22nd February 2006, 09:58 AM
Hi Grubby.
Firstly. Yes you are right, ultimately that will involve either the good will of the landowners and farmers, who are currently dominated by Tarmac, or more dramatic action from EH/Gov. I suggest this is an issue that will only get sorted once the spectre of quarrying has gone for good, and we are a long way from that. So long as there's a change of making big mony from quarrying, there's no chance of entering into a management arrangement in my view.
I still think that the archaeology on Ladybridge should be scheduled, if Dr Harding is correct then this settlement is the largest so far discovered in Britain (300+ Neolithic occupation pits), surely good reason for Scheduling? I know this will not stop ploughing, but it would mean more controls than at present.
Also, Ladybridge and the rest of the archaeology zone needs to be included within the proposed conservation plan. These things are often more important for the funding they can generate, such funding would allow for the options regarding Ladybridge to be expanded.
To answer you second question, the answer is yes, this has been done, by me and several local people. I have detailed responses from 65% of the local people commenting on future options regarding quarrying, tourism, the landfill, nature reserve and general local issues.
No local person wants to see Thornborough tunred into some form of Megalithic "Theme park" attracting 100,000+ tourists. However, many recognised the employment possibilities and most felt that some of the areas that have already been quarried could be used to enhance the tourism possiblities without being too intrusive on local people.
I have also run two tourism open meetings at Masham, to try to judge wider local opinion. I knew three years ago that I was going to open this can of worms and I felt it important that I understood local opinion as best as possible.
I think you will find very few developers, of even campaign groups will go to the lengths I do in order to truly understand local feelings. I have always considered local people as being of paramount importance in this. These henges must be a source of pride for them, not a source of pain.
Strangely, my offer to share the results of this survey with the consultation group was never taken up, the result is, my conservaton plan would read very differently to the curerent one. I find it strange that it says so many people do not even know about the henges - clearly they have never knocked on peoples doors.
Save the Thornborough Henge Complex - http://www.timewatch.org
Firstly. Yes you are right, ultimately that will involve either the good will of the landowners and farmers, who are currently dominated by Tarmac, or more dramatic action from EH/Gov. I suggest this is an issue that will only get sorted once the spectre of quarrying has gone for good, and we are a long way from that. So long as there's a change of making big mony from quarrying, there's no chance of entering into a management arrangement in my view.
I still think that the archaeology on Ladybridge should be scheduled, if Dr Harding is correct then this settlement is the largest so far discovered in Britain (300+ Neolithic occupation pits), surely good reason for Scheduling? I know this will not stop ploughing, but it would mean more controls than at present.
Also, Ladybridge and the rest of the archaeology zone needs to be included within the proposed conservation plan. These things are often more important for the funding they can generate, such funding would allow for the options regarding Ladybridge to be expanded.
To answer you second question, the answer is yes, this has been done, by me and several local people. I have detailed responses from 65% of the local people commenting on future options regarding quarrying, tourism, the landfill, nature reserve and general local issues.
No local person wants to see Thornborough tunred into some form of Megalithic "Theme park" attracting 100,000+ tourists. However, many recognised the employment possibilities and most felt that some of the areas that have already been quarried could be used to enhance the tourism possiblities without being too intrusive on local people.
I have also run two tourism open meetings at Masham, to try to judge wider local opinion. I knew three years ago that I was going to open this can of worms and I felt it important that I understood local opinion as best as possible.
I think you will find very few developers, of even campaign groups will go to the lengths I do in order to truly understand local feelings. I have always considered local people as being of paramount importance in this. These henges must be a source of pride for them, not a source of pain.
Strangely, my offer to share the results of this survey with the consultation group was never taken up, the result is, my conservaton plan would read very differently to the curerent one. I find it strange that it says so many people do not even know about the henges - clearly they have never knocked on peoples doors.
Save the Thornborough Henge Complex - http://www.timewatch.org