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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 11:08
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Press release: Why bury Herefordshire's Stonehenge under concrete? Rotherwas Ribbon must be protected and road building stopped www.rotherwasribbon.com A Herefordshire Councillor is leading a surge of anger against Herefordshire Council from local to global levels for the secretive way in which it has made a decision to concrete over the now famous 'Rotherwas Ribbon' – something the council's own archaeologist has described as having international significance. (1) Green Councillor Gerald Dawe, whose ward includes the now world-famous 'Rotherwas Ribbon', has described the proposal to concrete over this hugely significant find as “cultural vandalism of the highest order.” “The first I knew about this decision was on BBC Radio 4's Today programme, yet I am the ward councillor. Decision-making is again going on behind closed doors. A clique in the Council appear to have known about this find for a long time. Why are they excluding the Herefordshire public yet again?” “It is appalling that democratically elected councillors and the general public have been kept in the dark. Allowing only 200 people to view it for a few minutes this weekend is completely inadequate. We need council leaders to involve the whole council and local people in coming up with a more imaginative solution than burying Hereford's Stonehenge under concrete." Cllr. Dawe has asked Council officials if English Heritage knew and if so when? He has also asked: "How long has the importance of the site been known, which councillors knew about it and when, and who has made the decision to concrete over the find and keep this decision secret from both the public and their elected representatives?" Cllr. Dawe is still waiting for a reply. “With such a significant find we must immediately pause the building of this road to allow further research and a national discussion about what can be done. The road will cost ￡12.5 million yet as a county we earn ￡170 million from tourism. The Stonehenge and Salisbury Tourism partnership say this could bring revenue to Hereford and they are right.(2) So why on earth would we pour concrete over it?” “This expensive road is for a small number of lorries to an industrial site when access could have been improved in cheaper and less damaging ways. The Council have gone against the government, the planning inspector and their own consultants to build a road which is completely unnecessary when other local industrial sites remain half empty.”(3)(4) Campaigners are calling for road building to be paused allowing for full – and national - democratic debate on the best way of using the discovery for the whole country, and to the benefit of Herefordshire's economy. Cllr. Dawe said: “The economic benefit of the road needs urgently to be measured against the positive economic benefit of increased tourism.” It is understood that 12 eminent archaeologists from English Heritage are visiting next week and that the Regional Director of English Heritage believes the Ribbon to be of great importance.(5) Nigel Swift, Chair of the UK-wide group Heritage Action, said: “We are appalled. Our immediate reaction is that this isn't a matter for local politics but should be out in the open. The Ribbon would appear to be a prime candidate to be scheduled by English Heritage. Until there is a clear understanding about this the road must be halted.” (6) Cllr. Dawe added “The Council's Good Environmental Management (GEM) strategy states '...sustainable development challenges especially pertinent to Herefordshire include protecting and enhancing it's outstanding landscape including sites and species of national, regional and local importance and minimising loss of biodiversity.' (7) This find is not only local, and regional, it is nationally and internationally significant. I urge our Council to follow their own policies and start conserving instead of destroying.' (8) Supporters are urged to visit www.rotherwasribbon.com to register their support, find out more, and take further actions. Rob Hattersley Herefordshire Green Party Press Officer 07969 692534 [email protected]
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 11:22
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It's time the idiot who decided to paper over this whole episode be brought to the forefront and asked some poignant questions, and be punished in the same way as anyone else who defrauds and deceives and ultimately does not do his job. But no doubt he'll be allowed to 'resign his position' and move sideways into another job where he can do exactly the same thing again, instead of sacked with no reference like anyone else who illegally abused his position for [and I say this with absolute confidence, sue me you bastards if I'm wrong] taking backhanders and bribes to allow this proposal to go through.
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Robert Carr 84 posts |
Edited Jul 06, 2007, 16:33
Jul 06, 2007, 11:57
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slumpystones wrote: It's time the idiot who decided to paper over this whole episode be brought to the forefront and asked some poignant questions, and be punished in the same way as anyone else who defrauds and deceives and ultimately does not do his job. . Which idiot in particular are you directing your bile towards this time? Someone at English Heritage, some council official or are you just ranting at the world in general? It's not clear from your post. slumpystones wrote: ... who illegally abused his position for [and I say this with absolute confidence, sue me you bastards if I'm wrong] taking backhanders and bribes to allow this proposal to go through. uh? Strong words slumps. Any evidence or is this just hot air? Sometimes you really remind me of my brother Wayne...
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slumpystones 769 posts |
Edited Jul 06, 2007, 13:12
Jul 06, 2007, 13:10
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Robert Carr wrote: Which idiot in particular are you directing your bile towards this time? Someone at English Heriatge, some council official or are you just ranting at the world in general? It's not clear from your post. Someone had to make this decision. Someone had to decide to keep it as quiet as possible. Someone at EH put their neck on the line by delaying the SAM status to allow this project to go ahead. Whoever it is, he deserves whatever he gets. He gambled and lost. slumpystones wrote: ... who illegally abused his position for [and I say this with absolute confidence, sue me you bastards if I'm wrong] taking backhanders and bribes to allow this proposal to go through. uh? slumpystones wrote: Strong words slumps. Any evidence or is this just hot air? No evidence at all. Lack of evidence does not mean you're innocent, according to DS Lewis of Harrow Road Police Station, June 20th 1985. A mis-decision like this is not made for fun, when there are millions of pounds involved. My sense of cynicism says so, and is usually right.
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Robert Carr 84 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 14:14
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slumpystones wrote: Whoever it is, he deserves whatever he gets. He gambled and lost. Or she? Or several hes and shes? Did they split the bung then? slumpystones wrote: No evidence at all. Lack of evidence does not mean you're innocent, I see... ease up on the fruitcake slumps, you're turning into one. You don't happen to have an interest in lizards by any chance?
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Robert Carr 84 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 14:57
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From: http://www.smr.herefordshire.gov.uk/news_events2/RotherwasNews2.htm As soon as its significance was fully realised, it was decided to preserve the 'Ribbon' below the road. The extra cost of this operation will be borne within the project costs, but will be offset by a reduced need for further archaeological investigation. Application of slumpy like logic here methinks.
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juamei 2013 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 15:50
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Took me a while, but I found a map of the route of the road. http://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/docs/Forwardplanning/2__Proposed_Modifications_maps.pdf Map PM10. Compare to google earth / local.live.com ... now I'm trying to work out where the ribbon is...
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moss 2897 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 16:31
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"The practice of rebuilding (or more properly resurfacing) of the structure is of some significance potentially. It has similarities with the process of creation/recreation of the Uffington White Horse on the Berkshire Downs established a while ago as of later Bronze Age origin by Oxford Archaeology, and it is possible that the Rotherwas structure was also designed to be seen prominently in the landscape" If that is true thats surely a 'wow' factor. The hill and and maybe water linked together by the ribbon, and territorial marking of the landscape as at Uffington White Horse added as well. With the hill, as I said before, being 'sacred'... gets more and more exciting.
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nigelswift 8112 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 16:43
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gets more and more exciting ... and that's before you start speculating about how far a feature whose two ends haven't yet been found stretches! Seems a tad unwise to bury the middle bit before you know what its the middle bit of!
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Barbara BW 1 posts |
Jul 06, 2007, 18:27
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HI just a plea from one who lives at Rotherwas Hereford, a few miles only from the new find....I am an artist, landscape conservator & megalithic/neolithic nut, who has been against this road from the beginning. Plea is...a local group are taking Hereford Council to court over this road...they need to raise money to back themselves. They need 35k in case they lose but promise that if they win, each contributor will get their money back. This is a serious plea, not a joke. Look at the website & help if you can! www.dinedorhillaction.co.uk
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