JohnfromUK Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 A couple of days ago there was a major story (made Radio 4 Today programme) about how 'someone' had done huge damage to a stretch of river and Environment Agency, Police etc were all over the case. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-55193809 Today - a slightly different version seems to emerge https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9020773/Environment-Agency-launches-urgent-probe-farmer-bulldozed-Herefordshire-riverside-beauty-spot.html I don't know where the truth lies, (nor do I have a strong opinion) but I does show how there are often two sides to every story. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TIGHTCHOKE Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
old'un Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 I know the farm and area, the land running from the farm and river Lugg is very flat all the way to Kingsland village about half a mile away, think the farmer’s done the villagers a favour and it will soon grow back, think they are making a mountain out of a molehill to be honest. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Hello, I like his description of the EA 👍 a few years and it will look like all parts of this river and hope save the flooding, I say well done Mr Farmer 👍👍👍👍 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohnfromUK Posted December 5, 2020 Author Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 1 minute ago, old'un said: I know the farm and area, the land running from the farm and river Lugg is very flat all the way to Kingsland village about half a mile away, think the farmer’s done the villagers a favour and it will soon grow back, think they are making a mountain out of a molehill to be honest. It's always good to have the opinion of someone who knows the area. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
oldypigeonpopper Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Hello, just to say a few years ago I asked the local MP now in the House of Lords and Ladies to see if the Stream could be dredged, it's called a stream but a small river and once had a Mill pass, anyway it floods the park field as it's 3/4 ft of mud and 1 to 2 ft if lucky of water, and guess what the E A said, we got no money 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂, hence most of the Thames locks are supported by volunteers 🤔🙄, then see what the C E O of the E A gets in a salary 🤔👎 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 (edited) 1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said: A couple of days ago there was a major story (made Radio 4 Today programme) about how 'someone' had done huge damage to a stretch of river and Environment Agency, Police etc were all over the case. https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hereford-worcester-55193809 Today - a slightly different version seems to emerge https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-9020773/Environment-Agency-launches-urgent-probe-farmer-bulldozed-Herefordshire-riverside-beauty-spot.html I don't know where the truth lies, (nor do I have a strong opinion) but I does show how there are often two sides to every story. Always another side to the story. The wonderful thing about wildlife is that they have wings, with which to fly, or feet with which to walk, or fins with which to swim. They have learnt to use these to survive. A few years back and old redundant church was placed into my charge with an amazing letter from HM herself! I was instructed to have it demolished. It was a Grade 2 listed building. All sorts of opposition from various local interested parties, or should I say nosy parkers! The last lot thought they had an Ace up their sleeve and wrote to me saying the demolition couldn’t go ahead because there was an owl roosting in the spire! It was November so no nesting. I was put in touch with a local owl conservation trust and an amazingly sensible bit of advice was forthcoming, which from a conservationist frankly surprised me. He asked me if there would be much noise with the demolition! I said quite a bit.😳He then said that would be OK then because the owl would fly away. 😂 Edited December 5, 2020 by Fisheruk Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 I have done many similar improvements and got an award for it. Looks like he has done a very tidy job and it will soon regrow and a few new trees planted. A number of our small rivers where vandalised back in the 60s and 70s, literally turned into canals but the water has to go somehwere and often that is in a small village which is inundated very quickly. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
The Heron Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 The same thing happened where I live it's amazing how quickly it will recover. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 It's funny, many things in life are not what they first appear, particularly it seems when the main stream media are involved. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
redial Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Today's Shropshire Star. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eggy74 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 love the farmers "clipboard" comment 😆 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
McSpredder Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Environment Agency. Wasn't that the same outfit that tried to prevent people from clearing the blocked watercourse at Glenridding a couple of years ago? Obviously couldn't give a **** about local humans anywhere. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Done what they "can't afford" to do for free. So It's been done now. If they say they know best and it's so wrong, wouldn't it be good if this stretch and down stream was now monitored and surveyed by EA WT farmer and villagers. Then If/WHEN successful it might help others who want to use a bit of common sense and get waterways managed better. . . . . . . . Lot of flooding in Suffolk yesterday. Social media group in one village went crazy because incomers who hadn't seen or experienced it before got stuck or couldn't get out of village. Blaming farmers, EA, council and anybody really. Could quite get that we had just had a lot of rain and they chose live in a valley where they want to build another 400 houses! . . . . Upper river Deben badly silted with run off and choked up with weed and fall trees. Half the depth it was 20 years ago in some places. Sad to see places i could fish as a youth like it and cant believe EA think it's all right. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 4 hours ago, Fisheruk said: Always another side to the story. The wonderful thing about wildlife is that they have wings, with which to fly, or feet with which to walk, or fins with which to swim. They have learnt to use these to survive. A few years back and old redundant church was placed into my charge with an amazing letter from HM herself! I was instructed to have it demolished. It was a Grade 2 listed building. All sorts of opposition from various local interested parties, or should I say nosy parkers! The last lot thought they had an Ace up their sleeve and wrote to me saying the demolition couldn’t go ahead because there was an owl roosting in the spire! It was November so no nesting. I was put in touch with a local owl conservation trust and an amazingly sensible bit of advice was forthcoming, which from a conservationist frankly surprised me. He asked me if there would be much noise with the demolition! I said quite a bit.😳He then said that would be OK then because the owl would fly away. 😂 Out of interest FIsheruk why was a grade 2 listed church being demolished? Have worked on several and conversions over the years. Religion aside think they amazing historical spaces. Often well sort after for conversion. . . . . . If you want a family hol/party with a difference look up The Old Church Rishangles Suffolk. Very poplar around Halloween.😉 Glass floors in tower and amazing views. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Walker570 Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 I am pretty certain that in 18 months I could have that stretch of river looking very different. We did a very similar job on sections of our river, with permission and funding from the EA and today you would not know that a 360 had been near it. The River won the WTT Trophy for Conservation back in 2007 and over a 5 mile stretch similar work was done. Yes it does look bleak for a few months but soon regenerates and wildlife returns. We had water voles, otters and kingfishers. A canal has vertical sides which are bad as they get undercut and all that soil gets washed into the bed of the river, by cutting the banks as shown in the picture a rise in water can a) reduce the flow/volume and b) slow down the flow so the banks do not get destroyed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted December 5, 2020 Report Share Posted December 5, 2020 Exactly! And he done it for free! Not like it a new thing. It's OK when they doing it on reserves. We are talking about peoples homes here and more weather extremes. NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fisheruk Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 10 hours ago, NatureBoy said: Out of interest FIsheruk why was a grade 2 listed church being demolished? Have worked on several and conversions over the years. Religion aside think they amazing historical spaces. Often well sort after for conversion. . . . . . If you want a family hol/party with a difference look up The Old Church Rishangles Suffolk. Very poplar around Halloween.😉 Glass floors in tower and amazing views. NB It had gone through the redundant churches measure. Which is a legal process and explores all possibilities for alternative uses etc. Finally when it reaches the end of the road to prevent danger etc., from a derelict empty building. At the end of the process, the Church Commissioners declare it redundant and then the Queen signs an order in Privy Council, in this case to demolish it. As part of that order she signed a letter to me placing it into my charge to demolish it. That effectively trumps the Listing of the Building. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mice! Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 That stretch of river might not look pretty right now but neither is being flooded, and knowing it will happen again, we haven't been flooded but a few neighbour's have and further along the river Croston has been flooded many times. We had big meetings at town hall by the EA, there response was if we get more flooding then they will get more funds?? That farmer should send the EA the bill, he has done his local community a big favour, get some trees planted and it will look brilliant come spring and hopefully not flood over winter. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 1 hour ago, Mice! said: That stretch of river might not look pretty right now but neither is being flooded, and knowing it will happen again, we haven't been flooded but a few neighbour's have and further along the river Croston has been flooded many times. We had big meetings at town hall by the EA, there response was if we get more flooding then they will get more funds?? That farmer should send the EA the bill, he has done his local community a big favour, get some trees planted and it will look brilliant come spring and hopefully not flood over winter. Well said nature will sort itself out . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
scolopax Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 Well he has admitted it, saves a long drawn out trial. A custodial sentence is appropriate plus loss of any public money he receives Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
johnphilip Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 2 hours ago, scolopax said: Well he has admitted it, saves a long drawn out trial. A custodial sentence is appropriate plus loss of any public money he receives He did it for others not for himself , hats of to the man . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
12gauge82 Posted December 6, 2020 Report Share Posted December 6, 2020 2 hours ago, scolopax said: Well he has admitted it, saves a long drawn out trial. A custodial sentence is appropriate plus loss of any public money he receives Considering he did a selfless act, even if it was wrong, he shouldn't be punished for it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NatureBoy Posted December 7, 2020 Report Share Posted December 7, 2020 On 06/12/2020 at 09:09, Fisheruk said: It had gone through the redundant churches measure. Which is a legal process and explores all possibilities for alternative uses etc. Finally when it reaches the end of the road to prevent danger etc., from a derelict empty building. At the end of the process, the Church Commissioners declare it redundant and then the Queen signs an order in Privy Council, in this case to demolish it. As part of that order she signed a letter to me placing it into my charge to demolish it. That effectively trumps the Listing of the Building. Cheers for info. Wasn't aware of process to demolition. Shame The church let them go. To many well under used and neglected NB Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
manthing Posted December 8, 2020 Report Share Posted December 8, 2020 It was planed and authorised work. https://kingsland-pc.gov.uk/statement-on-the-recent-work-at-the-lugg/?fbclid=IwAR0oiDUCbQIuW0KbHqf8WCi93uiQzjNiKNXr2HdqWHj1aTMRQxhAtGvfLNE https://yourherefordshire.co.uk/all/news/news-reports-that-farmer-bulldozed-land-next-to-river-lugg-to-protect-homes-from-flooding/?fbclid=IwAR0NIsfShBrciFcGpdyODktGoWU1njib-G-nhI94JBMveTwLF7DF78-plCE Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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