Owner: Save The Ribble URL:http://save-the-ribble.blogspot.com Join Date: Tue, 08 Aug 2006 19:54:55 -0500 Rating:1 Site Description: This is a local people's blog, set up by community members from Preston, South Ribble. Walton-Le-Dale and the towns and villages along the River Ribble.
We are fighting to stop the local council and developers who want to put a barrage across the rive Site statistics:Click here
Planning Review: A New Threat to the River Ribble and Our local Green Belt? 2006-12-06 02:46:00
Pink-footed geese at RSPB Marshside.
Save the Ribble
Campaign are concerned that recommendations contained in the HM Treasury-commissioned Planning Review could further threaten our River
and Green
Belt by making it easier for Preston City Council to pursue its Riverworks project.
Not surprisingly for a report written by the Bank of England policy maker Kate Barker, the emphasis of the review is on removing uncertainties to accelerate decision-making around major planning projects to the benefit of business interests and economic growth. It recommends that planning applications should be approved unless there are strong reasons against them, and that streamlining the planning process could save businesses and local authorities hundreds of millions of pounds.The Institute of Directors has welcomed the report as "one of the most sensible things to have come out of the Treasury in years"
The Campaign to Protect Rural England is concerned that, in the Review, "overall there i
Unite to Save Our River Ribble 2006-12-06 01:48:00 At a time when the government is planning to make it easier for developers to build over green belt land and a time when our council leaders seem determined to ignore local views on unitary authority status, we feel that it has never been more important for the people who live near the RiverRibble
to stand up and defend our beautiful river.Preston City Council has irresponsible and dangerous ideas to build a barrage across the River Ribble and over 4000 houses in its floodplain, on the beautiful green belt land that divides Preston from South Ribble. These ideas are contained in the councils over-hyped and under-scrutinised Riverworks Proposals.Local people love the Ribble and our green spaces, in all seasons, at all tides, and in all nature's moods...Save The Ribble has been campaigning since the launch of our blog to give the pro-Ribble Response of local people to these proposals.Our members and supporters include (in no particular order):* Anglers, who want to keep the river tidal
Mersey Basin Week Blog Plug 2006-12-04 21:31:00 The Mersey Basin
Week Blog have given a big plug to the Save The Ribble blog.
It only seems fair to give the Mersey Basin Campaign guys a big plug back - visit their blog HERE.
We all have the interests of the River Ribble and the Ribble Estuary at heart - so lets keep campaigning and working for this beautiful environment, and the people who live here.
Brockholes Wetland - URGENT Wildlife Trust APPEAL! 2006-11-26 10:14:00 The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire have launched an URGENT APPEAL to try to SAVE BROCKHOLES WETLAND FROM DEVELOPMENT.
They need to raise £50,000 in the next four weeks to secure the future of Higher Brockholes
for wildlife and local people for ever!
The Higher Brockholes site, encircled by the River Ribble, has been quarried for gravel for several years, and the older pits have filled with water and become one of the finest sites for birdwatching in the North West.
Numerous bird species which live or over-winter on the Ribble have established a fantastic habitat in the Brockholes quarries over recent years, and this area is already home to a fantastic variety of wildlife including Lapwing, Sand Martin, and Kingfisher, as well as more vulnerable species such as Whimbrel, Skylark, and Reed Bunting. There are also newts, bats, dragonflies and damselflies, and Otters are now returning to the Ribble in this area.
The Wildlife Trust hope to purchase the site and turn this fantastic a
Lucky 13 - Ribble Blog Recognized 2006-11-23 18:40:00 The Save The Ribble
Blog has been given national recognition: In a list of the Top 100 'Green Blogs' we come in at number 13.
This is an incredible achievement given the high quality of some of the blogs and bloggers lower down the list, the short time that we have been blogging (only for the last 9 months) and the local focus of our blog in what is a list featuring bloggers from all over the UK. It feels amazing to be ranked alongside the likes of Peter Tatchell and George Monbiot
Judges from the 'Daily (Maybe) Blog marked each blog out of ten on the following 10 areas: design; frequency of posting; writing ability; personality; comment; humour; range; interaction; popularity and independence of thought, we don't yet know what scores we got in each area, and we think we dropped a couple of points on design by using the rather ubiquitous 'Son of Moto' blog template, but we definitely must be doing something right!
What The Judges Thought
Here is what JimJay of the Daily M
Views from the Riverbank 2006-11-22 12:21:00 Thanks to everyone who sends in their comments, pictures and stories, more of which are here... the photos were taken over a short few weeks this Autumn, showing the Ribble in all her glorious variety! And we heard a very interesting story the other day about a popular local past-time in the 1920s or 30s of people jumping in the Ribble in their swimming costumes at the Docks on the out-going tide, and swimming to Lytham! If anyone has any stories about this or any other Tales from the Riverbank
, we'd love to hear from you!
This is a splendid view of the Ribble, from Ian, during an autumnal sunset...
Redshank have returned to the mudflats in Broadgate and Penwortham - as have Teal, Shelduck, and Knot, amongst a number of other over-wintering species. JB.
"We have lived by the river for 17 years now. We and all our neighbours love it here, largely due to the wildlife, smells of the river, the beautiful views from our living room windows and changing seasons. Not many people hav
Is Preston Council Backing Off from Barrage And Housing Ideas? 2006-11-18 17:06:00 Two members of 'Save The Ribble' attended the 'Central Area Forum' held at the Gujurati Centre on South Meadow Lane on Thursday night (16th November).
Gujurat Hindu Society, South Meadow Lane
One of them gave us this report of the evening:
"The meeting was attended by a lot of high ranking councillors and council officials as they wanted to promote the idea of Preston
and South Ribble Council
s going unitary.
Among all the local people attending the meeting, there was a deep mood of hostility and worry about the ideas contained in the Council's 'Riverworks' proposals. One person spoke about how much she enjoyed the rural character of the land on the southern bank of the Ribble, and how she did not want to see that destroyed by Riverworks.
We asked whether the real reason that Preston wanted to go unitary with South Ribble was to make it easier for them to proceed with their ideas of building housing in the Ribble Floodplain - the greenbelt land that divides Preston from Sout Read more:Backing
, Barrage
, Housing
The Loss Adjustor - Radio 4 2006-11-18 03:03:00 Did anyone listen to this play tonight on Radio
4?
Here is how it is described on the BBC Radio 4 website:
Friday Play - The Loss AdjusterFriday 17 November 9.00-10.00pm BBC RADIO 4
Tragedy hits one family when the local river floods and their daughter is killed, in this afternoon's play, The Loss Adjuster. Neil Dudgeon (Sorted, The Street, Messiah) stars as the loss adjuster who attempts to put a value upon their possessions and discovers that corruption and cynicism lie behind the building of houses upon a floodplain.
When Gemma is killed in a flood, her parents, Susan and Paul, find different ways to cope with their grief. Susan gradually takes up a fight against the local council, whilst Paul tries to rebuild their ruined home.
Martin Reece is a loss adjuster who is dealing with the damage to their property, but he is facing his own problems. Separated from his wife, he has decided to fight for custody of their son Jo but, in order to win, he needs a job loca
Floodplain Housing Put On Hold 2006-11-18 02:35:00 This recent BBC Report shows how one council - Reading, has seen sense and decided not to continue with a proposal for housing in the floodplain of their local river in the Kennet Valley Park.
We hope Preston Councillors have seen this report too, and will now think seriously about dropping their ideas for over 4000 houses in the floodplain of the River Ribble, contained as part of their 'Riverworks' proposals, along with the crazy idea of putting a barrage across the Ribble, which would starve the Estuary of nutrient rich silts, on which the birdlife of the Estuary depends. Read more:Housing
Appeal for Autumn Ribble Photos 2006-11-18 02:04:00 The River Ribble
is looking more beautiful than ever at the moment.
The trees that line the river are every shade of golden brown, from auburn, deep reds and fantastic golds, oranges and yellows.
We know that there are many photographers out there who have taken fantastic images of our river and the green cathedral of natural beauty amid which it nestles.
If you want to see your images posted online, in defence of one of England's most magnificent rivers, and most environmentally significant estuaries, please send us your photographs.
We will publish the best online, on this blog, as a way of showing the world just how beautiful and unspoiled our river is - and exactly what we could lose, should the council continue down the line indicated in its initial Riverworks proposals, where they suggest barraging the Ribble, and building thousands of houses and businesses in the Ribble floodplain/Greenbelt.
Send your photos to: savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk
We will publish the most outstanding Read more:Appeal
, Autumn
Canterbury Hall Squatters - Highlighting Community Facilities Under Threat 2006-11-16 00:16:00 The news today is that the Canterbury Hall Squatters, a group called 'Viva Six Fingers' after a heroic fighter in the Spanish Civil War have been ordered to quit the Community Center they are occupying on Garstang Road within 24 hours.It seems the church is selling the building to private developers, who will replace the community centre with housing and business accomodation.Jonathan Cottam complained that the occupiers voice had not been heard during the court procedings, and that they had only been given a day to prepare their defence.The squatters are highlighting a set of very similar issues to those that 'Save The Ribble' are protesting about - in particular a cavalier and irresponsible attitude among the 'powers that be' to our valued community facilities.In the case of Canterbury Hall, it is a much-needed local facility for young people and the community as a whole. In the case of the 'Riverworks' proposals for the River Ribble, which include a barrage across the river Read more:Facilities
Wildlife Trust Aiming for a Herbal Haven in Preston - and news about a film on Climate Change 2006-11-14 10:38:00 The Wildlife Trust for Lancashire is through to the final stage of the Big Lottery Peoples Millions and have a five out of eight chance of securing £50,000 towards their HerbalHaven
project in Deepdale in Preston
.
There is a lack of good quality open space in this area of back to back terraced housing, and good quality open space will provide an important place for local people to socialise, get physical exercise, relax and enjoy the natural world. This project provides a focal area where people are encourage to meet and appreciate the environment, whereas general open space in the area does not provide a reason for people to enjoy it.
The Herbal Haven is a plan to turn derelict allotment plots into a productive community resource where local people can come along and plant herbs, fruit and vegetables. This facility will give people the opportunity to learn about the variety of herbs first hand and the multipurpose of herbs through healthy eating, holistic therapy and herbal worksh Read more:Change
, Climate
Save The Ribble at Preston FM's "I Care Day" 2006-11-11 21:17:00
Save the Ribble
campaigners braved the wind and rain to participate in Preston
FM's 'I Care' Day today.
Despite the gales and freezing conditions, we enjoyed ourselves and got the message out to lots of new people - we did not meet a single person who was in favour of the Riverworks proposals, instead the mood of passers by and participants was overwhelmingly pro-Ribble - Preston people love their river as it is, without the interference of greedy developers and their friends in the council, without a barrage that would disrupt the river's natural tidal flow and destroy wildlife habitats, and without a huge housing estate instead of beautiful green spaces on the River's banks.
Here are some photos of the day:
A young Prestonian with the right priorities
Preston FM DJs had to hang on to the marquee to stop it from being blown away!
"I'm not cold..."
Next time, we will use permanent marker...
We huddle for shelter from the rain.
Preston's Amnesty In
Do You Care About the River Ribble and Our Green Spaces? 2006-11-05 16:20:00 If you care about the RiverRibble
and our green spaces, come along to Preston FM Radio's "I Care" Event on Saturday 11th November on Preston Flag Market!
Preston's local community radio station is organising the "I Care" event to provide a platform for local people to show what they care about.
The whole event starts at 10 am until 5 pm, but whatever time you can make it, try to get there for the mass "I Care" demonstration at 3pm!!
There will be media coverage and stalls, as well as the demonstration at 3pm.
Local people love the Ribble and our green spaces, in all seasons, at all tides, and in all nature's moods...
One of Jon's beautiful pictures of the Ribble at the stillness of high tide...
One of Bob's beautiful photographs showing the Ribble and her mudflats in Broadgate and Penwortham at low tide - Bob has been taking a photo of the Ribble on the first Tuesday of every month for years...
The River Ribble's shining waters from the Old Tram Bridge in Ave Read more:Green
Preston - S.Ribble Merger Off 2006-12-08 15:02:00 It takes a big man to admit they were wrong...
The surprise news of the day is that the merger between Preston
and South Ribble
Councils is off. South Ribble Council changed its mind, in what must be one of the greatest U-turns in its history, under the overwhelming pressure of public opinion and voted last night not to go ahead.
We can only salute the councillors of South Ribble for being brave enough to admit that they were wrong to support this merger idea, and for representing public opinion by rejecting it.
We at Save The Ribble got it wrong too - we were convinced that South Ribble's councillors would fall into line with current practice by politicians both nationally and locally which is to forge ahead with their agendas making only a token gesture toward consultation - we are very glad to be proven wrong, as without the merger it will be far more difficult for Preston to push ahead its 'Riverworks' ideas.
This sudden and unexpected change of heart is an immense blow to P Read more:Merger
South Ribble say NO to Unitary Merger! And Brockholes Appeal Deadline Approaches 2006-12-08 14:53:00 The surprise news of the day is that the merger between Preston and SouthRibble
Councils is off. South Ribble Borough Council voted last night not to go ahead, after listening to the overwhelming pressure of public opinion.
We can only salute the councillors of South Ribble for being brave enough to admit that they were wrong to support this merger idea, and for representing public opinion by rejecting it.
Without the merger it will be far more difficult for Preston to push ahead its 'Riverworks' ideas.
This sudden and unexpected change of heart is an immense blow to Preston City Council's leaders, who now see their big business inspired "expansion and growth at any cost' agenda overwhelmingly rejected by ordinary people. Suspicion of the "Riverworks' proposals and fear for what they might mean for the greenbelt between Preston and South Ribble was one of several factors that led many people to oppose this merger.
Almost 90% of local residents who responded to South Ribbl Read more:Appeal
, Brockholes
, Deadline
, Merger
5 Days left to SAVE BROCKHOLES! 2006-12-11 10:55:00 The Wildlife Trust only have until this Friday, 15th December, to save Brockholes Wetland from development! They have now raised £42,000 of the £50,000 they need but the clock is ticking...
Stuck for an interesting and unusual present for someone you love? Donate to the Brockholes Appeal and your money will directly contribute to saving Wildlife!
And remember, every £10 donated is turned into a massive £300 for the Wildlife Trust under the terms of "match funding"... Every £20 becomes £600!! And EVERY donation is added to the Roll of Honour to be kept on site - a lasting memorial to your generosity or to the person whose name you donation represents!
BUT ACT NOW BEFORE IT'S TOO LATE!!
See second part of article below for details of how to donate...
Riversway Consultation - Ignoring the Questions That Most Concern Residents 2006-12-18 21:41:00 The Labour Party in Riversway, a Preston ward that borders the River Ribble has launched a 'consultation' into one aspect of the Riverworks proposals.
This is clearly a response to the issues raised by the 'Save The Ribble' Campaign and local residents around the dangers of a Ribble Barrage, and of a huge housing development in the Ribble's floodplain.
The councillors admit that "The development will have a major impact on Preston, in particular on local residents living close to, or even on the River Ribble itself". They say that "Your local Labour Councillors will support and only support the views of our constituents. We will do this by presenting you with the facts and letting your views guide us. Contrary to scaremongering from some quarters, no decision has been made yet"
1. The Save The Ribble Campaign has not been 'scaremongering' - all the facts we have presented about Riverworks come from Preston City Council's and the City Vision Boards own publications. We challeng Read more:Concern
, Consultation
Riversway Riverworks Consultation - Ignoring the Questions That Most Concern Residents 2006-12-18 21:41:00 The Labour Party in Riversway, a Preston ward that borders the River Ribble has launched a long awaited 'consultation' into one aspect of the Riverworks proposals.
This is clearly a response to the issues raised by the 'Save The Ribble' Campaign and local residents around the dangers of a Ribble Barrage, and of a huge housing development in the Ribble's floodplain.
The councillors admit that "The development will have a major impact on Preston, in particular on local residents living close to, or even on the River Ribble itself". They say that "Your local Labour Councillors will support and only support the views of our constituents. We will do this by presenting you with the facts and letting your views guide us. Contrary to scaremongering from some quarters, no decision has been made yet"
1. The Save The Ribble Campaign has not been 'scaremongering' - all the facts we have presented about Riverworks come from Preston City Council's and the City Vision Boards own publications Read more:Concern
, Consultation
Central Lancashire City Public Forum Meetings 2006-12-22 15:19:00 Chorley, Preston and South Ribble Councils are 'working together on big planning issues' a phrase which suggests their discussions will include such major development issues as a Ribble Barrage and large housing developments in it's floodplain.
They have called this joint planning initiative the 'The CentralLancashire
City', which in itself suggests that the priorities of this initiative are to do with urbanising and commercialising rather than defending our environment or our valuable green spaces and community facilities (it also implies that the partnership may be rather unequal, with the leaders of the City of Preston's priorities taking precedence over those of people in Chorley and South Ribble).
It is therefore important that local people get involved in the 3 public forum meetings that are being organised for March 2007, one each in Chorley, Preston and South Ribble - these are meetings where the public can let the councils know their views on planning issues and o Read more:Forum
, Meetings
, Public
Brockholes Target Reached! 2006-12-28 13:19:00 A HUGE THANKS to all contributors to the Wildlife Trust Brockholes
Wetland Appeal as you ensured the Wildlife Trust raised the £50,000 needed to release a further £1.5 million to purchase and improve this vital wildlife habitat!
The Wildlife Trust are now trying to purchase Brockholes Wetland, to turn this fantastic area into a Nature Reserve, and we will keep you up-to-date with progress... You can find out more at the Wildlife Trust's website.
The enormous success of this appeal shows that ordinary people do have a voice and the power to influence what happens in their local environment.
PLEASE SEE THE ARTICLE BELOW FOR HOW YOU CAN MAKE YOUR VIEWS KNOWN ABOUT YOUR ENVIRONMENT, AND HOW YOU CAN HELP PROTECT THE RIVER RIBBLE AND OUR GREEN SPACES OVER THE C0MING YEARS, helping to ensure that new developments are appropriate developments, sustainable developments, and ensure they only take place in appropriate places!
And a very Happy New Year to all of you!
Read more:Target
Save The Ribble's New Year Resolutions 2007-01-02 02:03:00 It's 2007 already, and Save The Ribble
intend it to be a year where there is NO barrage built in the River Ribble, and no more housing built in it's floodplain.In fact we aim to have the same resolution for 2008, 2009, 2010....We hope that if we can get enough people to stand up for their river and the greenbelt in the Central Lancashire City Consultation then we will be able to guarantee that these threats to local people and the environment are totally ruled out at least until 2027, we want the Ribble Floodplain to be guaranteed as a green breathing space for City and Country dwellers alike in the forthcoming Local Development Frameworks.Some people have accused us of saying that the Riverworks barrage and housing schemes are a 'foregone conclusion' - this is a ridiculous allegation, without even the slightest bit of logic. Indeed, what would be the point of our groups existence if we believed this to be true? Campaigning against a barrage that is a foregone conclusion would be l Read more:New Year
, Resolutions
CITY COUNCILLOR SUPPORTS SAVE THE RIBBLE CAMPAIGN 2007-01-03 23:50:00 Councillor John Swindells who represents University Ward on Preston City Council has expressed support for the Save the Ribble Campaign and has urged local residents to get involved in the debate about Riverworks.In a recent letter sent to the Lancashire Evening Post, Councillor Swindells explains his concerns for the future of the River Ribble and the threat posed by aspects of the Riverworks scheme:"As cabinet member for environment & sustainability I welcome the decisionof my fellow Labour councillors in Riversway to start the consultation onthe Riverworks project and I urge all Prestonians to get involved in the debate.Whilst welcoming many of the proposals to enhance the dock I personallyfeel the formation of a weir / barrage is a step too far. With the planet under threat as never before we should be doing all we can to preserve and conserve our precious environment. The River Ribble is a joy to behold and a precious gift to us all that weshould not do anything to change withou
A Flood of Letters 2007-01-08 02:08:00 The local anger over the way that Preston City Council is considering the building of a barrage across the Ribble and 4000 houses in it's floodplain is growing stronger, particularly since the Save The Ribble Blog was featured in The Guardian, and in this front page article in the Lancashire Evening Post.Pressure of public opinion seems to be opening divisions within the council, with Councillor John Swindells taking his job title seriously as Cabinet Member for the Environment by writing in to the LEP to remind his fellow councillors that they are custodians of the local environment and have a deep responsiblity to protect our river and it's wildlife that outweighs any potential commercial gain, sentiments that Freckleton Parish Council and Fylde Borough Council may well applaud.Others who have written to the paper include Greg Smith, well known locally for his work with St Stephen's Church and the Salvation Army, and nationally as a leading Christian writer on Urban Ministry.He ha Read more:Letters
Riverworks "Undemocratic": Michael Lavalette 2007-01-09 23:16:00 Another councillor has joined the ranks of those on Preston City Council with serious objections to the Riverworks Barrage and Floodplain housing ideas.Last week we reported how Councillor Swindells, a Labour Cabinet Member for the Environment and Sustainability had written in to the Lancashire Evening Post to say that "the formation of a weir/barrage is a step too far...the River Ribble is a joy to behold and a precious gift to all of us that we should not do anything to change without the backing of all Prestonians".The Riversway Labour councillors, Bhiku Patel, Jack Davenport and Linda Crompton are on record as saying about the Riverworks Proposals "Not all the ideas may be appropriate to this area" and that "many of the ideas look promising, while others seem barely feasible".And today we read of how the secrecy and lack of democracy or accountability that surrounds the Riverworks ideas has angered Respect Party Councillor Michael
Lavalette.Councillor Lavalette is frustrated at the
Riverworks: Preston City Council Ties Itself In Knots 2007-01-12 17:09:00 Faced with local peoples' anger, and the opposition of councillors like John Swindells to the ideas of a Ribble Barrage and 4000 houses in the Ribble Floodplain, leading figures in Preston
City Council
now seem to be backtracking and trying to imply that they had nothing to do with these ideas from the Riverworks proposals, that they are all the work of the Preston Vision Board and the North West Development Agency, and that they have no status in Preston City Council Policy. However they are being so evasive about their own role in the Riverworks Initiative, that they have ended up making contradictory statements.
The Position Statement Document (click to enlarge and read in full)
In this 'Position Statement' writen on 28/11/06, they make no mention of Preston City Council or South Ribble Borough Council's role in initiating and promoting the Riverworks proposals (blaming it all instead on the NWDA, Lancashire County Developments Limited and the 'Independent' Vision Board) an Read more:Itself
, Knots
Tales and Pictures from the Riverbank 2007-01-16 15:54:00 A selection of the many emails, photographs and pictures sent to Save The Ribble over recent weeks, edited here and there for space so apologies - You obviously have alot to say!
Some of the letters have also been published in the LEP...
All photos by Greg, from dawn til dusk, including the fantastic opening picture above, taken from the Tram Bridge at dawn - well worth clicking on this one Read more:Pictures
, Riverbank
, Tales
The River Wild 2007-01-18 16:42:00 The River
Ribble is not a pretty chocolate-box river - she is beautiful, wild and free, her moods changing from calm to stormy in hours...
This isn't the sea on a stormy Winter's day, it's the River Ribble, in spate and flowing between Preston and Penwortham to the sea...
These pictures were taken today, 18th January 07, from high tide until 2 hours later...
...walking downriver from Priory Park in Penwortham - where huge waves were whipped into spray by the high winds...
... and it was difficult to believe that the tide had been going OUT for over an hour at this point...
... walking back upriver over an hour later, by Liverpool Road Bridge the surface was more calm but flowing down towards the sea at high speed, drowning the riverside footpath here near the allotments...
... and Broadgate sails by as the Ribble speeds on her way to the sea...
...and trees are carried down towards the sea on the Ribble's spate waters at high speed...
... and Leyland R
Ribble Winter Wildlife Walk Sunday 28th January 2007-01-21 18:51:00 Save The Ribble
are calling all Ribblers to join ourselves and The Preston Society for a Winter Wildlife Walk along the banks of the River Ribble in Penwortham and Preston on Sunday
28th January
.We will begin at 1.30 pm, and expect the Walk to take the whole afternoon to allow for leisurely Wildlife-Watching, very slow walkers, and plenty of doggy explorations along the way (approximately 3 hours altogether) - although, as we will be very local, you can easily leave earlier if you wish!The Ribble Winter Wildlife Walk will begin at the Old Tram Bridge (between Avenham & Miller Parks and the Penwortham Green Belt) at 1.30pm, moving downriver alongside Preston Junction Nature Reserve and the Penwortham mudflats here, continuing past Old Penwortham Bridge and through Penwortham Holme (past the Penny Holme allotments on one side and the Broadgate mudflats on the other), crossing over Liverpool Road (carefully!) and continuing alongside the Ribble down Holme Road, passing the Preston allotme
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