Register here - as a registered user you get more features and fewer ads.
Urgent action called over Thornborough
Heritage campaign group TimeWatch have called for urgent action over
Thornborough Henges.
Following the recent news that planning permission to quarry Ladybridge Farm
has been overturned following a legal challenge by campaign group Friends of
Thornborough.
TimeWatch believe that recent archaeological discoveries within the
application area mean it would be impossible for the council to grant the
planning application when it is reviewed at a council meeting in Masham on
April 22nd, so long as significant numbers of the public show they value the
archaeology and wish to see it protected.
“The original application was thrown out because it threatened nationally
important archaeology. The second application was only granted because the
planning committee believed the revised site plan avoided any of the
archaeology” Said TimeWatch Chairman George Chaplin. “But since the
application was granted, Tarmac have found Neolithic archaeology within the
site, meaning that the original ruling must stand, but only if the public
show they value their heritage”.
“A great many of us were shocked that the second application was passed, the
lack of significant objections was one factor, we need to make sure that
everyone who objected to the first application knows they can object on
exactly the same grounds again”.
TimeWatch are advising all concerned to write to NYCC planning department to
express their concern before the end of March: The Planning officer,
Ladybridge Application, Environmental Services, Planning & Countryside Unit,
County Hall, Northallerton DL7 8AH. Quoting Application number C2/29/500/53
Ladybridge Farm.
Contacts
TimeWatch – [email protected]
http://www.timewatch.org
Background
Thornborough Henges is the location of some of Britain’s largest prehistoric
structures, the site, which is comparable to the Stonehenge complex contains
numerous henges, ritual causeways, burial and settlement sites from the far
reaches of history. The site has been called the most important between
Stonehenge and The Orkney’s by English Heritage.
The complex covers several square miles and was Yorkshires largest ritual
location in the Neolithic period. Unfortunately for a number of years the
gravel bed that Thornborough sits upon has been subject to quarrying and
significant quarrying within the monument complex continues to this day;
although the major monuments are scheduled, the landscape archaeology
surrounding them are not.
In 2002 Tarmac, the quarry company in question announced plans to quarry
Ladybridge Farm and Thornborough Moor, both locations are known to contain
nationally important archaeology from the Neolithic period.
Following that announcement, several archaeological organisations voiced
concerns and ultimately a number of campaign groups became involved in the
cause of saving as much of the Thornborough Henges monument complex as
possible. These campaign groups include Friends of Thornborough, TimeWatch
and Heritage Action. In addition, many notable archaeologists, including
Richard Bradley, Richard Prior and Mark Horton have spoken out against the
new proposals.
In the run up to the planning application being determined, a petition
numbering some 10,000 signatures, and 1,500 letters of objection were
received by North Yorkshire County Council.
As a result of the significant lobbying and support, that initial planning
application to quarry Ladybridge Farm was refused due to the potential
damage to nationally important archaeology located within the application
site.
The issue hit national headlines and most pundits agreed that the correct
decision had been arrived at. After all a very significant ancient site of
national importance would have been seriously damaged by the quarry diggers;
recording of archaeology prior to destruction is a poor alternative to
complete preservation and not normally an option for such important remains.
But this good news was short, a modified application was quickly seen by the
council before many campaigners knew it had been presented. The seeming lack
of public outcry to the revised application making it easy for the council
planners to believe that the cause for objection no longer existed.
The primary reason the new application was granted, was because Tarmac
claimed that it avoided any areas that contained nationally important
archaeology. A claim vehemently denied my heritage campaigners, but
seemingly accepted by English Heritage and Council Archaeologists.
However, Tarmac’s road to quarrying Ladybridge still has along way to run.
Behind the scenes, lobby group Friends of Thornborough put together a legal
challenge to the application that has caused the council to revoke the
planning permission previously granted in order to avoid a judicial review
of the judgement.
North Yorkshire County Council have decided to re-judge the planning
application on April 22nd at a special public meeting at Masham Town Hall.
Something is not right. This message is just to keep things from messing up down the road