Save The Ribble

Ribble Coast & Wetlands Walking Festival 2009 - and Launch of Ribbleside Friends Group!

2009-10-11T18:31:00.007+01:00

The new "Ribbleside" Country Park, Penwortham to Walton le Dale, on a misty Autumn morning.

The Ribble Coast & Wetlands Regional Park is hosting its Annual Walking Festival from Saturday 24th October to Sunday 1st November - and there are some fantastic walks being organised so make sure you don't miss out!

You can find out more details by going to The Ribble Coast & Wetlands website, but the highlights include:

- Sand Dunes Discovery Walk at Lytham St Annes on Saturday 24th October;

- Save The Ribble's Ribble Ramble on Sunday 25th October, walking from the Old Tram Bridge upriver to Brockholes Wetland & Woodland and back, starting at 10am from the Tram Bridge.
The Ribble Ramble is approximately 6 miles in total and we expect to be back at the Tram Bridge by mid-afternoon at the latest. The going is fairly easy though there are some stiles. Bring a picnic, your camera - and waterproofs if it looks like rain!

- or alternatively an RSPB Guided Birdwatching Walk at Marshside, also on Sunday 25th at 10am;

- There is a Reedbed Walk at Martin Mere on Monday 26th at 10am;

- On Tuesday 27th October, there is a River Walk from Avenham Park to Preston Docks leaving Avenham Park Pavilion at 10am, 2-3 hours in total; or alternatively, a Guided Tour of Brockholes at 10am the same day; or perhaps you fancy the Fylde Sand Dunes at Lytham St Annes, or does a Walk from Burscough to Martin Mere take your fancy...?

- on Wednesday 28th there is a Walk along the River Ribble from the Capitol Centre to Penwortham at 1pm; or a Woodland Mini-Beast Safari at Mere Sands Wood at 2pm;

- Thursday 29th has events at Burscough, Mere Sands Wood, the River Douglas, and Martin Mere;

- On Friday 30th there are events at Banks Marshes and Avenham & Miller Parks;

- and on Sunday 1st November, as well as a tour of the newly-opened Hesketh Out Marsh at 9am...

... there is a Ribblesider's Ramble on the newly-established "Ribbleside" Country Park opposite Avenham & Millers Parks on the South Ribble side at 1pm - and this is the first event being organised by the NEW Ribbleside Friends Group!

They will be leaving the Old Tram Bridge at 1pm and walking onto Preston Junction Nature Reserve then into Carr Wood before walking on to the River Darwin where it meets the Ribble, then walking downriver alongside the Ribble back to the Tram Bridge. The walk will be 2 hours or so, and does involve a few steps and stiles.
There is no need to book, but if you'd like further details about the Ribblesiders' Ramble - or the new Friends Group - then please email Jane at ribblesidefriends@tiscali.co.uk .

You'll be hearing alot more about the Ribbleside Friends Group over the coming months, but in the meantime, get out Walking The Ribble Coast & Wetlands this Autumn!

HAPPY RIBBLING!

If you'd like further details about the Ribble Coast & Wetlands Walking Festival, then go to The Ribble Coast & Wetlands website.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk .

Brockholes Wetland Gets Green Light

2009-08-13T19:55:00.018+01:00

The new Brockholes Wetland & Woodland Nature Reserve on the banks of the River Ribble in Preston has been given the go ahead by planners.

The Brockholes site, at Salmsbury near Preston, is a redundant quarry site on the former Brockholes Farm, which has attracted a huge and diverse bird and insect population due to its location at the uppermost tidal point of the River Ribble.

Yet, this area, covering over 100 hectares, was at risk of being bought by developers to build a huge housing complex at the end of 2006, and the Wildlife Trust faced a momentous task raising the money - with help from local people - to buy the site and save Brockholes Wetland from development.

Brockholes is also adjacent to the largest stretch of ancient woodlands left in Lancashire, which are forming a part of the overall ecological strategy for the scheme.

Over the past 2 to 3 years, the Wildlife Trust and their many volunteers have been working hard improving the habitats still further.

And now, as the Lancashire Evening Post report, the plans for the site have got full planning permission, which will see "a visitors' centre with a cafe, shop, offices and an education centre" as well as "footpaths, boardwalks and wildlife hides and a boat launch point."

There were apprently some concerns from local people and some Councillors that the development is "inappropriate for the green belt and would cause a flood risk." Also, there have been concerns raised that canoeing and kayaking on the Ribble itself may be affected.

Of course local people are rightly concerned that development schemes on floodplain and Green Belt land may be inappropriate, but as the plans for Brockholes will maintain and improve the appearance and the ecological sensitivity already existant on the site, AND maintain the ability of the land to cope with heavy rainfall and river flooding - unlike a huge housing estate would have, on both counts - we are supportive of the proposals.

It is unlikely that the site would impact on the River Ribble, and any activities such as canoeing, as it is a separate site which does not actually impinge on the River itself. There are also plans for eco-friendly water-based boating activities on the new Brockholes Recerve.

It is also unlikely that the Visitors' Centre will create any problems as it is very eco-friendly (even down to the oak roof tiles), and is specifically designed to cope with water as it will be built on floating platforms on one of the quarry pits, and will lie below the tree line.

The new Reserve will be free to visit, and will be a truly fantastic resource for local people and visitors to the area - and we can't wait for it to open!

For more information on the Brockholes visitors' centre, see Lancashire Wildlife Trust.

For more on the long-term aims for Brockholes Wetland, click here.

For more on the numerous bird and insect species at Brockholes, click here.

The Brockholes scheme is being progressed with support from:

- the Newlands Project - "reclaiming large areas of derelict, underused and neglected land across England’s Northwest... tackling some of the worst areas of neglected land in the Northwest and transforming them into thriving, durable, community woodlands.";

- the North West Development Agency;

- and the Forestry Commission.

We hope to have some exciting news of our own to report later in the Summer...

...and in the Autumn, we have been invited to contribute another walk for the Ribble Coast & Wetlands Walking Festival, and will be walking to... BROCKHOLES WETLAND AND WOODLAND!

More details nearer the time...

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Ribbleside Balsam Blitz

2009-07-06T09:54:00.014+01:00

A huge THANKYOU to those hardy Ribbleside residents - and Lesley of Action Ribble Estuary - for coming along and Bashing some Balsam by the Ribble on Friday, despite some truly awful weather!

The weather started off fair enough, quite warm if a little cloudy, and we all got stuck in right away as we spotted a few clumps as we walked towards the Preston railway bridge where the Balsam Bash was due to officially begin!

Here at the railway bridge the Balsam is really getting a foothold - the natural riverbank plants are completely submerged...

... so we got stuck straight in...

...pulling up the shallow-rooted Balsam plants and heaping them into piles and giving them a good trample occasionally for good measure! - they have to stay where they are pulled up to prevent them spreading further.
In just a couple of hours we had cleared thousands of plants from this one area beneath the bridge - and the bridge kindly sheltered us from the worst of the weather when the rain decided to join in!

And look what we found - the Ribble's natural reeds emerging from the gloom cast by the Balsam.

Whilst we did manage to destroy a significant number of Balsam plants, and rescue the riverbank plants struggling to survive here...

...there is still a great deal of work to be done, however....

....so if you were unable to join us due to working commitments on Friday, we are planning to continue Bashing Balsam along the riverbanks in Penwortham from about 10.30am until 12.30pm every Saturday morning for the rest of July!

Areas we will be concentrating on are those stretches of the riverbank and paths on the Penwortham bank either side of the railway bridge (i.e.opposite Avenham & Miller Parks and the New Continental pub). Even if you can't join us, every time you walk by the river and spot some Himalyan Balsam...

...pull a few out while you are walking by!

WHEN BALSAM BASHING, please remember to be careful not to get too close to the river's edge as some of the banks are steep and slippery, watch out for Giant Hogweed (i.e.DON'T touch it!), and ENJOY the task knowing that EVERY plant you pull up will prevent 800 more plants next year, and 640,000 the year after that!!

Happy Ribbling!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Balsam Bash by the Ribble!

2009-06-29T09:17:00.014+01:00

Fancy wiling away a summer's day by the cool and calming waters of the River Ribble?

- and helping preserve its fantastic riverbank habitats by Bashing some Balsam while you're there?!

This Friday, 3rd July, Ribblesiders are removing the harmful invasive species Himalayan Balsam from the next stretch of the riverbanks which need our attention in Penwortham.

Local residents, with help from the Action Ribble Estuary tributary of the Mersey Basin Campaign, hope to clear another good stretch of the Ribble's banks, starting beneath the railway bridge on the opposite bank to the New Continental pub and working upriver from there.

You could even retire to that excellent local hostelry for a well-deserved drink afterwards!

We are meeting at the Margaret Road playground's car park at 10am this coming Friday, and planning to bash Balsam until 4.30pm or so.

You are welcome to join us for the whole day or just a couple of hours, it's up to you - any help you can offer will be fantastic!
- and you get the perfect excuse to spend some quality time by the Ribble!

If it's sunny, it would be advisable to wear a hat and sunblock - especially if we get a heatwave as predicted! Bring a raincoat if it looks like rain, and wear stout shoes or boots.
Either way, bring yourself a bottle of water and a snack - and if you're staying for the day, bring a picnic to enjoy by the Ribble!

Himalayan Balsam is not a native plant but a garden import gone mad! On its own it is quite an attractive plant, growing anything between 1 and 3 metres tall and producing an abundance of pretty pink-mauve "snap-dragon" type flowers from mid-summer onwards, so it's easy to see why it was imported... but each plant also produces eight hundred easily-germinating seeds which literally explode out of the ripe seed pods and rapidly spread and swamp everything in their path.

This means that the Ribble's natural plant species and therefore the biodiversity of the riverbanks, where this invasive plant spreads so rapidly, are seriously under threat.

During our last Balsam Bash, we created our own Himalayan mountains, of rather more modest but nonetheless impressive proportions...

The Balsam has to remain on-site to rot down naturally. It CAN'T be removed from site as it might then spread elsewhere... just one seed would lead to thousands of plants within a couple of years. Uprooting just one plant will prevent 800 more next year, and 640,000 plants the following year!!

Just look at what can be achieved on one tiny stretch of riverbank before and after the Balsam is removed...

Come and join your fellow Ribblesiders on Friday, you'll find us anytime between 10am and 4.30pm on the riverbanks in Penwortham, working our way steadily upriver from the railway bridge...

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Tales from the Riverbank: Ah, Summer by the Ribble

2009-06-16T15:42:00.014+01:00

Over the past couple of months, many local people have got in touch to share their feelings, memories and concerns about the Ribble and its green spaces.
Some have also sent in some really beautiful photos.

Several people have also asked if we are arranging any events over the coming weeks, and we're pleased to report that we are organising our yearly Balsam Bash for Friday 3rd July AND have again been invited to take part in the Ribble Coast & Wetlands Walking Festival in October, so more details will be on the blog soon!

In the meantime, enjoy these little tasters of Summertime by the Ribble, and get out yourselves as much as you can - the summer weather so far has been pretty good, and we are spending our evenings and weekends relaxing by the Ribble instead of blogging it!

The first three pictures, including the top one, were taken from Penwortham Old Bridge ("a glorious view every morning on the way to work" says JB)...

...and from the same bridge giving a closer look at low tide when JB saw several Black Headed Gulls fishing in these little rapids and catching absolutely loads of small fry - but she says she didn't manage to get a good snap of them actually catching one... ("needed a bigger zoom" she says)...

...and the House Martins are back nesting beneath our eaves -this nest with a sparrow keeping an eye on things!)...

- although JB and a couple of other people have mentioned that there seem to be less House Martins returning this year, as there are a few mud houses which haven't been rebuilt, and there seem to be fewer Swallows than usual hunting over the river and nearby meadows.

Yet Razzi B of Lower Penwortham has actually managed to get a photo of these incredibly speedy creatures!

- as well as a cracking picture of the midges they feast on!

(Rather the Swallows eating the midges than the midges eating us).

Chris has sent in some great pictures of the Old Tram Bridge taken from the "beach" opposite Avenham & Miller Parks at low tide...

And of the view upriver from beneath the Tram Bridge...

Chris also included some lovely pictures of the Penwortham and Preston banks of the Ribble as the sun is setting...

Geoff has been in touch recently and has known the Ribble very well for many years. He has mentioned many interesting things he has seen and experienced, from the source of the Ribble to the sea. He has been caving in Alum Pot and other caves near Ribblehead ("we went to Upper Long Churn cave and though to the bridge in Alum Pot: it's interesting that the water goes under the Ribble into Turn Dub which then empties westward into the Ribble") and has watched the big ferry boat which used to come into the docks just managing to escape from the docks before the river was too silted up to run it any more.

Geoff feels very strongly that the Council's recent idea of dividing the dock in half and building on half of it would be a very bad if not fatal procedure for the dock basin. It would, he says, "be a tragedy not to somehow use the unique potential of the dock, it is something that Preston has to exploit for its pride, inhabitants, visitors and eventually financial advantage. It is a shame that so much is in the hands of people who do not seem to value the history of the river."
Geoff is planning to dig out some old photos for us - of the Docks, of the hydrofoil that for a time ran a service from Southport across the river, and of a banana boat passing the west end of Lytham green. He also has some pictures of himself and other people diving off Stainforth Force!

When we have asked local people to tell us why they value the Ribble so much, it is remarkable how so many say pretty much the same things about the River Ribble and its green spaces, and show a very deep connection with these unique assets.

NM tells us:

"Like many people who live by the Ribble, I walk by the river a lot, I walk to town through the park, I do circular 7 mile walks with friends round the river and the nature reserve...

On a personal level, I love the fresh air that the river brings, the wildlife and the tranquillity. Alot of people drive miles (and sometimes have to pay) to see something of natural beauty and in my view the council or whoever, want to actually take that away (probably because they want to charge people!). I also believe that to build a barrage (I presume that it is still in the plans) would turn the river into a canal. It would then become smelly, littered and lifeless.

...The docks was a blank canvas, and I remember the talk of all the plans of hotels, up-market shops and a bustling marina none of which have materialised... I have no confidence whatsoever, that the vision these people have of Preston, is going benefit the people of Preston in anyway.

...In the early days when the idea first became common knowledge I tried to find out more about the plans and was told that, as I live South of the Ribble, it did not concern me, but, of course, it does, it concerns everybody."

Alot of people are still raising concerns about the Preston Vision Board in particular, from its apparent lack of accountability or engagement with ordinary local people, to its unrepresentative membership (which is primarily businessmen).

Aidan from Preston sent in this great quote for the blog, and it seems a particularly apt one to use here!
The boss of the Ecology Building Society, Paul Ellis, in the latest Big Issue in the North magazine [page 5, 4-10 May, 2009], is quoted as saying that:

“The pinnacle of human evolution is not a man in a business suit”.

Couldn't agree more Aidan! I'm more inclined to think that local Ribble residents have a much clearer grasp of what's important in the world...

Thanks Chris, Razzi, and JB, Geoff, Aidan, and NM, and thanks to everyone for sending in your comments and pictures.

Happy Ribbling!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Tales from the Riverbank: Rippling Ribble, Bluebells and Birdsong...

2009-05-22T11:52:00.026+01:00

River Ribble at low tide in the spring sunshine...

...and bluebells in Carr Wood, Penwortham, just minutes walk away from Preston City Centre.

Despite a disappointingly wet day, a hardy group of Ribblesiders went for a Bluebell and Birdsong walk along the River Ribble and through the Penwortham "Ribbleside" Country Park on the first Bank Holiday in May...

- and it's not too late to enjoy the glorious sights and sounds of Spring by the Ribble yourself this weekend or during half-term...

The Bluebells in Carr Wood were at their very best at the beginning of May, and whilst these will be fading now, the birds will still be singing and the sunlight still be dappling through the trees in the Ribbleside woodlands...

...and along the Old Tram Road...

The Ribbleside meadows are lush with wetland grasses and wildflowers, and the trees and hedgerows burgeoning with blossoms and birdsong...

- and even on a wet May afternoon the Ribble and its green spaces are genuinely glorious...

After several rather wet, dull and miserable days the sun finally came out again yesterday in time for a gorgeous evening stroll by the Ribble, where the river was moving along deceptively quickly with its smooth surface as it has been swollen by all the rain from the last few days...

Whilst the pictures might reveal just some of the glories of rambling by the Ribble, the one thing we can't capture is the sounds - of the waters flowing by or of the BIRDS SINGING all around us - and spring really is the best time to hear our hedgerow and meadow-dwelling birds in their full glory, so get down to the Ribble and the new Country Park on the Penwortham bank this week to hear them for yourself!

On the Preston bank the first of the Horse chestnuts have been felled in Avenham & Miller Park which is a sad sight to see...

This is due to their being diseased apparently, but hopefully the replacement trees will make up for their loss eventually - although we are unlikely to see them in their full glory as they will of course take a good number of years to mature to the same extent as the Horse Chestnuts and Elms, planted by the far-sighted Victorians, have in recent decades.

In the meantime, there are of course still many of the Horse Chestnuts still standing, so enjoy them while you can, and there are many different types of tree and habitat to enjoy all along the Ribble and its green spaces.
One of the more humble of our native trees has to be the Hawthorn, yet in May it is in its full glory all over the Penwortham banks, especially in the hedgerows lining the meadows on the Ribbleside Country Park...

...the meadows are wild with flowers and may blossom, and there are butterflies and bees and hundreds of other insects making full use of them...

...and there is rather an abundance of midges along the Ribble at the moment...

(midges!)
...made infinitely less unpleasant by the many dozens of accompanying swifts swooping and soaring overhead as they tuck into those millions of midges...

(swifts!!)

...although the swifts are almost impossible to photograph as they are so incredibly fast!
Before the swifts have quitened for the evening, the first bats are also out, joining the swifts in their feast.

As we walked slowly back alongside the Ribble towards Penwortham Old Bridge, the sun was setting over the river and we were accompanied by the hooting of an owl in the trees on the Penwortham bank...

...bliss!!

We have had a number of comments and photos sent in over recent weeks from other Ribbleside residents, and will posting these on the blog after this bank holiday week, so watch this space, and do send in more stories, comments, and pictures if you would like your own Tales from the Riverbank to be included!

In the meantime, Happy Ribbling!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Preston's Vision Unchanged? Reasons To Be VERY Concerned...

2009-05-11T12:28:00.024+01:00

Just when you thought it was safe to enjoy messing about by the Ribble...

Following the overhaul of Preston Vision Board in recent months, the "new" restructured Board reveals the same kind of business-orientated line-up as previously and now includes a "planning expert" from Manchester... This suggests the same purely economic focus as previously - and the same dismissal of small matters such as local feeling, democratic accountability, and environmentally sustainable development.

The only real difference is that now the Preston Vision Board is a Limited Company with POWERS TO ACTIVELY DELIVER THEIR VISION FOR PRESTON.

Ian Haythornthwaite, the North West Development Agency's Executive Director of Resources (who will also be joining the Board of the new Company) states:

“The new company is an evolution for Preston Vision from visioning and strategy to a focus on delivery. Building on the opportunities provided by the Tithebarn and Preston Guild, we hope that this development will spearhead a step change that will enable the city to realise its ambitions, capitalising on its potential as an important driver of regional economic growth.”

So leaving aside the Tithebarn controversy, which is discussed on the Preston Lancs forum and the Preston Blog, this means that previous concerns that local people have had that the Preston Vision Board has no democratic accountability still holds firm, and is potentially even less accountable to the people of Preston - & South Ribble - as it is now a Limited Company.

This is because, whilst Preston and South Ribble Councils have "the statutory power to participate in the company Preston Vision Limited" as Directors, the Legal obligations that those Council representatives will have include that the "Directors of the new company have a responsibility at first instance to act in the best interests of the company at all times even if they are representatives of the Council".
From http://egenda.southribble.gov.uk/akssribble/images/att878.doc - South Ribble Borough Council's document on accepting the invitation to join the new Vision Board).

The new Preston Vision Board includes "Ged Fitzgerald, chief executive of Lancashire County Council; County Councillor Tom Burns, cabinet member for organisational development; Jim Carr, chief executive of Preston City Council; Councillor Ken Hudson, leader of Preston City Council;... Jean Hunter, chief executive of South Ribble Council and Councillor Margaret Smith, leader of South Ribble Council on the board of directors".

The new Preston Vision Board Ltd's objects are apparently:

“to assist, promote, encourage, develop and secure the social, physical, economic, environmental and educational related development of the Preston City Centre areas and the gateways, for the benefit of all the people of Preston and surrounding area”.

In order to achieve these objects, the NWDA wants to "commit to a programme of funding and allow the Vision Board flexibility in prioritisation. In turn the Vision Board would be able to give greater assurance to project sponsors / deliverers as to the likely availability of funding... and, in working with the NWDA, develop a greater role in delivering projects that is fully transparent and that can deliver an ambitious investment programme."

As Preston Vision Board have their own agenda (some key aspects of which we'll come back to in a minute) where does this leave our Councils' obligations to listen to their local residents wishes?

But of course, Preston Council are no longer pursuing the Riverworks barrage so why should those of us concerned to protect the River Ribble, its riverbanks, green spaces and floodplains be concerned?

Two reasons to be VERY concerned:

1) Preston Vision Board are now a Limited Company and can actively pursue whatever schemes they come up with (with or without the Council's backing) - and - oh look - the recent job application for a new Chief Executive of Preston Vision Board states that:
the new Chief's responsibilities will include "Proposals to regenerate under utilised waterways and make better use of the river, canal and former docklands"... (& see PCC's website for the same advert).

As we know, the last major statement from Preston Vision Board last year stated their intention of pursuing riverside development on the Ribble's banks "with or without a barrage"...

So Preston Vision Board still have their eyes firmly on developing the River Ribble...

2) Preston City Council may well have removed the Riverworks brochure from their website and stated publicly that the Ribble barrage will not be pursued, but - oh look - the NEW, yes NEW Preston City Council webpages state their "Regeneration priorities":

The City Council is actively engaged with local strategic partners to drive the development and delivery of Preston’s ‘Third City Vision’. This includes key projects such as ...
Proposals, totalling £800 million, to regenerate under-utilised waterways and make better use of the river, canal and former docklands."

And in case you think this might NOT somehow be Riverworks by another name... recognise the £800 million figure? The old Riverworks brochure in 2005 and PCC's newsletter right back in 2007 states there is "An £800 million vision for the Riverworks scheme...to create jobs, homes, leisure facilities and a city park, centred on the river ..."

The NEW, updated Preston Council website also states that the "Strategic context" for this "regeneration" of the "under-utilised" river includes the Preston Economic Regeneration Strategy – 2005.

Remember PCC's Economic Regeneration Strategy? The new PCC webpage links straight to it.
The Economic Regeneration Strategy & Prioritised Action Plan states that:

"Riverworks is an essential component of the overall Strategy. It provides a focus upon the areas of greatest potential impact through targeted investment and development strategies.

These areas include the River Ribble, Riversway Docklands and the Lancaster Canal:

Quality Riverside – Instead of the City ‘turning its back’ on the River, the Ribble will form the heart of future planning of the Preston-South Ribble urban area. Key projects include the development of a barrage across the River providing a range of economic and environmental benefits and the development of a new ‘Central Park’ with associated residential development" (p7).

So Preston City Council STILL seem to be pursuing Riverworks.
Even though they appear to have dropped the name from their website, the project itself is still there, alive and kicking - on their main website itself and on all the strategic documents PCC claim are forming their prioritised regeneration strategy...

In other words, the River Ribble is clearly still very much a part of both Preston Council's and Preston Vision Board Ltd's agenda, from barrages to building developments... which can only be BAD NEWS for the Ribble's delicate intertidal ecosystem, riverbank habitats, fields, meadows and woodlands...

And what does this mean for local democracy? The Lancashire Evening Post's survey in 2007 showed that an overwhelming 74% of local residents are opposed to a Ribble barrage.

South Ribble Borough Council have so far listened to the concerns of local people, declaring the South Ribble riverbanks protected from development in 2008, and also designating the Penwortham floodplain a protected Country Park.

Preston Council also publicly "backed down" and declared they will not be pursuing the Ribble barrage, but they appear to be prioritising some scheme or other to "regenerate" what they insultingly call an "underutilised" river, and directly assert that this scheme is underpinned by strategies which clearly prioritise a Ribble barrage and associated building developments...

So who are Preston City Council and Preston Vision Board Ltd listening to...?

...and how can we be sure that our Councils will be able to act in OUR interests if the "Directors of the new company have a responsibility at first instance to act in the best interests of the company at all times even if they are representatives of the Council"...?

See also local blog River's Stream for comments on the new Preston Vision Board...

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Bluebells and Birdsong - Join Ribblesiders on a Spring Walk by the Ribble on May 4th Bank Holiday

2009-04-26T19:05:00.010+01:00

Calling all Ribblesiders to come enjoy a spring walk taking in some of the most beautiful areas of the South Ribble "Ribbleside" Country Park.

We will be following a similar route to last Spring's Ribbleside walk, taking in the River Ribble, Preston Junction Nature Reserve, and Carr Wood - which includes an area of ancient woodland - except this time we will be two weeks earlier so will catch the bluebells in their full glory!

There's no better time to enjoy the glorious sound of the birds on the riverbanks and especially in the woods, and take in the beauty of spring flowers, butterflies, and humming bees, and listening to the Ribble's waters flowing by...

Date: Monday 4th May.

Meeting point: Tram Bridge over the River Ribble (between Avenham & Miller Parks and South Ribble Country Park).

Leaving at: 2pm.

Route: Walking downriver alongside the River Ribble to Preston Junction Nature Reserve then walking down the LNR to meet Footpath 77 at Carr Wood, walking past the meadows (& Carr Wood sewage works) and then into Carr Wood, which includes remaining patches of ancient woodland, rejoining FP 77 to the River Darwen, following the Darwen to its confluence with the River Ribble, and then for the final stretch we’ll be following the Ribble downriver back to the Old Tram Bridge.

Expected time: approximately 2 hours altogether, although there will be opportunity for people to finish after approximately an hour if the weather is inclement or children are getting tired as we cross the Old Tram Road towards Carr Wood.

Terrain: the footpaths are good to bumpy in places, muddy on occasion, there are a couple of stiles so WHEELS are NOT ADVISABLE (bikes, wheelchairs, or pushchairs).

Come and join us for a fabulous May Day by the Ribble!

For more pictures of the glorious Ribble in Spring, see The Ribble Cycle Diaries!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Severn Barrage: Consultation Deadline & Online Petition - SIGN IT NOW!

2009-04-22T21:54:00.007+01:00

The deadline for the Severn Barrage proposal initial consultation is Thursday 23rd April 2009 - i.e. THERE'S NO TIME TO LOSE although there will be further consultations, probably in 2010 but they might have made their minds up already by then!

The consultation document is long and difficult to complete, especially if running up against any of the technical problems we encountered today.

Whether or not you have half an hour or more to spare to complete the initial consultation document, please SIGN THE ONLINE PETITION HERE NOW.

The Severn short list includes a number of barrage options but very few alternatives, and this list should be expanded to include innovative schemes such as 3rd Generation Tidal Turbines which are economically and environmentally sustainable - unlike barrages!

Supporters of Save Our Severn and Stop The Barrage Now include:
the RSPB,
the Salmon and Trout Association,
the Severn Rivers Trust,
the Bristol Port Company,
the Gloucester Harbour Trustees,
and the Wye and Usk Foundation,

- all of whom recognise the unacceptable costs to the environment and the economy that will be caused by barraging the River Severn.

Save Our Severn have also published a recent report by Dr. Graham Daborn, Acadia University Centre for Estuarine research in Nova Scotia, in which just one of the problems that barraging a silty estaury like the Severn would cause as new silt modelling methods are helping us to appreciate 'just how fast mud is deposited. A Severn barrage could lead to the beaches of Wales and the South West being plastered with a living slime of mud... [and] Dr Daborn gives three examples in Canada where [out-of-date modelling] has lead to barrages being constructed resulting in massive sediment deposits choking the river, leading to flooding and blocking harbours and destroying fisheries.'
See Save Our Severn and you can read extracts from Dr. Daborn's report here.

Please sign the online petition opposing the Severn Barrage TODAY, whether or not you have time to trawl through the substantial consultation document.

Also, there will be a Ribblesiders Bluebells and Birdsong Walk coming up very soon, so watch this space!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

New Ribble Storm Drains for Preston

2009-03-21T19:38:00.011Z

Update to the story below about the new storm drains United Utilities are constructing in Preston...

At the public meeting (see below), Save the Ribble residents asked whether these new drains and the tunnel will improve the street flooding problems that Broadgate and Penwortham in particular experience during very high rainfall...

...the answer is unfortunately NO: the new drains and tunnel are required to ensure that pollutants such as diesel do not get washed straight into the Ribble during rainfall, as rainfall will instead be channelled beneath the Ribble to a new treatment works in Penwortham where it will be cleaned up before being discharged into the River Ribble as clean water.

This is very good news for the Ribble's ecosystem, which is sensitive to pollutants and other changes to its delicate balance, but may not alleviate the occasional flash flooding Broadgate and Penwortham experience during heavy rain storms.

According to Lancashire County Counci, who cleaned out the drains in these areas at the end of last year, part of the problems we have had were due to the drains' capacity being seriously reduced over time due to the rubbish and soil washed into the drains during rain, and so far we have not experienced any further problems. Once we get into the raining season - i.e. Summer! - we'll see what happens...

Original story below...
A huge tunnel project which is intended to improve storm water overflow discharges into the River Ribble from Preston will be one of the topics under discussion at Preston City Council's next 'Central Area Forum' on Tuesday 24th March at the St Walburge's Parish Centre at 7pm.

At the meeting, representatives of United Utilities will provide an overview of the project, and the public will be able to ask questions.

The project will construct tunnels up to 100ft below the streets of Preston to hold excess rainwater during storms, several tunnel shafts, and over 5 kilometres of pipeline to transfer waste water underneath the River Ribble to a new pumping station which will be built in Penwortham, then back under the river to Clifton Marsh Water Treatment Works.

The tunnels in Preston will follow the paths of existing roads and will not travel under buildings apart from those owned by United Utilities. Restoration will also be carried out after the underground work is complete.

Whether this project will prevent or reduce the kind of flash flooding Ribblesiders experience during heavy rainfall periods is not clear - but we will go to the meeting and find out...

The main reason for the project is to improve the water quality of the River Ribble, as United Utilities Project Manager Andrew Kennedy exaplains: "This will provide great benefits to the estuary and bathing beaches as the quality of life for species on the Fylde coast improves."

This is certainly great news for the River Ribble, although traffic disruption is expected while the work is carried out.
Three shafts will be dug at Watery Lane, Marsh Lane and Fishergate Hill to allow digging machines to travel 26m underground to create a tunnel between the sites.
From Preston the pipes will travel under the river to a new pumping station in Penwortham, before passing beneath farmland and the river to Clifton Marsh.

The project has been planned to help the river comply with European legislation on bathing water quality.

Once complete, improvements should be seen to shellfish waters along the estuary and to beaches at Southport, Ainsdale, St Annes and Blackpool.

We will be asking what impact this project is expected to have on the local environment during the construction period.

Coun Ken Hudson, leader of Preston Council, said benefits to the city and the river would outweigh any problems during construction.

He said: "We don't like roadworks but it is essential the river is cleaned up and it may help tackle the algae at Preston Dock."

Exactly how it may help the algae problem is another question we will be asking!

United Utilities are intending to consult local residents about this scheme so more information should come to light over the coming months as Planning applications will be submitted to Lancashire County Council later this year and work is due to begin in the autumn.

Click on Preston City Council's link for more information.

If you want more information about the forum, a copy of the agenda, or if you can't attend but want to ask a question, the guy you need is Nigel Heckford, the area forum manager. He can be contacted at the Town Hall on 01772 906372, or by emailing n.heckford@preston@preston.gov.uk

See also great local blog Broadgate is Great
and the Lancashire Evening Post.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Fishwick Bottoms - new Friends Group Launch Wednesday 11th March

2009-03-09T15:14:00.003Z

Preston City Council's Parks Department are looking for people who share a common interest in improving Fishwick Bottoms Local Nature Reserve and associated recreation ground.

If you might be interested in getting involved with a Friends of Fishwick group, with an aim to work with Preston City Council Parks Department, and their partners, why not come along to a meeting to find out more.

As a resident living close to the site, or someone with an interest in it, Preston Parks Department would like to invite you to a meeting at the YMCA centre on Samuel Street at 6pm on Wednesday 11th March.

AGENDA

6pm Tea / Coffee
6.15 Introductions
6.20 The story so far..and future plans. Michelle Holroyd, Lancashire County Council
6.40 Management of the site Matt Kelly Preston City Council.
7pm What are Friends for? Haslam Park Friends Group
7.15 Who needs Friends? Terry Blackburn, PCC Park Ranger
7.30 Any Questions?
7.50 Summary and date of next meeting.

Samuel Street is off Fishwick Parade (near New Hall Lane). There are signs for the YMCA Fishwick Parade. Postcode; PR1 4YE, Grid Ref; SD557297

If you are unable to attend this meeting but would like to be kept advised of the next meeting please contact the Parks Office 01772 609471 or email parks@preston.gov.uk

Broadgate Blog Builds Community

2009-02-22T18:30:00.004Z

The latest blog post on 'Broadgate Is Great' lists "85 ways to build community".

These are ways of building 'Social Capital', the invisible glue that holds communities together, makes people feel happier, and actually be healthier and live longer, better lives.

The list includes organising walking tours of local beauty spots, organising campaigns to defend community resources, going to local meetings and speaking up for your area, all activities we at 'Save The Ribble' became dab hands at in our campaign to keep our beautiful river free from the Riverworks Barrage.

It's nice to know that not only did we stop the barrage from being built (at least for the time being), but, without even realising it, we were also helping to build 'social capital' in the communities neighbouring the Ribble.

Pictures from the Riverbank - High Tide and The Ribble Bore

2009-02-15T13:36:00.025Z

Ribblesider Ken A. sent in these fantastic pictures of last week's high tide at The Dolphin...

and also managed to get some excellent pictures of the Ribble bore...

These are just a few of Ken's pictures, and show the wild beauty of the River Ribble - and Ken's pics of the Ribble Bore remind us of Darren's adventures canoeing downriver with his mate and hitching a ride back on the Ribble Bore...

'Mice 'n' Men.
Last summer, around about this time, my friend Neil and myself decided to take a canoe trip on the river. The mission was to head out toward the estuary near Lytham returning on the incoming tide alive and still smiling. We borrowed an old, battered, 12 foot Canadian canoe from a friend and headed to the concrete launch next to the sea cadets on strand road. With paddle in one hand and canoe in the other we tiptoed down the bank avoiding the dog turds and broken glass. After wading through a few feet of off -white scum we boarded our vessel and set forth.

It was midday, not a cloud in the sky and the sun was beating down on our bare skin. We had timed our launch to coincide with the change of tide, an hour or so after high tide. This meant we were travelling with the river as it flowed out to sea.

It takes a little patience when you first begin to canoe together, timing the strokes and learning to steer, but by the time we had reached the entrance to the dock basin we had arrived at some sort of understanding. Just as well really! Approaching rapidly at a fair rate of knots, its *rse deep in the river churning up the water, the bow standing proud 3 feet from the surface was a speedboat. Little time later the craft, its occupant and the passenger on tow 20 or so feet behind powered past with all the authority of an aquatic 4x4. Having to turn the canoe to meet the oncoming waves head-on for stability I caught the eyes of twenty or so fishermen lined up along the dock wall opposite. Although nothing could be said between the anglers and ourselves, we were too far apart, there was a brief moment of “connection” a sort of collective consciousness: Hanging between us above the wake on the river, the sound of the 150bhp engine disappearing in the distance, was a large speech bubble. Half made from aether and half made from petrol fumes it contained the words “ what a w**k*r!”

Our encounter with James Bond had left us somewhat shaken and a wee bit stirred. However we recaptured our serenity and continued on our way, slightly slower than walking pace and slightly faster than driftwood. As we made our way under the electricity cables towering above us and onward to the river Douglas the difference between Neil's and my personality became apparent. Neil flirts with cynicism and seems at home with the incongruous, so he cast his gaze, ears and mind to the right; the northern bank. He heard the high pitched shrill of the motor-cross bikes revving and racing their way through a Sunday. He pondered on the ramifications of radioactive effluent seeping into the Ribble from Savick Brook. He bent his head backward offering up his nostrils in the hope of catching a whiff of the large land-fill site and he stared into the distance hoping to get his first glimpse beyond the small wooded screen of the factory which produces weapons of mass destruction. I on the other hand like things as they should be, if anything my sensitive nature leans more to the romantic. So I kept my thoughts and eyes to the left; the south bank. Green banks of well cropped grass, bleating sheep, and weathered hawthorn bowing to the east was the order of the day for me!

We stopped at the Douglas tributary for a leg stretch and a bite to eat before continuing our journey. Our plan was to get as far as Lytham, pull alongside the promenade, disembark, down several cold beers in the nearest pub whilst waiting for the tide to change then head off home. Reality had other ideas. It soon became apparent as the tide continued to drop and the channel became narrower that we were picking up speed, not by much, but enough for both of us to realise the possible consequences. As the thoughts of being spat out to sea and heading off to Ireland or worse still America dawned, tomorrow's headlines began to write themselves in my head: “Two Bearded Terrorists Smelling of Fish Captured off Boston Coast” or “Barrage required: Safety of Canoeists Paramount.” With that very much in mind we pulled over to the northern bank, the Lytham windmill in view across the large expanse of silt.

The mud flats on the northern bank are intersected by small channels about 6 feet wide and it was in one of these channels we now found ourselves. Water was continuing to drain as the tide dropped so it wasn't long before the bottom of the canoe was sat more on mud than in water. As I attempted to climb out in readiness for the long walk across to the promenade my leg sank up to the thigh in the mud. I heaved myself with great effort back aboard and the two of us recognising our predicament frantically tried to free the canoe from its land-locked environment. Not easy! A good 10 minutes of aerobic exercise eventually saw us free and back floating in the narrow channel of the Ribble. Even though the tide had practically reached its low point it was still a struggle paddling back up-stream as we headed for safe ground 200 metres ahead. Thirty minutes later we were stood on terra firma, Neil's back bright red with sunburn and me one leg white and the other blackened with silt.

We were opposite the fenced perimeter of British aerospace with about 3 hours to kill before the tide turned offering us our lift back to Preston. So we temporarily left the canoe and set off on foot to Warton in search of refreshments. It’s a surprisingly long walk but eventually we were heading back to the peace of the river with a few cold beers for company.

On our return we were greeted with the tranquil ambience of a summer's evening by an English river. We dragged the canoe into the water and sat pointed towards the skyline of Preston. Bathed in the sunset and not a ripple on the surface of the river we sat watching as nature did its thing. A flock of birds passed back and forth in front of us, each change of direction the flock made reflected the evening sun in a captivating iridescent light show. Knowing time was getting on we started paddling homeward but the progress was painfully slow. About 10 or so metres ahead were a line of ducks, it appeared they were mocking our pitiful efforts but I think in retrospect they, like us, were waiting for their lift. We were just about to throw in the towel, convinced that the tide was having the evening off, when we heard the unmistakable gurgle of moving water. We both turned our heads to see the approaching bore, and what a sight! Behind the 8 inch high wall came a turbulent, broken mass of Irish Sea water gently lapping the banks as it regained old ground. In front a silky smooth reflective surface of unbroken water.

Poised for action, paddle in water and head cast back over shoulder, we waited. It felt just like the Guinness advert, except unlike galloping white stallions we were faced by little white mice! That's not to belittle the event, I can promise we were both buzzing. We hooted like cowboys as the back end of the canoe lifted and our strokes matched the pace of the moving water. We were off! Riding the Ribble bore homeward bound. Fantastic!

Incompetence and a leaking canoe prevented a sustained surf at the sharp end and the mice finally got away. We had to content ourselves with a back seat view and watch on as rocks disappeared from sight engulfed as the itinerant tide graced our river. Although we were forced to stop on a few occasions to bale out the wet stuff, the continued speed of the incoming tide enabled us to arrive back at the sea cadets in time for last orders, and that has to be a good thing!

Mission completed.'

Great stuff - not quite the Severn Bore...

... but a fabulous Ribble phenomenon nonetheless. The Severn is of course under serious threat of a barrage, and we hope that sense prevails and the alternative options such as tidal reefs or lagoons are pursued instead.
While the Ribble tide was high at The Dolphin where Ken was out walking, further upriver high tide in Penwortham was equally beautiful...

... high tide from Penwortham Old Bridge reflecting the February sky, and at low tide exposing the mudflats and the beauty of the sight and sounds of the Ribble's flowing waters...

For more on the River Severn see Save our Severn and Stop the Barrage

you can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Great Wall of Preston: Dock's Vision Muddying the Water?

2009-01-20T16:43:00.008Z

The Lancashire Evening Post report today that one of the proposals being considered by Preston Council for the Riverworks Quayside Docks development is a huge wall dividing the Dock basin into two sections from top to bottom through the entire depth of the 20-30ft deep basin which, it is suggested, they hope could potentially solve the blue-green algae problem...

Apparently by mixing contaminated silts from the bottom of the dock basin with cement to construct this dividing wall, and then, according to Council Leader Ken Hudson, "lifting all the silt from one side of the dock and setting it at the back of the wall so you fill the dock with its own sludge", it is hoped that the water quality on the non-sludged side of the wall would be of 'bathing quality' and therefore water sports could take place on that section of the dock basin.

What exactly this will mean for the sludge-filled side, and the visual and olfactory results of having one half of the dock basin back-filled with sludge isn't clear...

- Not to mention what relationship this has with the associated idea of building floating homes not only on the Docks basin but alongside the Ribble itself - destroying the biodiversity of sections of the Ribble corridor and the effectiveness of areas of floodplain which are essential for protecting already-existing communities and a no-go area for new development, according to the Strategic Flood Risk Assessment to which all Councils and developers are now bound...

These ideas for the Dock basin wall are clearly ideas only at this stage, forming "one of several options being considered in a feasibility study on Preston Council's Quayside Project", as there would need to be a detailed assessment of the economic and environmental costs of such a procedure, not to mention the huge reduction in the navigable area of the Dock basin (- one of the largest single dock basins in Europe we believe - at the moment anyway!), and the scheme is intended to include the floating homes idea which has been raised before - presumably on the sludgy half?!

... all of which leaves us wondering:

- why the blue-green algae would suddenly choose to occupy only one half of the Dock basin when silts themselves aren't the sole cause of the problem, lack of oxygen caused by standing water is;

- what options are being considered which would protect the current size of the basin and oxygenate the water to discourage blue-green algae in the first place, and therefore make the whole dock basin a useable - and fantastic - water-sports facility (- it's a shame to make it so much smaller!);

- why redeveloping the docks appears to mean losing so much of its space and therefore its potential by building floating homes instead of pursuing options which keep it a public domain, and retain that vast open space, AND solve the algae problem;

- how such a huge structure as this "mudcrete" wall would be can be an asset rather than an eyesore;

- how the silted-up half of the basin will look and smell!

- What these proposals will mean for the associated ideas for developing the Ribble corridor - presumably the Preston side anyway as South Ribble Borough Council have pledged to protect the Ribble banks and Green Belt areas from development.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Midwinter Tales from the Riverbank - Ribblesiders Still Watching

2009-01-08T10:19:00.021Z

Whilst things are quiet on the Save The Ribble front, as the Penwortham Green Belt and floodplain has been saved from the Riverworks proposals for a huge housing estate, designated instead a new Country Park by South Ribble Borough Council - exactly what local people were asking for! - and the Ribble barrage proposal "off the agenda" at Preston Borough Council - for the time being at least, Ribblesiders are free to enjoy the unspoilt pleasures of life by the Ribble - pleasures that money can't buy.

Even in the depths of winter, the Ribble is a beautiful habitat for people, and an essential habitat for wildlife.
As the RSPB emphasise, the Ribble and other West coast estuaries are VITAL for wildlife on an international scale, particularly in freezing temperatures such as we have at the moment.

A walk alongside the mudflats in Broadgate and Penwortham at low tide will reward you with the sights and sounds of just some of the birdlife the Ribble supports through the winter, from Teal to Goosander to gulls to my personal favourites the Redshank feeding by the water's edge, their melancholic tew-tew-tew echoing along the water.

Chris of Penwortham has sent in a few pictures he has taken along the Ribble during these cold wintry weeks...

looking upriver on a day thick with frost and fog

the elms along the Tram Road

a pair of Lapwings on the fields opposite Avenham and Miller Parks...

...which take to the air...

...and fly upriver.

Nonetheless, the underlying fear that the barrage proposal could be resurrected still lingers in Ribblesiders' minds, and the knowledge of what we would lose is pertinently described by Sue of Savick...

'My parents still live near Savick Brook. I spent hours,days and years down there as a child and teenager and I still walk and run there whenever I can. I went to Savick school and have vivid memories of gazing out of the upper windows at the swollen brook in winter rain, of trying to decipher the contours of its older courses in other weathers and seasons.

The canalisation of the brook has been a complete waste of money and a small environmental disaster destroying tidal flows and wildlife habitats along its length. It's no longer a place where children from the Lea and Savick estates could play (PE), observe wildlife (Biology), see nature at work in the form of water erosion (Geography), or wonder at the different textures of sand and mud (Geology). Nothing to do now but hang out at the lock gates, grafitti the thoughtfully supplied information boards (suppose that's Art) or trudge along tarmac paths - subjects for someone else's study of Sociology instead of active learners. And I've seen just one boat in how ever many years since it was opened (Economics).

The barrage [would] promise disaster for the environment and us on a vaster scale. From the purely subjective point of view of one small human being, one of my great joys coming home to Preston from life in exile in Yorkshire is coming over the Ribble: by train is good , but - against my better judgement - by car inspires and uplifts me. Driving over Penwortham Bridge I'm keen to see the state of the tide and the height of the river. It gives me a taste of the sea, the tides, the moon, of the cycles of life. I weave vague histories about the old hulk, rotting upstream to the left. I look for birds on the mudflats and promise again to bring my binoculars and park. I would be devastated to lose all this to our rulers' quest for yet more uniformity, predictability, certainty. What a Vision for Preston.'

Sue

- thanks Sue.

Diane has sent in a comment about the lack of urgency in tackling flooding along the Ribble:

'The problem with not only our council preston, is that all councils seem to have their head in their sand. It does not matter how many people phone up and say about drains not working properly, the council do not seem to act until it is to late. A lot of the floodings can be stopped if the councils looked after the drainage problem properly and put into action a proper flooding plan and spend money where needed. We have not seen the last of the floodings and the council need to understand this and start spending money and take action to stop serious damage being caused'
- thanks Diane: of course, by not barraging rivers or building on the floodplains will certainly help prevent flooding worsening!

Penwortham wetlands overlooked by the Preston Junction Nature Reserve, still beautiful in Winter, and birds of prey can often be seen hunting here - thanks Chris!

Also, you can read about how Preston Junction Nature Reserve is currently being considered for a REMADE in Lancashire facelift, hoping to improve access to and from Bamber Bridge and Preston - directly into Fishergate Centre car park and the train station - by bike and walking, whilst preserving and enhancing the wildlife facilities of the Nature Reserve and its adjoining habitats!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

River Barrages and Flood "Defence" Embankments Causing Flood Devastation in India, Nepal, and Bangladesh

2008-09-29T12:23:00.002+01:00

The most recent flooding in India, Napal, and Bangladesh has been exacerbated by River barrages and flood "defence" embankments built along the river floodplains, particularly the huge Ganges river system.

These barrages have also caused huge environmental impacts such as erosion, desertification, siltation, and loss of farmland and environmental habitats including huge impacts on fisheries in areas where people rely completely on being able to grow and catch their own food.

As the flood waters have backed up behind the barrage structures, the river banks either side have been seriously breached and flooded huge areas of land. The Kosi barrage was itself breached too in recent weeks, causing further devastation downstream.

photo courtesy ASAP

Sudhirendar Sharma reports:

'Over 3,465 km of embankments have been built as a flood-control measure in Bihar since 1952, and more embankments are in the offing. When will government realise that it is the embankments themselves that are responsible for Bihar’s recurrent floods?
The truth is that Delhi has got its flood action plan consistently wrong over the years, and so has Patna. Shockingly, it is the flood control measures themselves that have over the years turned north Bihar into a watery grave for millions. Over 2 million people are permanently trapped between the flood control embankments which have been built along the Kosi river since the early-1950s ... An estimated 8 million people are faced with acute water-logging outside of the embankments. Strait-jacketing the silt-laden Kosi has actually caused flood-prone areas in the state to increase threefold since independence, from a low of 25,00,000 hectares to a high of 68,00,000 hectares today. No less than 73% of the entire land mass of Bihar remains flood-prone.'
See Missing the River for the Dam and Abandoned Victims of the Kosi Embankments.

'A dam on the river in Nepal breached earlier this month causing the Kosi to change its course, swamping hundreds of villages in Bihar and destroying more than 100,000 hectares (247,000 acres) of farmland.'

The havoc was reportedly caused by the gates of the Kailashpuri barrage (on the Ghagara river) not being opened.

See What is Flooding the Koshi Barrage and Nepal Blames India for Fresh Flooding.

On Sept 5: 'Engineers working at the Kosi Barrage in Nepal have said that the river would continue to change its course if heavy silt deposits are not removed... the river has breached its embankment 8 times in a span of just 50 years and government officials as well as the engineers are being blamed for the catastrophe said to largely manmade.' See News Track India.

Meanwhile, Muhammad Javed Iqbal has recently pointed out the ongoing devastation caused by the Farakka Barrage to huge areas of India and Bangladesh along the Ganges basin, which has caused desertification, massive erosion, and huge siltation problems along the Ganges basin.

This particular barrage was built to supposedly SOLVE problems caused by earlier barrages along other stretches of the Ganges huge river system, but has of course made the problems considerably worse - and not just for the environment as over 20 thousand people been made homeless by the unforeseen consequences of the Farakka barrage, and two rivers 20km downstream of the barrage, which used to be 3 km apart 10 years ago, are now only 750 METRES apart, and are likely to merge and cause even more havoc.
See The Farakka Barrage - An Environmental Mistake

If you would like to help people hit by the devastating floods in Nepal, India, and Bangladesh, please click on the links below:
International Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies

Save The Children donation site

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

PRESTON VISION LIMITED SURVIVES ATTEMPT TO IMPROVE ITS DEMOCRATIC ACCOUNTABILITY

2008-09-21T19:58:00.000+01:00

Plans to re-vamp the controversial Preston Vision Board have survived a demand from Labour Councillors to give the so-called think tank more democratic accountability by adding more politicians to the restructured board (Vision Board survives after row)

Councillor Jack Davenport (Lab) called for council leader Ken Hudson (Con) to chair the Preston Vision Board Limited with Labour leader John Collins also a member.

But the move, which was narrowly defeated in the City Centre Committee by a vote of 6 to 5, would have gone against North West Development Agency rules which say that the Board needs to be headed by a private sector figure.

The Vision Board, responsible for a number of deeply unpopular projects, has been much criticised by local residents for its secretiveness, lack of democratic accountability and its over representation of business interests rather than those of local people (Preston Vision Boards limited vision)

However, the structure of the re-vamped Vision Board is unlikely to address the concerns of local residents. Councillor Collins said that the Vision Board, with only one Preston Council member, would have “a democratic deficit”, while Matthew Brown (Lab) said a private sector chairman would have a “conflict of interest”.

Councillor Davenport said “we need to be more enthusiastic about democratic accountability, otherwise every project that comes up is going to be met with scepticism”.

Lack of democratic accountability is of course welcomed by private business since it ensures that their own narrow interests are heard at the expense of those of local residents. Preston City Council Chief Executive Jim Carr appeared to acknowledge this when he commented that the “private sector are very easily put off by politicking” (Vision Board survives after row)

But what the private sector calls politicking we call democratic accountability and ensuring the interests of local people are protected.

Local residents are unlikely to be persuaded by Jim Carr’s comment that Preston Vision Board was not a decision making body – decisions would be made by the cross party City Centre Committee.

Surely putting important decisions to a small hand picked committee rather than the full council simply compounds residents' concerns about the Vision Board's lack of accountability and fears that unpopular projects will be pushed through without the scrutiny of the full democratic process (A Barrage of Democracy)

Preston City Council is clear that it wants to attract investment into the City and Jim Carr believes that “when it comes to attracting investment we need the best people and the best people are the private sector”.

This may be so. But what local residents question is whether the private sector is always going to act in the interests of local people and of our environment when businesses could stand to make huge profits from Vision Board projects.

Given the recent track record of the Vision Board in promoting deeply unpopular projects such as the Ribble barrage and associated building on our Green Belt, and the proposed re-vamp of Winckley Square and the Flag Market, the answer to this question is surely no.

And considering the Vision Board's continued interest in developing the Ribble corridor with cafes, restaurants, businesses and homes (Revitalised riverside or developers dream?)local residents would be right to continue to be highly sceptical of Preston Vision Limited and its projects.

The private sector will of course have a role to play in the future development of Preston.

But it is clear that the interests of business must be kept in check by the process of democratic accountability if the interests of local people and our environment are to be protected.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Preston Vision Board's Ltd Vision

2008-09-07T21:13:00.001+01:00

Preston City Council has announced that it wants to recruit a senior figure to overhaul the much criticised Preston Vision Board (LEP 29/8/08 Search for think tank supremo ).

Councillors have been asked to back making the Board a limited company known as Preston Vision Ltd to give it more clout and make it more accountable.

Local residents have frequently expressed concerns about the Vision Board's lack of accountability and failure to represent the views and aspirations of the local community. And this failure to consider the needs of the local community and environment has resulted in the Board limiting its Vision to plans which serve the needs of developers and simply further the oft repeated but fundamentally un-ambitious mantra of Preston achieving “Third City” status.

It was the Preston Vision Board which came up with the plan to barrage the Ribble, develop the River corridor and build homes and offices on our Green Belt and flood plain. Plans which were opposed by 74% of local people. 74% of residents say NO to Ribble Barrage
More recently the Vision Board's plans for the historic Winckley Square in Preston have caused a storm of protests amongst local residents.

While plans to barrage the Ribble were shelved as a result of the opposition of local residents and environmental organisations the Preston Vision Board continues to view the Ribble as a “tremendous asset” and wants to press ahead with plans to develop the river corridor with cafes, restaurants and homes alongside the river (see Revitalised river or developer's dream? ) But the Vision Board's “dream” for the River, as espoused by its chair Malcom McVicar, continues to betray a lack knowledge and lack of respect for the River Ribble, the riverside area, local communities, and all of the environmental strategies directly connected to the River Ribble itself as well as to broader biodiversity and flood management issues.
Unfortunately, turning the board into a limited company is unlikely to do anything to encourage a change in its direction or its already limited vision.

Opposition leaders on the Council have expressed concerns that the Preston Vision Board would be led by an “unelected” supremo if it is turned into a limited company and could become a “self-satisfying group for old boys networking” (Concern over unelected think tank boss).

It is unclear exactly how turning the Preston Vision Board into a limited company will increase its accountability to local residents.
And other than the requirement to submit audited accounts to Companies House it won’t be subject to any increased public scrutiny either.

Neither should we expect the newly appointed (and no doubt highly paid) executive to have the views and aspirations of local people or protection of our local environment as his/her priority.

Indeed, the City Council is clear that they want a new high profile executive “who can relate well to the private sector and negotiate with potential developers with the aim of attracting entrepreneurs into the city.” (see LEP Search for think tank supremo ).

As long as Preston Vision Ltd continues to address the needs and interests of private sector developers before considering the aspirations of local residents and the needs of our local environment it will continue to deliver more of the same limited vision for the future of our community.

We were amused to read Barry Freeman's 'View from Here' in the LEP on 4/9/08 in which he pours scorn on the latest attempts to revamp the Vision Board by "shovelling more public brass into an executive salary trough", saying that calling it Preston Vision Ltd is "an unwittingly great name which explains an awful lot". He says that there is "something increasingly Alan Partridge" about Preston City leaders' aspirations to achieve Third City status. We tend to agree.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Ribble Wildlife Walks and Talks

2008-09-02T12:46:00.001+01:00

Ok, so this summer is pretty much a washout again, but when the sun does shine, grab your shoes and head down to the Ribble - or grab your brolly and go anyway because the Ribble is beautiful whatever the weather!

A particularly interesting series of events are coming up, starting
this Wednesday, 3rd September
- a Herbal Health Walk.

We've been told that 'two lovely herbalists will be leading a walk to enjoy the fresh air and scenery and to look at some of the herbs that grow wild in the Avenham Park area and surrounding countryside.'

They are meeting at 2 p.m. at the new Avenham Pavilion, which is looking pretty much finished now, down by the river.

But if it carries on raining until October, don't worry because the Preston Birdwatching and Natural History Society have announced their new season of talks, beginning at the end of September...

Most of the Preston Society talks take place at St. Mary's Church Hall, Cop Lane, Penwortham, (100 metres from the Liverpool Road traffic lights near the Fleece Inn) but a few are in an alternative venue further down Cop Lane.

Best of all, a number of the talks are directly connected to our Ribble wildlife!! - so check out their website for full details, but look out for:

"Life and Colour in our Northern Coastal Waters" on October 13th 7.30pm St. Leonard's Hall, Marshall's Brow (at the bottom end of Cop Lane, Penwortham);

"Gravel to Grebes" - How Brockholes Wetland is coming along!
December 8th St. Leonard's, 7.30pm;

"A Year in Bowland" - yes, Bowland wildlife and Ribble wildlife are often connected, from breeding Lapwings to the Harriers who breed on Bowland but hunt the entire Ribble corridor - and beyond!
January 26th in St. Mary's Church Hall, Cop Lane 7.30pm;

"A Year at Marshside" February 23rd, St Mary's, 7.30pm;
- another must-see, but make sure you also get down to Marshside in person too!

plus many other talks on "Waterworld", "Migration", and various Birdlife and Wildlife from local, national and international perspectives.

Happy Ribbling, wellies and all!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Messing About by the River Ribble has a whole new incentive - Welcome Back to the New Continental!

2008-08-18T08:35:00.001+01:00

Welcome back to the New Continental - which opened its doors again on the banks of the River Ribble yesterday on a (rare!) sunny August afternoon!

We've been very busy this summer, and our time spent by the Ribble has been a much rarer treat than we would like - and of course the summer weather has been a re-run of last year's heavy rainfall so the Ribble has been well-worth visiting to see the fast-flowing rains hurrying by!

Yesterday, I was left at home busily working while the rest of the family enjoyed a ramble by the Ribble, walking upriver at high tide on the Penwortham bank...

...and stopping as ever on the old Tram Bridge connecting the South Ribble "Ribbleside" Country Park to Avenham and Miller Parks in Preston to enjoy the fantastic views towards Walton le Dale and Lostock Hall...

... then walking along the banks of the Ribble through that fantastic avenue of elms and horse chestnuts running the length of both parks...

...before making their way past the New Continental pub which has been undergoing a huge transformation in recent weeks as the new owners have been getting ready to launch...
...at which point the whole family and the dog dashed home to drag me away from my work as the New Continental has re-opened!!

In the interests of family harmony I managed to force myself away from my books, and we headed to the New Continental at a fast rate of knots!

The interior looks great, really fresh and spacious yet even more cosy than it ever was. Comfy seats and cosily arranged furniture making great little snugs all through. The atmosphere is really fantastic - and the pub and garden (with a great patio make-over!) were both nicely busy with groups of friends and families enjoying the evening sunshine.

The biggest change is the windows - after the first slight shock that the leaded windows have gone (well, they were repro and very damaged) was the fantastic realisation of the great view over the Ribble! From inside the pub!!

A peruse of the (original) bar discovers even more glories - a fantastic selection of local and continental beers!! Wow!! We had to try a few of course, in the interests of community relations, and they really were fantastic.

We had a really great evening tasting a grand selection of beers and watching the setting sun glinting on the Ribble and bathing the trees on the Penwortham side in glory...

Great view of the magnificent Victorian railway bridge too, with the sun shining through those vast but elegant arches...

Then we decided to check out the menu, and here the superlatives are in hot demand as the menu is great, offering a mix of locally-sourced ingredients in traditional and continental-style foods, but the reality is truly fabulous!!! Fantastically-cooked food and very generous portions!

Sea Bass on a bed of cous-cous...

Garstang Blue cheese and Walnut salad... and there was also a great selection of meats, plus a great children's menu - our group enjoyed the tomato and cheese flan with mashed potato and seasonal veg! Followed by a chocolate brownie with ice-cream and a bottle of real Dandelion & Burdock, while the older members of the party moved on to another delectable brew...

Great Beer, Great food, Great Atmosphere, Great Pub!!!

And a great walk home along the banks of the Ribble, hurrying by to the sea....

Check out what's happening in Broadgate on the Broadgate is Great Blog;

and what's happening at the New Continental pub
- and for more details, see their blog! . They have a few more things to do to finish off their fantastic re-fit but the beer, the food, the views, and the atmosphere are up and running!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

...now, back to the books, with body and spirit well-fed....

Wildlife Walk on Ribbleside with the Preston Society

2008-07-15T09:57:00.001+01:00

Hard day at work? Not enough quality time in the evening? Then come for an evening amble on Ribbleside with the Preston Birdwatching & Natural History Society on Monday 21st July at 7pm.

They are leaving the Tram Bridge over the River Ribble where Avenham Park meets the new South Ribble Country Park at 7pm, and walking south across the country park through the trees towards Vernon's Lodge area.
But don't worry if you're a few minutes late as they walk very slowly!

There will be wildlife to see, birdsong and flowing Ribble waters to hear, and fresh air to breathe - and a number of wildlife experts to point out wildlife of interest along the way! What better way to unwind after a long day!

They expect to be back by the River Ribble by 9.15pm - but you can leave as early as you wish and make your own way back.

And in another few weeks will be able to end your evening rambles by the Ribble at the New Continental pub, can't wait!

Find out more about the Preston Birdwatching & Natural History Society here.

you can contaxt us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Penwortham Ribblesiders - Have YOUR Say in the Penwortham Town Plan

2008-07-07T16:25:00.002+01:00

All residents of Penwortham in South Ribble are being invited by Penwortham Town Council to have their say in the development of the Penwortham Town Plan as part of the Local Development Framework.

Copies of the questionnaire are currently in libraries and Doctor's surgeries throughout Penwortham and Council officers will be out and about with the questionnaires across the town - plus you can also complete it online by downloading the questionnaire here, saving it to your Word documents on your PC, completing and saving the form, then email the completed form back to Penwortham Town Council here: info@penworthamtowncouncil.gov.uk by the 21st July.

Simple!

Have YOUR say on what YOU want to see happen in Penwortham over the coming years, including the types and location of housing and other developments you would like to see, and answering questions on other issues such as traffic congestion, quality of life issues and resources for all Penwortham residents including young people, the protection of local centres and rural communities, the protection of historic buildings and trees, plus you can add extra comments such as...

...whether you are interested in ensuring the preservation of your allotments...

... and the fabulous and internationally important intertidal River Ribble...

...and Penwortham's parks and open spaces...

...including the latest addition - the new Ribbleside Country Park!

The Penwortham Town Plan covers issues affecting YOUR neighbourhood - so don't delay, complete it and email it info@penworthamtowncouncil.gov.uk today!

Alternatively, you can print it off and complete it by hand and post it back to Penwortham Town Council, Kingsfold Community Centre, Kingsfold Drive, Penwortham, Preston PR1 9EQ.

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Ribbleside Flooding Issues

2008-07-04T13:39:00.000+01:00

We note with interest the latest article on the new Broadgate is Great blog about the Environment Agency's forthcoming repairs to the Broadgate Flood Defence walls alongside the River Ribble in Preston.

The River Ribble in Broadgate and the flood defence walls - photo courtesy of Broadgate is Great

Click on this Broadgate is Great link to read more about local residents' concerns and the Environment Agency's proposals.

We of course welcome repairs to these defences as local residents have raised their concerns about the state of the Broadgate flood defences for some time now, and we also look forward to seeing what the long-term proposals are for these walls as we understand they will eventually be replaced.

It is the case that there are a number of issues currently floating around (pun intended) in respect of flooding - and we are currently working on a new article which draws together a number of the issues raised by the Environment Agency's Ribble Catchment Flood Management Plan, the Ribble Strategic Flood Risk Assessment, the long-term proposals for mitigating against flooding along the River Ribble which focus on sustainable means of protection against flooding in terms of economic, community, and environmental implications, and the recent Pitt Report into the need to take flood mitigation measures seriously... so watch this space!

You can contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk

Broadgate Gets A New Community Blog

2008-06-25T17:15:00.003+01:00

The Ribble-side community of Broadgate have a new blog, that will report on issues affecting local people in the area.

'Riversider', who helped 'Save The Ribble' set up the Save The Ribble Blog, a key part of our strategy to defeat the Ribble Barrage proposals, is one of the founders of the new Broadgate blog.

He said

"The blog called Broadgate Is Great is a blog that will keep everyone up to date with what is happening in Broadgate and the work of the Broadgate Residents Action Group. It will give everyone in Broadgate a chance to have their say about the things that matter most to them.

The blog wants to paint a positive picture of Broadgate, without shying away from some of the more difficult issues affecting the lives of local people, it wants to build inclusiveness and strengthen the sense of community that already exists in the area, and hopefully add to the quality of life of everyone who lives here"

The blog's 'mission statement' says:

Broadgate stretches from the Continental Pub, all the way to the docks including Hartington Road and Marsh Lane, and up Fishergate Hill to County Hall. All kinds of wonderful people live here. It's a place people stay once they've found it.

Broadgate means everyone in Broadgate, no matter where you started out, no matter what your colour or creed, no matter whether you are young or old. Let's find ways to live together and make our area the best place to live in Preston.

The blog has already carried news about new developments at the Continental pub, and about controversy surrounding press coverage of the closure of the Alma Hotel on Fishergate, as well as a great article exploring the history of the North Union Bridge, one of the finest Victorian bridges spanning the Ribble.

Severn Tidal Barrage Uneconomical AND Disastrous to Intertidal Ecology

2008-06-12T09:40:00.003+01:00

An independent report produced by an economic consultancy has shown that the plan to barrage the River Severn to generate electricity would NOT be an economic use of tax-payers' money.

The report, published by Frontier Economics, an independent economic consultancy, said:

'the barrage would be an expensive option compared to other renewable energy and the government's renewable energy target could probably be met using cheaper green technologies.

It said: "Considerable new evidence would be needed to make a large barrage in the Severn estuary an attractive option."'

This comes as no surprise to opponents of the Ribble barrage!
Our own research has shown that the economic costs of barrages are an unsustainable drain on the local, regional and national economy
- and that's even WITHOUT considering the costs to the environment (including economic costs in terms of mitigation measures as the Cardiff Barrage has shown AND that our mudflat and saltmarsh wetlands are effective and sustainable FLOOD DEFENCES).

As Save Our Severn point out:

'Experience has shown the Canadian Governmant that tidal barrages just don’t work in silt laden estuaries and the environmental destruction and increased flooding is just too high a price to pay for so called "green energy"'.

Barraging the Severn or the Ribble or any other estuary in the UK also directly contravenes EU and UK policies regarding Sustainable development - so the Government cannot morally or legally support such a scheme when there ARE cheaper and more cost-effective and LESS ENVIRONMENTALLY DAMAGING alternatives, including wind, waves, and tidal lagoons.

Matthew Bell, author of Frontier Economics' Severn barrage report, said:

"Not only is the private sector more than able to finance a scheme of this scale but, even using the most conservative estimates of costs, the barrage is one of the most expensive options for clean energy there is."

As Save The Ribble have shown, the economic costs of barrages are clearly unsustainable - and there is also the small matter of causing irreparable damage to the ecology of our Internationally important river estuaries as many thousands of hectares of wetland (a habitat under serious decline both in the UK and globally) on the Severn Estuary alone would be lost forever, along with the wildlife which depends on it and on its intertidal ecosystem.
This report shows that the economic costs are unacceptable even when taking into account the possibility of large-scale electricity generation.

As the BBC report:

'Campaigners say some 14,000 hectares of saltmarsh and mudflats would be lost through the building of a large barrage, resulting in the loss of migratory birds that nest there.

It would also hit the fish populations of the Severn, Wye and Usk rivers, which all flow into the estuary above the point where the dam would be built.

Mark Lloyd, director of the Anglers' Conservation Association, said salmon in particular would be lost.

"The salmon population of the Wye and Usk is very important in maintaining a species but also economically, the Wye and Usk rely really heavily on salmon fishing for income," he said.

He added migratory fish would be playing "Russian roulette" with the barrage's turbines at every tide.

The Frontier Economics report was commissioned by the Anglers' Conservation Association, RSPB, Salmon & Trout Association, The National Trust, The Wildfowl and Wetlands Trust, The Wildlife Trusts, United Usk Fisherman's Association, WWF-UK, Wye Salmon Fishery Owners Group, Wye and Usk Foundation.'

Read more about the Frontier Economics Severn Barrage Report here in The Guardian;

Find out more about the campaign to Save The Severn from a barrage here;

More about renewal energy options which DON'T irreversibly destroy the environment here, and here;

Find out more about why Saltmarsh and mudflats are vital for wildlife and human communities here.

Contact us at savetheribble@tiscali.co.uk