Asking other Groups to Save Clyne Valley

[Carrie Thomas]

Further to our recent action group meetings, we are now ready to contact other groups to ask them to support us and to email their members to support our cause

 

It is best to phone a group first and see how we can work with them, then follow up with the email.

Firstly, do they have any useful information that supports our case, eg type of wildlife there?

Secondly, will they as a Group support our case, both objecting and commenting online, and with a letter for our file that we will present to the LDP team?

Thirdly, will they email their members and ask them to help as well?

 

Below is a suggested email format for Groups to use. You can FORWARD this email to the chosen group, deleting all unecessary writing (ie all THIS bit), and adding, subtracting and 'personalising' the suggested content to make it pertinent for that particular group. NOTE Forwarding should keep all the links and photos, whereas copying and pasting will loose that.

 

 

Here is a List of Groups that people have already contacted, or agreed to contact. (Let me know if I've got any of this wrong!)

If you know other Groups and are willing to contact them please LET US KNOW BY REPLYING TO THIS EMAIL so we don't duplicate effort.

 

Myself

Clyne Valley Community Project

Bat Conservation Trust/ Glamorgan Bat Group

All bike groups i can find

Environment Centre

 

Brian

Gower Ornithological Society

 

David Stephens

Gower Soc

 

Nesta

Swansea Badger Group

 

Geraldine

National Trust

Butterfly Conservation

 

Barbara

Wildlife Trust

Gower Walking Festival

Tourist Info Mumbles

 

Emma

Penllergaer woods

Gower Bird Soc

Down to Earth Project

Farmgarden

Woodland Trust

BTCV

 

PLEASE add to this list with your own ideas...eg are you a member of a WI? Church? Action Group? Interest Group? ....and let us know which you are willing to contact yourself.

 

 

Best Wishes,
- Carrie Thomas -

 

Here's a suggested email to forward:

  

Save Clyne Valley Country Park from residential development.

 

 

If you have ever visited Clyne Valley Country Park, you will know that it's a wonderful resource comprising many varied wildlife habitats, and tracks for walking, horse-riding and cycling.  Unfortunately the owners (City & County of Swansea) have submitted two parts of the Park as LPD candidate sites suitable for residential development. LPD stands for Local Development Plan, which is being drawn up to meet future needs. As part of the process the public are being encouraged to have their say.

 

This photo shows one ancient track (likely to be as old as Gower Road) and some of the trees there which are under threat with possibly 300 houses to be built on this one site alone (KS0001). Although part of the green wedge and Clyne Valley Country Park, this site in Killay, as well as SK0026 in Derwen Fawr, could be built upon.

 

Will you help to save the Country Park from development?

Photo, right, magnificent oak avenue under threat.

 

As a minimum, please consider signing the online petition.

Even better, visit www.saveclynevalley.co.uk  where you'll find information to HAVE YOUR SAY online at the Council's LDP webpages.....you do NOT have to live in Swansea to make your objections and comments known.  There are pages of suitable comments for you to choose, just cut and paste.

There's even got a short video now available if you want a reminder of what the fields and ancient road and trees look like. If you are able to help us....would you also tell your friends? Email any emailing groups you're with. Perhaps even via Facebook ...go to facebook then search for Save Clyne Woods, a facebook Group that has been set up. 

IF YOU ARE PART OF ANY OTHER GROUP THAT MIGHT BE INTERESTED....do let them know, and if you have FURTHER INFORMATION  that can be used in the campaign, please let me know.

 

Thank you.    Note deadline for LDP objections & comments is 30th September.

[Liz Thomas]

 

Thanks Carrie,

 

Will contact Badger Group (Mike and Pam) today.

 

Good meeting with councillors yesterday evening. Mike Day went through the whole lot in a second session for benefit of latecomers, which was impressive.

 

One little spanner in works ref. Candidate Site comments 'Support' or 'Object', from talking to some people at the meeting.

 

1. Some people have made supportive comments ref a particular Candidate Site proposal, but ticked 'Object' box because they don't agree with one of the other Candidate Site proposals.

 

2. eg. Site SK0031 - comments support 'greenspace' proposal of SK0031, but not 'residential' proposal of SK0026. So on their SK0031 return they ticked the 'Object' box. They should have made a separate return for SK0026, and ticked the 'Object' box on that.

 

If the planners only scan the returns for 'Object' or 'Support' without reading the comments, it'll give an incorrect picture. There've been thousands of returns, so doubt if they'll have time to linger over reading the comments at this stage.

 

Cheers from Nesta

 

 

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From: Carrie Thomas <Carrie...@ntlworld.com>
To: save-cly...@googlegroups.com
Sent: Monday, 12 September, 2011 9:58:07
Subject: Asking other Groups to Save Clyne Valley

[Carrie Thomas]

My understanding is that EACH different comment IS logged/filed as a basis to inform planning's next stage. Though I also assume they will be able to quickly assess no of objections vs no of supports....such weight of opinion won't bias their next stage, but WHAT people actually comment WILL do so.

 

I've heard some people (3 separate occasions) say that they are worried about sites nearwhere they live, and it turns out these are 'good' sites, eg keeping a green area, making a public footpath and eg SK0031....it turns out that these people just dont trust the planning proceedure....that when they see the candidate site notice...that EVEN though it says 'for recreation' or 'greenspace', THEY don't trust it and instead believe that as the plot has been put into the process, then what it is down as is NOT what it will eventually be earmarked for, eg the 'greenspace' will eventually turn out to be 'houses'.  Has anyone else come across this?

 

Best Wishes,
- Carrie Thomas -

Touchwood, 4 Clyne Valley Cottages, Killay, Swansea, SA2 7DU  South Wales, UK. Tel 01792 522443
 www.touchwoodspirit.com : spiritual & self-development sessions or workshops;
Healing including Bowen Technique, Theta DNA, and Byron Katie's 'Loving What Is' ('The Work'):
And for gardening, seeds and plants: www.touchwoodplants.co.uk

[Liz Thomas]

 

Yes, I can understand people's concerns. I think the council could have advertised the whole Candidate Sites exercise more widely. I only heard about it through CVCP. A lot of people didn't know anything about it.

 

We put the SK0031 site in because I strongly got the impression, from a meeting(months ago) with council staff plus a councillor, that they welcomed, even encouraged, local residents getting involved early in the LDP process, eg. protecting Clyne Valley, etc. 

 

The thinking seemed to be - if we, as local residents, didn't put in an idea for a site, then guaranteed there are others just waiting in the wings, who most certainly would. Also, having made a Candidate Site submission for a particular site, we'll be directly consulted on any future proposals for that site. That's the theory anyway !

 

Ref. planning procedure, if the government's proposed changes to planning regs. go ahead - it could be worse - happy days !

 

Cheers Nesta and John

 

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From: Carrie Thomas <Carrie...@ntlworld.com>
To: save-cly...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, 13 September, 2011 19:48:10

[Liz Thomas]

 

 

P.S. Ref. our Candidate Sites.

 

Only just picked up on the concern mentioned below ref. 'a plot has been put into the process' - i.e. drawing attention to Candidate Sites that otherwise the Planners wouldn't have thought of (?)

 

Fear not ! Any ideas they come up with now for Clyne have probably been on the cards for yonks.

 

I was told while back by someone in Highways Dept that council projects can be five/ten/fifteen or more years in the making.  Then if money's not available the project goes on the backboiler and it can be years before we hear anything of it. So whatever the planners have lined up for Clyne Valley will probably have been thought up many moons ago. They're not actually sitting around waiting for inspiration from us.

 

Cheers,

Nesta and John

 

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From: Carrie Thomas <Carrie...@ntlworld.com>
To: save-cly...@googlegroups.com

Sent: Tuesday, 13 September, 2011 19:48:10