Rugby Club progress...

Pooryorick

Well-Known Forumite
Funny old business, the double application waste of public funds. Are we still waiting for one of them to be determined?
re. the 'not rocket science' comments, does anyone from the club have a spare few minutes to walk across to the cemetery, where the lights are dazzling?

strobes@private-eye.co.uk
 

kyoto49

Well-Known Forumite
Ecocide, pure and simple.

I'm a sports person, I love sport, I get all the things sport bring, I get the situation the rugby club was in, I have some sympathy wth their predicament, but what they've done to this particular area of Stafford is nothing short of environmental vandalism. Took a walk along there today:

  • Mature Oak trees - home to owls and buzzards and numerous other bird species - GONE
  • All the variety of life that lived in the Oak trees and their environs - GONE
  • Hundreds of metres of mature hedges, home and food for birds and other wildlife - GONE
  • Wildflower meadows -GONE
  • Insects that lived in the wildflower meadows - GONE
  • Hedgehogs - GONE, buried under the earth moving?
  • Rabbits, as above
  • Toads, frogs, newts - all GONE
  • The Owl - GONE
  • The Buzzards - can be seen sitting on a post forelornly wondering where all his food now is
  • Field mice - GONE
  • Voles - GONE
  • Water Voles - GONE
  • The Herons - GONE
  • Ground living birds- GONE
  • Invertebrates - GONE
  • Sure there are plenty of others that I've missed off this list
Absolutely nothing lives in this ENVIRONMENTAL DESERT, and a f*cking ugly desert it is too with all that nasty white plastic fencing. You haven't even tried to fit in to the environmentally sensitive area.

The final nail in the coffin for any creature who does try and adapt is the noise. So loud was the agressive shouting and swearing and cheering that a nice peaceful Sunday afternoon walk in a nature reserve, a place that should be an oasis of tranquility has been totally ruined. A kestral flew over it's former hunting ground and gave up to seek prey elsewhere.

The impact of this development is far far worse than even the scathing report from Staffs Wildlife Trust could ever have predicted. But yeah, focus on the car parking for residents and what good neighbours you are.

Further there is an amount of builders rubbish and signs/plastic sh*t that is now actually in the SSSI, I politely picked that up and returned it to its owners - the Rugby Club. That was just before I was nearly mown down on the access road that clearly the club think is just for boy racer use, despite being a public footpath.

Here's a small representation fo what we've all lost. What the wildlife has lost is far far more tragic............shame on you all

11041568_10153386463417095_233185392639138956_o.jpg


11313089_10153386462702095_1023031449838828639_o.jpg


11402366_10153386462677095_2780801337258859868_o.jpg
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
If you don't get any joy from the rugby club, you should contact Environmental Health at the Borough Council, as light pollution can be deemed to cause a Statutory Nuisance under the Clean Neighbourhoods & Environment Act 2005.

From my house. Last night.

I could hear them too. That doesn't bother me as much though. If it looks like this from my house, it must be horrendous from the SSSI.

IMG_20191118_213013.jpg
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
Ok MillieD I apologise if I appeared a little insensitive at your expense. Can I redeem myself with a practical suggestion ?

Why not get any other neighbours, similarly affected by light spill, to sign a petition to present to the club asking for financial assistance for the fitting of supplementary bedroom blackout blinds. You could even raise awareness with a staged photo in the local press depicting yourself and assembled neighbours outside at night wearing dressings gowns and dark glasses looking skywards and shaking fists at the lights (?)

:hug: Don't worry, I'm not that sensitive :D

I like your idea though. And the example from @Mikinton - is that Close Encounters of the Flood Kind?
 

Glam

Mad Cat Woman
From my house. Last night.

I could hear them too. That doesn't bother me as much though. If it looks like this from my house, it must be horrendous from the SSSI.

View attachment 7605
A while back, my youngest sister and myself went to collect some wood from the larger of the Venables estates, the house backed right onto the new rugby pitch. The only thing separating the pitch from the home was a fence. I do feel so sorry for those people living there.
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
A while back, my youngest sister and myself went to collect some wood from the larger of the Venables estates, the house backed right onto the new rugby pitch. The only thing separating the pitch from the home was a fence. I do feel so sorry for those people living there.

So do I, especially when you consider what was there before :( Is the clubhouse not even in the way?
 

Mikinton

Well-Known Forumite
A photo of our game last Saturday evening. Not saying if this is good or bad - just posting for comparison.

75604003_10220733388314246_7319982452712144896_o.jpg
 

Gareth

Well-Known Forumite
Ecocide, pure and simple.

I'm a sports person, I love sport, I get all the things sport bring, I get the situation the rugby club was in, I have some sympathy wth their predicament, but what they've done to this particular area of Stafford is nothing short of environmental vandalism. Took a walk along there today:

  • Mature Oak trees - home to owls and buzzards and numerous other bird species - GONE
  • All the variety of life that lived in the Oak trees and their environs - GONE
  • Hundreds of metres of mature hedges, home and food for birds and other wildlife - GONE
  • Wildflower meadows -GONE
  • Insects that lived in the wildflower meadows - GONE
  • Hedgehogs - GONE, buried under the earth moving?
  • Rabbits, as above
  • Toads, frogs, newts - all GONE
  • The Owl - GONE
  • The Buzzards - can be seen sitting on a post forelornly wondering where all his food now is
  • Field mice - GONE
  • Voles - GONE
  • Water Voles - GONE
  • The Herons - GONE
  • Ground living birds- GONE
  • Invertebrates - GONE
  • Sure there are plenty of others that I've missed off this list
Absolutely nothing lives in this ENVIRONMENTAL DESERT, and a f*cking ugly desert it is too with all that nasty white plastic fencing. You haven't even tried to fit in to the environmentally sensitive area.

The final nail in the coffin for any creature who does try and adapt is the noise. So loud was the agressive shouting and swearing and cheering that a nice peaceful Sunday afternoon walk in a nature reserve, a place that should be an oasis of tranquility has been totally ruined. A kestral flew over it's former hunting ground and gave up to seek prey elsewhere.

The impact of this development is far far worse than even the scathing report from Staffs Wildlife Trust could ever have predicted. But yeah, focus on the car parking for residents and what good neighbours you are.

Further there is an amount of builders rubbish and signs/plastic sh*t that is now actually in the SSSI, I politely picked that up and returned it to its owners - the Rugby Club. That was just before I was nearly mown down on the access road that clearly the club think is just for boy racer use, despite being a public footpath.

Here's a small representation fo what we've all lost. What the wildlife has lost is far far more tragic............shame on you all

11041568_10153386463417095_233185392639138956_o.jpg


11313089_10153386462702095_1023031449838828639_o.jpg


11402366_10153386462677095_2780801337258859868_o.jpg

looks like a picture of weeds and a metal gate to me...nice lol.

Being fair I have seen a Heron there almost every time and as recently as Sunday, probably the same one that frequents victoria park, before the sow`s depth increased recently.
 

The Hawk

Well-Known Forumite
From my house. Last night.

I could hear them too. That doesn't bother me as much though. If it looks like this from my house, it must be horrendous from the SSSI.

View attachment 7605
To be honest, its really difficult to assess the impact from that photograph.

If you have any problems, as I suggested previously, your first port of call should be the rugby club, to see what adjustments they will be undertaking and what mitigation they intend to put in place. If that doesn't satisfy you, then the Environmental Health team at the Borough Council is your next port of call. They should have the appropriate sound and light meters and be able to make any relevant checks.

Similarly, as far as the SSSI is concerned, the responsibility for action really should rest with the Wildlife Trust. I would hope that the rugby club and Wildlife Trust are already engaging in that respect.

Ultimately, if anyone is still not satisfied then, as a last resort, legal action could be taken; this is definitely not one for the faint hearted. However, it is worth pointing out that, in the case of an action relating to a Statutory Nuisance, the granting of planning permission offers no defence to such an action, as upheld by the Supreme Court in the case of Coventry and others (Respondents) v Lawrence and another (Appellants) (No 2) [2014] (also known as Lawrence v Fen Tigers).

Finally, I will reiterate that the best way of resolving and light spill (or noise) issues is by co-operation. @WoolmanT , on this thread, has been clear that the rugby club want to be good neighbours. That is where to start and, hopefully, finish.
 

Mikinton

Well-Known Forumite
Thanks for your reply. But slightly differing locations from an impact sort of viewpoint (from Google Maps - Satellite view):
Indeed, very different settings, but I thought comparing the contrasts in the two photos might be useful, though obviously they're only photographs in very different conditions.
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
To be honest, its really difficult to assess the impact from that photograph.

It is.


Finally, I will reiterate that the best way of resolving and light spill (or noise) issues is by co-operation. @WoolmanT , on this thread, has been clear that the rugby club want to be good neighbours. That is where to start and, hopefully, finish.

Absolutely, I don't intend on getting into a feud. Life's too short. I do believe I used to go to school with the Woolman fella :)
 

MilleD

Well-Known Forumite
Indeed, very different settings, but I thought comparing the contrasts in the two photos might be useful, though obviously they're only photographs in very different conditions.

Quite.

Although yours is far better quality as well, which probably doesn't help :P
 
Top