Down in the Woods
Last week, on a day when it wasn't raining or snowing, I met with a group of Liberal Democrat Rother Councillors, Bexhill Against Landfill (BALI) members and Alan Malpass at Highwoods.
Although I have been to the Highwoods before I had not had an opportunity to talk with Alan Malpass of the Highwoods Preservation Society. I knew that Highwoods was a Site of Special Scientific Interest and had won an award last year with Bexhill in Bloom, but Alan told me that it is also registered Ancient Woodland and has a wonderful social history.
Our immediate concern however is the threat posed by the proposed tip at Ashdown Quarry. Alan explained carefullyhow waste dumping and the attraction to seagulls would have a devastating impact on themigrating bird population of the Highwoods. Hewent on to talk about the effect of rats on the ground animals and therefore the plants in this SSSI. Once the birds and animals are lost they never return'.
Consultation on the East Sussex Waste strategy has now closed. I really hope that sufficient numbers of objections to the inclusion of Ashdown in the document were lodged and that the result will be its removal.
However, we cannot sit back in the meantime. We must continue to work towards a zero waste strategy. That is the only way we will remove completely the threat of landfill or landraise from our local communities. Some of the responsibility for this lies with individuals to take responsibility not to create waste. Other responsibility lies with the local Authorities, Rother included, to provide improved facilities to encourage increased recycling and reuse.
Without these steps we will be continue to be threatened with proposals for sites suitable for large scale rubbish disposal.
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Weather for St Leonards-on-Sea
Sunday 05 February 2012
Today
Light snow
Temperature: -2 C to 1 C
Wind Speed: 7 mph
Wind direction: South
Tomorrow
Light sleet showers
Temperature: -2 C to 4 C
Wind Speed: 6 mph
Wind direction: West
