BBC News – Protest held over Burntisland’s silent clock

so often, a story appears that catches my eye because it just has to be the tip of something else which we are not privy to.

I found my nose twitching when I recently read the story of a protest held over Burntisland’s silent clock.

We’re expected to believe that after only one single complaint was received about the disturbing noise from the bells chiming in time with the clock atop the town’s council chambers, not only were the bells silenced, but apparently Fife Council thought the matter so serious that it ordered the whole chiming mechanism to be whipped out, presumably to ensure there was no chance of the bells turning themselves on again at some future time.

Not only that, this one complaint which seems to have spurred the council into more action than many have seen during the recent cold spell, has seen thousands of townsfolk march on the council offices in protest, demanding the return of the chimes. 1,100 people signed a petition, and 200 turned up at the Burgh Chamber ringing bells just before Hogmanay.

Camps have formed, and reason has already been dispensed with, as suggestions that the clock, which could normally be heard throughout the town every 15 minutes, might be set to chime only during the day, are already said to have been rejected, with supporters seeing no reason to change – the bells have rung for 150 years, so they should continue to do so.

I hope there is a follow up, or someone might care to add a comment below, letting the rest of us know what particular power play is behind this.

Photographers protest against police harassment

Spotted the following, which is a handy opportunity for those of us who can’t afford to jaunt down to London to add our support to the ongoing threat of over-zealous policing to our right to take photographs in public places:

January 23, 2010. Photographers protest in Trafalgar Square London © Andy F

Regular contributors to Geograph.org.uk were among over two thousand photographers who took part in a ‘Mass Photo Gathering’ in Trafalgar Square, London, on Saturday 23 January 2010.

The amateur and professional photographers were protesting against increasing harassment and over-zealous policing which, they claim, is obstructing their lawful right to take photos in public places.

The protest was organised by the pressure group ‘Photographer Not a Terrorist.org’ and many attendees carried placards bearing the group slogan. Protesters and onlookers were handed ‘stop and search’ information cards outlining their rights when taking photographs in public places. The event was publicised through word-of-mouth, through Twitter and Facebook, and on photography websites.

The protesters gathered from 11.30am outside the National Gallery but later moved down into Trafalgar Square itself. By 12.30pm there were between 1,500 and 2,000 people present. The event was very good-natured and illuminated by the almost constant flicker of flashes. The Metropolitan Police wisely kept a low profile with very few officers in evidence.

As it was a gathering rather than a demonstration there were no formal speeches and very little chanting. The spoof ‘Vigilance Committee’ (one of whom was on stilts) handed out literature and made mock ‘arrests’ and the Socialist Worker newspaper erected a sales stall. Many newspapers were represented by staff and freelance photographers and several radio and television crews recorded the event.

The protest came after a year of rising tension between photographers and police. Both amateur and professional photographers have been routinely harassed and intimidated by heavy-handed police treatment. The most frequent flashpoint has been misuse of Section 44 of the Terrorism Act 2000. According to protesters, Section 44 is being used used widely and indiscriminately against anyone with a camera. It is claimed that victims are often left angry and frightened by police officers. This is despite a recent ruling by the European Court of Human Rights which declared that Section 44 is illegal.

For more information see The Guardian website Link and the BBC website Link.

See other images of Mass photo protest, Trafalgar Square, 23 Jan 2010

Our thanks to to Geograph.org.uk for providing the above under Creative Commons, and to Andy F for the words which described the event.

People see off Pollok Park fiasco

Pollok Park protest

I had been looking at some past stories the other day, and wondered if the story of Glasgow City Council apparently doing its own thing in order to parachute a Go-Ape treetop adventure playground into Pollok Park had gone away, regardless of strong objections and a large campaign against the facility by those living nearby, and concerned for abuse of the park, with respect to the terms laid out by the family which gifted it to the city (not the councillors).

It seems not, and the plan is now history.

The Go-Ape facility was given the go-ahead by councillors in March of last year, despite the active campaign against it, after the made a visit to the site and held a special meeting. It would have seen platforms and zip slides installed into the trees near the Burrell Collection, but the company behind the scheme is now reported to have pulled out.

Go-Ape is reported to have said that the the venture is too expensive to pursue further.

One significant point worthy of note was the the Scottish Government’s decision not to call in the plan or issue any restrictions after it was referred to Scottish ministers because the council had a financial interest in it. Despite the objections of the protesters, it simply handed the complete decision to the local council.

Robert Booth, Glasgow City Council’s executive director of land services, said: “Obviously we regret Go Ape’s decision not to proceed with their facility at Pollok Park. Our main objective was to secure an additional attraction for park users at no cost or financial risk to the council.”

Save Pollok Park said it was “delighted” with the decision of Go Ape to abandon its plans. A spokesman added: “However, the council’s failure to consult and respond to the real legal and operational issues resulted in over two years of unnecessary work and a waste of taxpayers’ money which could have been avoided. We call for a detailed inquiry into the council’s futile posturing and mishandling of the Go Ape affair.”

Although the plan may have been sunk, there may yet be an aftermath.

Image from Save Pollok Park web site.

controversy, council, development, museum, park, planning, Pollok, protest

Ofcom appeal over VHF radio licence costs for rescuers

Port askaig lifeboat and station © Gordon Hatton

I’m no stranger to the costs of radio licenses, having coughed up as a radio amateur, CB user, and even in business for site use by employees and for van drivers, but I had no idea of the numbers involved for organisations such as the RNLI and mountain rescue teams. The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland and RNLI have have both expressed concerns about licence costs.

There a big shake-up in the use of the available radio spectrum, which really is a finite resource and coming under increasing pressure as more wireless equipment and networking systems are dreamt up and installed, and systems get greedier as they tend to carry more information, which means each one wants to consume more of that space for itself. Ofcom (the regulator) is consulting on planned changes to the radio broadcasting spectrum which could be introduced from next April, and the changes mean proposed cost rises for the use of VHF radio frequencies. In its consultation document, the regulator said a review was needed to bring about a more efficient use of radio communications which it described as a “finite resource”.

Ofcom has suggested charities could be offered a 50% discount.

Even so, with limited resources and dependent on charity and public supports, the rescue services say this will strain their resources. The Mountain Rescue Committee of Scotland has written to Ofcom regrding the costs, and each team member has also been asked to write letters.

In terms of costs, the RNLI has revealed that it currently £38,000 per annum after the VHF licence fee has been discounted by 50%. Under the new proposals, they say this would rise to £260,00, or £130,00 if Ofcom’s suggestion of a 50% discount was agreed.

The use of radio use on all vessels is free of charge, however, the costs described still apply onshore and include lifeboat stations and pagers used by volunteers.

Ofcm’s consultation is due to finish on October 30.

Scottish Government runs away from Pollok Park problem

Pollok Park protest

The Scottish Government has declined to become involved in the matter of plans to create a controversial tree top adventure course in Pollok Park, home of the Burrell Collection in Glasgow, and a spokesman has stated that: “The council has been authorised deal with the application in the manner it thinks fit.”

Operator Go-Ape want to install platforms and zip slides in the trees near the collection, and the scheme was referred to Scottish ministers because the council has a financial interest in the venture – and had passed the application for the installation, despite strong local opposition to the proposal.

Campaigners against the scheme say they will now look towards mounting a legal challenge, on the basis that Glasgow City Council has no right to grant a lease (for 21 years) in Pollok Park, which was gifted to the city.

The countryside park with superb walled gardens and woodland walks was once part of the Old Pollok estate, and the ancestral home of the Maxwell Family for seven centuries. In 1966, the parkland and house was gifted to the City of Glasgow by the family, together with the remainder of the estate, used for farming and recreation purposes such as golf

Image from Save Pollok Park web site, where you can find further information about the campaign to save the park.

Pollok Park campaign boosted

In the same week I found myself biting my lip and refraining from commenting about Glasgow City Council’s claim that local taxation would be “a disaster for Scotland’s economy” (I can’t afford to fight council backed lawyers), I was reminded of it’s approach to the “Wishes of the people” when the farcical story of the proposed Go Ape adventure area in Pollok park popped up in news once again.

Earlier stories recounted the council had carried out a consultation, which sounds good, but hardly anyone knew about it, and the results throw some doubt as to its validity, but what do I know – I never took part, and never knew about it.

The matter has been referred to ministers at Holyrood because Glasgow City Council has a financial interest in the scheme.

Opponents against the development believe a recent archaeological find in the park backs their claim that the council was wrong to back the scheme. A team from Glasgow University and Glasgow Archaeological Society have found what may be the oldest surviving road in the city, dating back to 500 or even 700 BC, comprising a a paved path between 50 and 100 metres in length, discovered beneath woodland and vegetation within Pollok Park.

Campaigners are due to hand a 5,000 signature petition in to Holyrood next week, against the development, and say that any support should have been conditional on the site being properly investigated before backing was  offered.

Image from Save Pollok Park web site.

Glasgow will Go Ape after council decision

We blogged earlier about the efforts of Glasgow City Council to Hijack Pollok Country Park, and it looks as if we were right. In a move which many locals will see as reinforcing opinion that it does what it wants regardless of what the people it’s supposed to represent want, the council has voted in favour of the development of a commercial adventure course in the park, which was gifted to the people of Glasgow by its former owners. The proposal was voted through by 14 votes to 6, and backs the lease of part of the public park to the development company concerned, Go Ape, for 21 years, and comes after a special meeting and visit to the site.

In a statement, the convenor of the planning committee George Redmond said: “It was important, given the high level of public interest in this proposal, that there was a full and fair hearing to allow the interested parties to make factual representations.“

The application will now be referred to ministers at Holyrood because Glasgow City Council has a financial interest in the scheme. According to The Herald of February 8, 2008:

• Objections to the scheme have ranged from the disturbance expected to other park users, and visitors to the Burrell Collection, to the fact that adults will be charged £25 and children £20 to take part.It has now emerged that the operators expect a turnover of £1.3m a year but the council will make only £2.2m over the 21-year period of the lease.

Patrick Harvie, Green MSP for Glasgow, said Glasgow City Council had an abysmal track record in protecting its parks and greens spaces. He said: “They have permitted attacks on green spaces large and small, and they have earned the resentment of people throughout the city.”

Environmental campaigners have said they will continue to fight against the plan.

Image from Save Pollok Park web site.

Wind farms

We noted a couple of decisions last week under Wind farm confusion, just wishing to observe that there was no longer an Automatic Right of Passage for wind farm applications to be approved on a wink and a nod. While the developers used to see an easy route to profits by shoving a Green Project through the system, those who live in and around the areas involved, and are ultimately the ones directly affected, are beginning to cry Enough! and question, and have enquires held into the applications, and not just accept them quietly as a Good Thing.

Coincidentally, another two wind farm schemes popped up in the news this week, and for exactly the same reasons…

In the first, a large-scale wind farm proposed for Lewis has been given the go-ahead by Western Isles councillors. Comhairle nan Eilean Siar’s environment committee has approved 13 of 16 planned turbines for the Eishken Estate, and while this development is not big enough to be called in automatically by the Scottish Government, that could still happen for environmental reasons.

The second was a plans to build a wind farm less than a mile from Auchtermuchty in Fife, and has been dismissed after a public inquiry held in the village’s Victoria Hall in January.

Fife Council originally refused the five turbine development, but an inquiry was ordered after developer EnergieKontor made an appeal to the Scottish Government. Local villagers launched a campaign against the plans, and appointed a QC to represent it at the inquiry, along with a noise consultant, saying the wind farm would ruin the area’s landscape for the duration of its planned life, which was given as 25 years.

Graeme Whyte from the group told the BBC Scotland news website: “Obviously we are elated at the news and the decision, and obviously very pleased at the work of the reporter for coming back so quickly. It would have affected so many people.“

Howe of Fife Councillor Donald Lothian gave evidence at the inquiry, and said, “This decision is extremely welcome and will no doubt be met with delight and relief in equal measure by local residents, but particularly by those living in close proximity to the proposed site. Many people have campaigned tirelessly against this proposal and their efforts have been justifiably rewarded.“

EnergieKontor insisted that only a handful of sites were suitable for wind power. No-one at the firm was available for comment.

Another appeal

Just as we hit the ‘Post’ button for the above, the bell rang and another wind farm appeal alert was received

This time is was an announcement that a site visit will take place at the Fallago Rig wind farm site in Berwickshire , whihc will be inspected by the various parties involved in a three-week inquiry being held in Duns.

North British Windpower have proposed a 48 turbine wind farms in the Lammermuir Hills, but this has been opposed by local councils and the Ministry of Defence, due to concerns regarding interference with radar systems.

The proposal was rejected by Scottish Borders Council but was then taken to appeal. Closing submissions are due to be heard in the inquiry on Friday, and it will now be up to a Scottish Government Reporter to deliver his recommendation on the scheme.

Public inquiries hit one a month

The above prompted your scribe to have a look around and see if there was any general info on inquiry numbers, and those nice people at the BBC came up with the numbers…

WIND FARM INQUIRIES 2006-08 (PENDING IN BRACKETS)

• 9 (1) Perth and Kinross
• 3 (1) Scottish Borders
• 3 (0) Aberdeenshire
• 2 (1) Highland
• 1 (0) Dumfries and Galloway
• 1 (0) South Lanarkshire
• 1 (0) East Ayrshire
• 1 (0) Fife
• 1 (0) Orkney
• 0 (2) Western Isles
• 0 (1) Angus
• 0 (1) North Ayrshire

According to their research, the Scottish Governement figures show that 22 developments have raised inquiries over the last two years, and this makes some 14% of inquires held over that time.

There are two reasons why schemes are brought to the attention of the Scottish Governement. One is automatic referral due to the overall scale of the project, the other occurs when developers appeal when their pland are rejected by the local council.

Pollok Country Park Hijack?

Pollok Country Park is Glasgow’s largest park and the only Country Park within Glasgow. Its extensive woodlands and gardens are described as a quiet sanctuary for both visitors and wildlife, and lie to the south west of the city, just three miles from the city centre.

The countryside park with superb walled gardens and woodland walks was once part of the Old Pollok estate, and the ancestral home of the Maxwell Family for seven centuries. In 1966, the parkland and house was gifted to the City of Glasgow by the family, together with the remainder of the estate, used for farming and recreation purposes such as golf. It contains a number of facilities such as a Police Dog Training Facility, and the Glasgow Mountain Bike Circuit.

Notable features with the grounds include Pollok House itself, and the Burrell Collection. The collection was gifted to Glasgow by Sir William Burrell and his wife, Constance, Lady Burrell, and the collection of over 9,000 works of art gave the city one of the greatest collections amassed by one person. William Burrell had been an art collector since his teens, and the collection contains a vast array of works covering all periods and from all over the world. Pollok House is an impressive 18th century mansion, filled with outstanding collections of Spanish art, antique furniture, silverware, ceramics, and an impressive library.

It would appear that the peace of the park is may be set to come to an end, as ‘High Wire Forest Adventure’ operator Go Ape has plans to create one of its aerial assault courses and walkway in a secluded area of the country park’s woodland. They would charge £20 to £25 for access to their course of rope bridges, swings and zip slides in a formerly quiet area of the park. The private developer’s plans to create their adventure playground in what is a public park is reported to have infuriated the ancestral family owners of the land, and the Maxwell family has described the plan a “totally inappropriate” and expressed doubts as to its being in accordance with the terms or spirit of their gift to the city. Guardians of Pollok House, The National Trust for Scotland, have lodged an official objection.

A ‘Community Consultation‘ was held into the Go Ape proposal, however the principles involved in allowing a private developer access to public land mean that wider views should, indeed must, be sought with more publicity. The consultation is closed (I live in Glasgow and never heard as much as a whimper about it) and you can make up your own mind about the results and how it must have been carried out…

• In total, 237 responses were received to the consultation, both by post and e-mail. The total number of positive responses was 199 (84%) and the total number of negative responses was 38 (16%).
• The age range of respondents varied widely, with the majority of respondents (who listed their age) being in the range <17-24 years old (55%). 41% were between 25 and 54, and 4% were over 54. Of those who listed their gender, 54% were female and 46% were male.

Having a look through the details provided regarding the protection of the environment provides an impressive array of measures the developers claims will be carried out to prevent damage to the trees – but one can’t help but think that these would not be needed if the trees were not being abused in the first place, an of how effective, or ineffective, they may be in practice.

I notice the proposal includes a reference to not allowing any vehicles into the development, but that the facility will use the existing car parking facility provided at the nearby Burrell Collection – I wish them luck, and note that the local council have an interest in this. While entry to Glasgow Museums is free, if you want to visit the Burrell Collection you need to go by car due to its location, unless you are local and know the buses. To get to this particular free museum you are obliged to use the nearby car park, conveniently provided with a ticket machine, and attendant if you’re lucky. Pollok, sadly, is not one of the most desirable areas of Glasgow, and on each occasion I have visited the Burrell I have have been thankful that mine was never the car involved in the ‘Smash and Grab’ that ruined some visitor’s day out on each of them. Doubtless some unfortunate tourist, or someone unfamiliar with the area, who left too many goodies on show inside their car, and was relieved of them for their carelessness. However, it does make the parting of a few £s for the privilege of leaving your car unattended while swelling the council’s coffers just than bit more indigestible – if they did something for the money (like, god forbid, look after the cars in its car park) it might not be so bad, but all you get is usual disclaimers – fortunately unenforceable in law, but only if you already know that before they fob you off with “We accept no responsibility…”.

Oops, have I given a secret away?

Seriously though, if you care, do something about this nonsense in the park. One, we don’t need imported ideas of how to have fun; Two, why should a private developer be able to move in and make a profit from a public gift; Three, the park is just fine as it is, it doesn’t need any help to make it ‘better’.

You can find more details and comment on this related thread in the Hidden Glasgow forum.

Addendum January 20, 2008:

I thought this Comment deserved to be raised into the Main Body as an Appeal. Unfortunately, I see the original contributor got the month wrong, and the meeting date was in January, not February as originally posted, so the opportunity has passed.

However, you can read about the shameful behaviour of Glasgow’s councillors in this Herald report: Tempers flare at meeting over Go Ape plan. There is also a selection of reader’s comment following the report.

If you care about the future of Pollok Park send an ojection to the Go Ape planning application. E-mail: sean.mccollam@drs.glasgow.gov.uk quoting ref 07/0308. Please send a copy to: contact@savepollokpark.com and let your local elected representative know your feelings too.

Please come to the public meeting on Tuesday 22 Jan at 7.30pm at Pollokshaws Burgh Hall. Tristram Mayhew of GoApe who will make an audio-visual presentation as will SavePollokPark. We believe Glasgow City Council will send representatives too but they haven’t bothered to reply to the campaign’s official invitation. This will be an opportunity for all sides to air their points of view and microphones will be provided for comments from the floor. We expect a lively debate but we ask all participants to temper their passion with politeness.

It seems from the body of the meeting that I was not alone in wondering just when this ‘consultation’ was held, and who might have taken part. According to the the report…

The council has been derided over its public consultation in October, where a majority of respondents were in favour of the Go Ape proposal, half of whom were pupils from a local secondary school.

Like it or not, Glasgow’s councillors have also earned themselves a reputation for riding roughshod over anything or anyone that doesn’t happen to agree with them (granted, this may not always be a bad thing, but then again, is hardly democratic or representative of the people they are supposed to represent), and this proposal seems, at present, to be something they want, regardless.

When asked if they would reopen the consultation in light of the meeting’s outcome, their reply was a firm refusal, and a statement that the neither the National Trust, nor the Maxwell family, had any influence. “They have no right of veto. That is our legal opinion” said Mr Booth for the council.

The meeting concluded with a show of hands, where only 7 of the 550 people in the room were in favour of the Go Ape proposal.

Addendum February 17, 2008:

The proposal has hit the news again, with campaigners holding a demonstration in Pollok Park to highlight their feeling of being ignored and not properly consulted in respect of the proposed development.

Glasgow Govan MSP and deputy leader of the SNP, Nicola Sturgeon, joined protesters at the demonstration.

She said people loved Pollok Park and they wanted to see it remain as it was.

“There’s plenty of activities in other parts of the park but the North Wood is somewhere that people come to get away from the noise and bustle of the city, to enjoy the environment, to take walks and there’s a real feeling that we don’t want to lose that“, she said.

She went on to add that people do not feel they have been consulted.

“I think the consultation was flawed and I think it would be in everyone’s interest, not least Glasgow City Council’s, to take a step back from this and allow people to have their say and for that say to be listened to“, she said.

Tristram Mayhew, chief executive of Go Ape, said he was aware of local people’s concerns.

He said: “Go Ape is also firmly committed to encouraging a new generation of visitors to experience the woods from an entirely different perspective, in a way that will inspire them, we hope, for life, and encourage them to live their lives more adventurously.“

Image from Save Pollok Park web site.