Destruction of Doxey Marshes.

An email received from 38 Degrees -

"Dear Friends,

Thank you for supporting our campaign SAVE STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE & AONB, as we network with other groups in the County we highlight the battles being fought across our community to save valued green spaces

If anyone can help these guys please consider helping their campaign.

Stafford Planning Action Group (SPAG) have joined forces with Moorlands United Planning Action Group (MUPAG) to challenge planning departments in the County.

MUPAG have raised money and had success against planning decisions made by their council.

SPAG are asking for your support to bring legal action against the conduct and process of Stafford Borough Council (SBC) Planning Department.

SPAG have already sought legal advice on the conduct of SBC in relation to approving planning applications that will damage Doxey Marshes and Tillington SSSI and they believe SPAG have a great case which they believe will be successful but need help.

SPAG have set up a just giving page to collate funds to help bring about this action and they would be very grateful for any donation large or small

https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/staffordplanningactiongroup

Thank you for reading this, netowrking with these guys might help us bring transparency and accountability to the planning processes across the County.

Don't forget the consultation for the Staffordshire Countryside Review starts next week and information should be available on Monday 2nd November, please continue to spread the word

https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/save-staffordshire-countryside-aonb

Thanks

Paul Woodhead"

At least please consider the petition at the second link.

The crowdfunding link, above, doesn't work, try this instead: https://crowdfunding.justgiving.com/staffordplanningactiongroup

Spag leaflets dropping thru letterboxes all over the place. Power to the people at last!

I hope someone gets an ass kicking for this!

Further info from 38 Degrees:

The Council have now released their consultation documents through a fanfare of deafening silence so I have taken it upon myself to include here for your information the link to the County Website for you to consider a response, attend a drop-in session or just read for yourself the detail of the plans to be considered

[URL='http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/eLand/Countryside/Countryside-Review/Countryside-Estate-Consultation.aspx']http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/eLand/Countryside/Countryside-Review/Countryside-Estate-Consultation.aspx [/URL]

[URL='http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/eLand/Countryside/Countryside-Review/Countryside-Estate-Consultation.aspx']The consultation closes on 24th January 2016
[/URL]
[URL='http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/eLand/Countryside/Countryside-Review/Countryside-Estate-Consultation.aspx']There are drop-in sessions at
15/11 at Greenway Bank, 29/11 at Apedale, 6/12 at Consall, 13/12 at Chasewater and 13/12 at Cannock Chase

The four options under consideration are:
A: Maintain council ownership and seek opportunities to increase income from existing sites by working with volunteers, community, third sector and private parties;
B: Transfer management on a site-by-site basis to local community or voluntary sector groups, such as parish councils;
C: Establish a partnership of landowners to manage all green spaces in a particular area;
D: Establish a not-for-profit trading company to run and develop parts of the estate.[/URL]

[URL='http://www.staffordshire.gov.uk/environment/eLand/Countryside/Countryside-Review/Countryside-Estate-Consultation.aspx']There are some immediate questions from a quick review of the information provided and a lack of depth to the options could serve as a barrier to true consultation and breadth of engagement. I will circulate my initial thoughts and questions for clarification in the coming days. If you want to get in touch with any issues for clarification please let me know at paul.woodhead@greenparty.org.uk

The lack of financial information is of particular concern and you might want to reference back to Cabinet papers through the County website to understand the anticipated cuts of £110,000 increasing to aspiration of net 30% cuts by 2020.[/URL]

More from 38 Degrees

Full County Council Debate

Date & Time: Thursday, 10 December 2015 from 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM

Place: Staffordshire County Council, 1 Martin Street, Stafford, ST16 2LP

I am working on securing a full council debate of the countryside estate review. Our campaign has secured over 11,500 signatures and Staffordshire County Council has a scheme to recognise any petition with over 5,000 Staffordshire resident signatures.

Thursday 10th December 2015 commencing meeting starts at 10am, protest outside from 9am

I am presenting our petition for validation of the number of Staffordshire residents, which it does. Please note this does not conclude the petition signing which will be formaly presented later in the consultation, so please continue to share and care.

This is not confirmed yet but wanted to give you as much notice as possible as I see no reason this cannot happen.

Please come along to support the debate in which I have the right to a statement of no longer than 5 minutes, a response by the cabinet member Councillor Mark Winnington followed by a full council debate

Your support of this event is very much appreciated. RSVP

Paul Woodhead via campaignsbyyou@38degrees.org.uk

Anyone know when work commences on the new rugby club. Work started yesterday on removing the Badgers. Will take 20 days apparently.

Kopite76 said:

Anyone know when work commences on the new rugby club. Work started yesterday on removing the Badgers. Will take 20 days apparently.

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Seriously, this is what is happening??

You expected anything different? Just because there are plenty of places they could go that wouldn't destroy a protected wildlife habitat doesn't mean they give a crap, and lord $tafford is in dire need of the extra millions to roll in scrooge mcduck style. The sooner they start the work the quicker an appeal becomes irrelevant as they will have already destroyed the place and scared away all the animals. And if that hasn't I'm sure their next fireworks display will ensure it!

Kopite76 said:

Anyone know when work commences on the new rugby club. Work started yesterday on removing the Badgers. Will take 20 days apparently.

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Disgraceful I hope someone kicks then out of their home

1JKz said:

Seriously, this is what is happening??

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Yes. I walk my dogs in those fields and 1st thought it was the rabbits they were after until I spoke to them. I think it will take even longer to get the rabbits as there's lots of warrens dotted about

Nope, they'll just build over the rabbits.

Withnail said:

Which leaves us with two things - and i shall call them Thing 1 and Thing 2

- as was left hanging at the planning meeting, will an EU directive regarding Habitats put the kibosh on it?

- would a Judicial Review criticize the lack of weight given by the planning committee to the objections of the local Wildlife Trust, a body to which the decidedly 'Statutory' body of Natural England had advised to 'give strong regard' to, and overturn the decision?

Or is it that two large car parks and a large building does not 'Green Infrastructure' make?

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http://www.expressandstar.com/news/2015/11/26/stafford-councillors-defend-15-per-cent-pay-rise/

STAFFORD COUNCILLORS DEFEND 15 PER CENT PAY RISE

Worth every penny.



The pounds are rather more debatable.

Mostly the same lot who used our money to have meeting in which they voted to pay themselves money for running what's supposed to be a charity.

tek-monkey said:

You expected anything different? Just because there are plenty of places they could go that wouldn't destroy a protected wildlife habitat doesn't mean they give a crap, and lord $tafford is in dire need of the extra millions to roll in scrooge mcduck style. The sooner they start the work the quicker an appeal becomes irrelevant as they will have already destroyed the place and scared away all the animals. And if that hasn't I'm sure their next fireworks display will ensure it!

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Was that Lord $ta££ord's caravan on Sainsburys car park? Hope it floats.

Latest news from 38 Degrees -

Dear Friends,

I circulated an event to invite attendance for a full county council debate on Thursday 10th December at the County Buildings, Martin Street, Stafford where we will gather from 9am to attend the debate from 10am.

I have received confirmation from the council that they have verified the number of signatures on our petition and the debate is DEFINITELY ON

Please come along and join us to listen to the coucillors debate the future of our countryside. I am permitted a short introduction, along with the cabinet member prior to a full floor debate of the full council.

The public link where people can sign up to attend is here: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/events/full-county-council-debate

Please circulate this to encourage a full house and get involved with the consultation

Again thank you for signing the petition and supporting our campaign to SAVE STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE & AONB, it is making a positive impact to secure the future.

I have also had a further response to my queries in relation to the consultation and will circulate these in the coming days

Thanks

Paul Woodhead

Noah said:

Latest news from 38 Degrees -

Dear Friends,

I circulated an event to invite attendance for a full county council debate on Thursday 10th December at the County Buildings, Martin Street, Stafford where we will gather from 9am to attend the debate from 10am.

I have received confirmation from the council that they have verified the number of signatures on our petition and the debate is DEFINITELY ON

Please come along and join us to listen to the coucillors debate the future of our countryside. I am permitted a short introduction, along with the cabinet member prior to a full floor debate of the full council.

The public link where people can sign up to attend is here: http://you.38degrees.org.uk/events/full-county-council-debate

Please circulate this to encourage a full house and get involved with the consultation

Again thank you for signing the petition and supporting our campaign to SAVE STAFFORDSHIRE COUNTRYSIDE & AONB, it is making a positive impact to secure the future.

I have also had a further response to my queries in relation to the consultation and will circulate these in the coming days

Thanks

Paul Woodhead

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Whilst i wholeheartedly support the right honourable member for his good works in keeping us abreast of these developments, i would like to take this opportunity to remind him that this is an issue entirely unconnected to the Borough Council's laissez-faire attitude toward the Destruction of Doxey Marshes, and pertains more to the County Council's laissez-faire attitude toward Cannock Chase being for sale.

I refer the right honourable member to a more appropriate thread posted some moments ago - http://www.staffordforum.com/xf/ind...-chase-offers-invited.5370/page-8#post-277662 .

I have been following your thread with interest.There has been an application submitted for a 31 acre solar farm i the hamlet of High Offley/Garmelow.The first any of the people that live nearby knew was when the farmers wife 'accidently' let the cat out of the bag.Subsequently i searched online for any solar farm proposals in High Offley and found nothing for 2 months...eventually we discovered the application.The whole thing seems to have been contrived to cover up so local people knew nothing about it.The site is called Tunsall hall solar park- no mention of High Offley.
The public meeting was held in Eccleshall with as little publicity as possible, even the High Offley parish council knew nothing about it.The site is between two parishes so thats enabled smoke and mirrors.A family that lived just 100metres from the site didnt even get a neighbourhood consulation letter...
I wont bore you with all the ins and outs we have discovered over the last three months, about how the whole seedy, greedy solar farm industry works ( they have diesel generators on site so they dont get fines for intermittent supply- how can that be green?)and i realise this is probably not the place to air our problems, but suffice to say we understand what you are all going through and you have our support.We are very willing to join in with your campaign and share experiences.