550 March
to Save Lake
[posted
10/03/2007, updated 11/03/2007, 12/03/07]
The
crowd gathered outside the Guildhall
500
men, women and children* today attended a rally outside
the Guildhall in Abingdon and marched to the Radley
Lakes to protest about the plans
by RWE npower to fill Thrupp Lake with 500,000
tonnes of fuel ash from Didcot 'A' Power Station.
About 40 cyclists, who joined the march along its
route, and a contingent of Greens dressed as frogs
took part in the event, which was organised by Save
Radley Lakes.
The
rally was addressed by local MP Dr Evan Harris; Councillor
Peter Green, Mayor of Abingdon; Andy Boddington, campaign
organiser for the CPRE;
Adrian Arbib, a journalist; Dr Basil Crowley, chairman
of Save
Radley Lakes; and others. Entertainment was staged
by the children of Radley Primary School, and by the
npower Goon Show brought to you by Save Radley Lakes'
very own Len Lambe
Dr
Harris said that it should be inconceivable that,
in this day and age, waste from power stations should
be dumped in this way. He said that he would personally
be taking steps to try to ensure that power stations
recycled their waste ash properly and not simply take,
what is to them, the simplest and cheapest option.
He wanted the full environmental costs of the various
options to be taken into account when making choices.
Peter
Green defended his right to stand against something
that was wrong. He said "When something is wrong
- and this is wrong - you've got to stand and be counted
to stop it." He said that saving the Radley Lakes
from further destruction was for "our kids and
our kids' kids."
Adrian
Arbib, a professional press photographer and journalist,
recounted his experiences at the hands of the Goons
and origins and repercussions of npower's injunction.
He said " In 20 years of photographing civil
rights, I've never seen such a draconian and
aggressive piece of legislation
as the one that we have here."
Basil Crowley
called upon government to put an end to the obnoxious
practice [of ash dumping] and ensure that all ash
is recycled or kept available for future recycling.
He said that curbs had to be put on the financial
and legal leverage exerted by large utility corporations,
since, at the moment they are out of control and not
accountable to anyone except their (mainly foreign)
shareholders, and are able to flout planning and other
regulations with virtual impunity.
Not
everybody managed to complete the 4 mile trek which
ended up at the Bowyers Arms in Radley. Those who
did, whilst enjoying a well-earned drink and partaking
of refreshments specially provided, took part in a
competition of poems and songs about the Radley Lakes
and npower's antics organised by Len Lambe. (See www.saveradleylakes.org.uk
for examples)
*503
marchers were counted in Barton Lane by an official
teller. The march was joined at the lakes by over
40 cyclists, bringing the total to over 540. The march
was also attended by a good number of photographers
and journalists covering the event, who tracked the
march without necessarily following the official route.
Protestors
dispersing after a photoshoot
staged
for the benefit of the press.
Yesterday,
npower announced that work at the lakes has stopped
because a coot's nest has been discovered on Thrupp
Lake, and, since bird's nests cannot be disturbed
when in use, work has had to cease. A likely story,
as if we are supposed to believe that they care! What,
we ask, about the swans and the kingfishers, whose
nests were also active but destroyed nevertheless?
Oh,
of course, that was before the first of March, so
the nests couldn't have been in use!
