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White Horse Stone

Standing Stone / Menhir

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The Ancient White Horse Stone Under Attack again!


The following is copied from the Druid Network forums verbatim:

This was taken from the Odinic Rite mailing list, such a shame after all the work the Rite has put into preserving this important site.


The Ancient White Horse Stone Under Attack!
Once again the ancient White Horse Stone in the county of Kent, England and the area around it has come under attack from the mobile phone company Orange! Only two years ago Orange proposed to put a mobile phone mast and cabin next to the White Horse Stone, that application was rejected by Tonbridge and Malling council thanks to the support of many hundred of caring people, now Orange has applied for planning permission to erect an 8m high Double mobile phone mast less than 100m away from the White Horse Stone. (This time they have applied to Maidstone council as the proposed site is just on the other side of the boundary)

The White Horse Stone is an ancient monument of significant historical, archaeological and cultural importance. A sacred site to Odinist's the world over and seen by many as the birth place of the English nation.

Unbelievably Orange's proposed site is just 5m from the edge of Boxley Warren Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI area. It is also just 5m from the North Downs Way, a long distance national trail.

We need your support to fight this application and to protect this ancient monument, our countryside and the environment from this insidious attempt to destroy our heritage and what remains of our green and pleasant land.

Please give your support to our campaign to save the White Horse Stone and the environment around it from this deliberate attempt to destroy our Heritage, we say deliberate because Orange know very well the history of this area and how people feel about it, yet they have once again targeted this sacred site. Orange's arrogance is clearly demonstrated as two months ago they had over 150m of underground duct work and cable installed up to the proposed site before they had even applied for planning permission. Are they hoping this will be just a rubber stamp job! We hope the Local Planning authority will treat this arrogance with the contempt that is deserves and reject this application.

Below we have given some suggested points which you could raise in your objection letters to the council. Please do not copy them word for word, individual letters have a much greater impact than mass produced objections. Please ensure your mention that this application will have a harmful effect on the environment, especially as this area has been designated as both AONB (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and SSSI (Site of Special Scientific Interest).

The White Horse Stone is a listed ancient monument of both historical and cultural importance.
The White Horse Stone is held in great reverence as a site of significant spiritual importance by Odinist's and other Pagan traditions. The siting of a mobile phone mast in such close proximity would have a very negative affect on this holy site.
Archaeological evidence has clearly proved that this whole area is a site of high status and of significant historical importance to the county of Kent and England.
The siting of mobile phone equipment just 5m from the Boxley Warren Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI area would have a detrimental effect on this area by visually scarring the approach to the Nature reserve, an AONB and SSSI site.
Siting of mobile phone equipment within close proximity of an AONB, SSSI, North Downs Way and Nature reserve would present an impression that these designations have no importance or integrity and can be ignored.
If this application is approved it will open the door to other mobile phone network operators to also develop this area.
The siting of mobile phone equipment on this site will have a detrimental effect on the enjoyment of the many thousands of visitors that come to this area for leisure, walking, cycling, horse riding etc.
The siting of 3G mobile equipment will have a detrimental effect on the wildlife in this area. There is concern that 3G's more powerful signal strength could cause long term health problems. (you do not have to provide proof that there are health issues, it is merely the concern or fear caused by the mobile equipment, real or not, that interests the Local Planning Authorities)
Lastly please ensure your objections are clear, polite and to the point. Please ask your family to send a letter as well. Letters from children always carry an impact so if you have children please encourage them to send letters also.
The more letters and e-mails we send the greater the chance we have of stopping this at the first stage. Our heritage, our environment and our holy site is in danger, please send your objections to the following address. Please be sure to give your address so that may reply.

Remember your letters / e-mails must be in by the 6th June 2006.

Maidstone Borough Council
Katie Lazam. Planning Dept
13 Tonbridge Road
Maidstone
Kent, ME16 8HG
England


You may e-mail your objections, but we would prefer you to send letters if possible.

e-mail: Katie Lazam at Maidstone Council

Please give the following reference number in all your communications to the council.

Planning Application Reference: MA/06/0792/N
Cursuswalker Posted by Cursuswalker
24th May 2006ce
Edited 24th May 2006ce

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