Hi all,
sorry for diverting this thread, but I think I need to share some info wothout it being too public about it.
I am very concerned about the "Friends of Thornborough".
It appears that they were set up after a public outcry over the commencement of quarrying six years ago. However, they have chosen to follow a very peculiar path.
Firstly, there is no formal structure, secondly several of the main figures in the organisation appear to have strong links with organisations that stand to gain from future quarrying in the area. In one case the individual seems to get a large portion of his income working for the company turning the leftover quarry lands into wetlands. An organisation that has strong links to Tarmac, and will be providing positive input to the planning application.
To further give me cause for concern. In the three years that Friends of Thornborough has been operating, they have chosen to operate a "no protect" mode of operation, choosing to operate on a "providing information" princeple, there method of providing information has been largely to allow people to attend meetings, which they have not been advertising, and do not seem to be held regular. Furthermore, they have generally decided that providing information should only be to local villages, specifically Nosterfield and Thornborough - perhaps 600 people, many of whom have had financial incentives and inducements from Tarmac and the landowner, John Aselby.
To further raise my concerns, the next area to be quarried - Ladybridge, is expected to have the formal planning application submitted this week, and consulation has been ongoing for several months. Yet Friends of Thornborough has not got an action plan, do not have there next meeting organised and seem to be planning to do nothing - until I came along. Even then, the meeting I attended last night was with a single member, who had information that had not been shared with the group. The outcome was I am to have another meeting with another individual so we can decide on how to move this forward.
I am, I must admit, naturally a very suspicious and pessimisatic character. And I have to admit that the chap I met yesterday gace me some very key bits of information, the supply of this needs to be maintained if we are to get anywhere. All I'm saying is that I'm in the position whereby we are one week away from the formal application, yet it is only me that seems to think this is critical and needs to be raised at the highest levels. In fact the group seem to have been lobbying the wrong council!
As I said I don't think alientating these guys in any way will help a great deal right now, specifically they are the formal route for getting info from Jan Harding, but clearly, if we are to save the environment that these monuments sit in clearly we need to take this to a new level - a level that Friends of Thornborough may not be able to aspire to.
I felt tremendously isolated last night. The only reason this latest planning appliv=cation came to light was because Jan Harding mentioned it in his presentation on Saturday. "Friends" had no intention of mentioning it, and had no plans to raise public awareness or even have a meeting to address this particular issue. After four hours of me going through all the issues last night, there was still no commitment for "frinds" to do anything becasue "we find it difficult to believe this application will be approved" and "even if it did, certain parties, who need to remain nameless, have promised to step in to prevent it".
The outcome was - we are happy for you to provide additional info via your website and you may encourage individuals to lodge protests with various parties (but we don't know who) but there is no specific plan of action from the "Friends" that you can advertise.
Your thoughts people?
