. I was informed that the Environment Agency would object as it could impede the flow of flood water.

How therefore can the applicant, in light of the dreadful flooding that we have just experienced, be permitted to put in place these bunds and tell us that it would not impede the flow of flood water?

I am afraid it smacks of one rule for for us and one for them.

On the subject of water, I am also concerned that during times of dry weather, the water levels in water courses that supply drinking water to my livestock and four or five other farming neighbours will be severely affected by this application.

On the subject of Landscape Character, the report states that the development would change rather than damage the character of the landscape and that the restoration proposals would provide an acceptable alternative landscape.

Acceptable to whom? Not us. It is not as if we are short of water features in this area. We have rivers and lakes completely surrounding us – we don't need any more.

In his conclusion, the Head of Sustainable Development states that in the longer term the development could have positive effects in the local area. I have read through this report and I am sorry but I cannot see where they are, without losing what we have already got.

I strongly urge this committee to look very closely at the merits or not of this application.

Presentation by Mrs Julie Hankey, Chair, OUTRAGE

Mr Chairman, I represent Outrage, a Northmoor-based community group which has campaigned on gravel matters for the last thirty years.

I should just say that during the four years that this application has been in play, we have been dealt with by the case officer and her immediate predecessors with courtesy and professionalism. It was a shock therefore to read your department's report. It reminded me of the eighties, when Stonehenge was first applied for, and when different standards prevailed. And this is the main point that I wish to make: your officers have given you a heavily slanted report which should not be relied on as the basis for a fair and reasoned decision.

Let me give you some examples:

1
Your officers state that Northmoor has 'not had a great deal of experience of gravel working, as most extracted areas are some distance to the north west'. This is false, and they must know it.

The diggings at Northmoor extend across the north of the village, from west to east, and are mostly only a field or two away. Gravel applications and the ongoing nuisance of the workings have long been the subject of communications between Northmoor residents and these very officers.

2
The dark orange on the map indicates the extent of workings in the Lower Windrush Valley – and my next example is concerned with cumulative impact.

West Oxfordshire has been over-dug, with scores of lakes and infilled areas, old and new, around Ducklington, Hardwick, Stanton Harcourt, Standlake and Northmoor. The accumulated impact of all this has now reached a point where parishes everywhere are saying enough is enough.

The new Oxfordshire Structure Plan reflects this concern and states that 'in assessing the impact of new locations for mineral workings ...the Council will consider the cumulative impact of mineral working across an area...'

The officers' report mentions cumulative impact, but only to distort its meaning. It claims that 'there will not be a cumulative impact of additional working, as this site is proposed to replace the Stanton Harcourt Quarry nearby'. This implies that a later impact somehow replaces and does not add to an earlier impact, that if the impacts aren't simultaneous then it doesn't matter. This is a smokescreen. We know what the words mean, and so do the officers. The Minerals Planning Department itself confirmed to me last year in writing that 'cumulative impact includes all the impacts ... both current operations and past workings' (e-mail from Peter Day, 6/02/07).

3
I turn to the issue of alternative sites:

The developer is required by planning regulations to provide 'an outline of the main alternative sites studied'. The application mentions the list of sites under consultation for the new Local Development Framework, but it provides no outline and no evidence of any alternatives studied. The officers have not only failed to challenge this, but offer a number of excuses for it, and even pre-judge the issue, saying that if better sites were found, 'Stonehenge Farm may still be needed and may be better than many other sites'.

Mr Chairman, it is not the function of your officers to excuse or explain why the applicant has failed to comply with a legal requirement, nor to say, in effect, that it doesn't matter because it won't make any difference anyway.

4
My last example concerns the question of need.

You will probably be told that gravel can only be dug where it is. This is not the same as saying that it must be dug wherever it is. You will also be told that the County is required by policies MPS1 and Regional Planning Guidance 9, to provide a seven-year landbank, which now stands at 2.6 years.

However, Mr Chairman, the report does not point out that, in the words of the planning department itself, 'there is no penalty for not achieving or maintaining these levels' and that 'the maintenance of this [landbank] ... is dependent on the industry submitting enough planning applications in acceptable locations' (e-mail from Mary Thompson, 26/11/07).

Stonehenge Farm is not an acceptable location. It raises genuine environmental problems, as we have heard. I will add another: Outrage has demonstrated in its objection, the absence of a sufficiently large market within range of sustainable transport. But we all might as well have saved our breath. The market? The report declines to engage with the evidence we produce. Unsustainability? The report surmises that the applicant won't want to make long journeys.

In short, all arguments against this application are trumped by MPS1 and RPG9.

Conclusion

Mr Chairman, the House of Commons guide to judicial review (Judicial Review: A short guide to claims in the Administrative Court (House of Commons Research Paper 06/44 28 September 2006) clearly states that 'a public body is not entitled ... to act under a completely inflexible policy' and that 'a body or tribunal is not entitled blindly to follow policy guidelines' (section B para 1b: Illegality - Unlawfully delegating power or fettering discretion).

The officers' report blindly and inflexibly follows certain policies and policy guidelines in favour of gravel extraction. Your council, Mr Chairman, is not entitled to do this.

Flood Alert

2008-05-30T06:16:00.016+01:00

Oxfordshire on flood alert

A warning has been issued about possible flooding in
Oxfordshire.

The area has seen a great deal of rain in the last few hours, and more
heavy rain is forecast. The area between Bourton-on-the-Water and
Newbridge is particularly at risk, says the Environment Agency.
River levels on the Thames and Evenlode are already high and still
rising, the agency says.

Areas at risk include the towns and villages of
Bourton-on-the-Water, Standlake, Hardwick, Worsham, Burford,
Witney and Newbridge.

Source: BBC News, 30th May 2008

Rivers placed on flood watch

Four Oxfordshire rivers have been put on Flood Watch by the
Environment Agency.

The agency has warned low lying land and roads near the River
Evenlode, River Ock, River Thame and River Windrush are
expected to flood.

It advises people living near those rivers to monitor local news,
charge their mobile phone and check on the safety of pets
and livestock.

Source: Witney Gazette 2:53pm Thursday 29th May 2008

Northmoor

2008-05-28T20:30:00.000+01:00

Stonehenge Farm

Call for Review of County Minerals Quota

BIG increases in gravel and sand extraction in Oxfordshire needs to be urgently reviewed, ministers have been told.

Public Inquiry concludes

"Everyone must help stop floods"

Part III of the Public Inquiry resumes ...

Hanson fined for dumping prohibited waste at Cassington pit

4 years ago today ...

Quarrying company fined

New Government confirms it is tearing up the South East Plan

Destructive reservoir will require millions of tonnes of gravel

Increase in annual targets "unnecessary, inappropriate & unacceptable"

Gravel Plan is threat to countryside

Oxford Mail - Local people must fight gravel plans

Local people must fight gravel plans

Gravel Pit Battle

Gravel pit battle

Flood Watch

River Windrush from Bourton to Newbridge

Current status:

Location:

Region:

Updates:

Flood Alert

Oxford Times features Gravel

Oxford Mail features Gravel

Witney Gazette features Gravel

OCC Planning Committee Meeting - 24th November

Update from Outrage

Newbridge - Flood Alert!

Flood Watch Today

The River Windrush Catchment

Stonehenge Farm - Proposed Site & Floodmap

Job losses at HeidelbergCement

Heidelberg slashes over 4,000 jobs in UK and US

Message from OUTRAGE

MQR

Latest News

Gloom deepens for UK quarry firms

Message from OUTRAGE

Hanson - More Closures

Latest News

Asphalt plants and quarries to close at Hanson

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine (MQR)

Latest News

Lafarge UK set to mothball quarries

Britain's Summer of Miserable Weather

Oxford floods ...

Oxford floods deepen as more rain is forecast

OCC Planning Committee - Future Dates

Countryside Alliance CE speaks out on Flooding

Flood Alert

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine

Latest News

Hanson loses Hope in Flintshire

Daily Telegraph - 30th August 2008

Flood Watch today

Parish Flood Report Roadshows

Flood One Year On

Floods: "Apparent Lack of Action"

Letter from Outrage

County Hall, Oxford on 21st July

OCC Planning Meeting - 21st July

Hanson lays off 130 workers

Another Letter to Councillors

Letter to Councillors on the Planning Committee

T Shirt Collection

Anniversary of July Flooding - Street Party!

Flooding - A Government Response - 8th July

CALLING ALL LOCAL RESIDENTS!

EA Flood Watch

The River Windrush Catchment

Message from Outrage

Outrage T Shirt Campaign

"Common Sense" is added to the debate ...

Minerals Quarrying & Recycling Magazine (MQR)

The OCC Planning Committee meeting took place on 19th May. This article, published by the MQR magazine two days later, clearly reflects the view that the decision has already been made.

What happened to the resolution at the meeting "to defer the application to the July meeting in order to consider the application in conjunction with West Oxfordshire District Council's final report on the 2007 summer floods?"

EA gives green light to Hanson Northmoor

Wildlife Trust