surely this is a historic and symbolic natural monument for shropshire, how on earth could anyone in their right mind consider digging it up

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Friends of the Ercall would like to thank all the people who supported the call for an HIA, took time to write and fill in questionaires, E mail the consultancy company, or did their bit to get this report for the people of Telford who would be affected IF the mine went ahead.
We would also like to thank the S Star, and Radio Shropshire who have covered the long road from first call, to reality report.
Mr M Barkers comments to day on local radio, of “yes worth the money, valuable report, physical health aspects, never undertaken before”, were all very welcome, and reinforced our concerns for the health of those who would have this mine imposed upon them.
As this is an unbiased report, with good content, scope and depth of reasearch, we would recommend everyone who can go online to read it – you have indirectly paid for it – its YOUR report, and will now go on to become a useful reference tool in the campaigns against opencast miningcountrywide.
READ the comments on UK Coals proposed 5oo metre air quality monitoring zone – considered inadequate for the protection of human health – should be 1km due to concerns over dust levels within 1 km of the site.
Freinds of the Ercall welcome the HIA – and hope to persuade the Inspector to allow us to present this at the Enquiry as it contradicts MANY points of UK Coals evidence, in air quality reports, and others too.
The 500 metre actual buffer zone and HIA, that Scotland and Wales have as compulsory, MUST, now be addressed by the Government sothat we in England have health protection parity as the rest of the UK have.
This is the reason for the protest at the opening of the Eqnuiry April 28th, 9.30 -10 am ,GRAYS HOTEL, Telford centre – you can see in the report the concerns for the dust and particulates, join us and tell the Government to protect ENGLISH people aginst this now.
Pat, Friends of the Ercall.

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If we are going to move away from large centralised power plants using fossil fuels, to decentralised energy systems, which provide jobs locally, then the Efficiencity computer animation on the Greenpeace UK site might give some idea of what the future could look like.

At a time when people are losing their jobs in Shropshire, decentralised energy would be sustainable, it wouldn’t destabilise the climate and it would create more local jobs in Shropshire.

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Climate change is real.

This reality is accepted by the overwhelming majority of the world’s climate scientists but denied by Lucy W and anonymous websites funded by vested interests.

Lucy W knows better because those pesky IPCC scientists use long words like ‘fossil fuels’, ‘carbon dioxide’ and ‘climate change’.

NASA’s James Hansen used a few long words, too, when he spoke to hundreds of climate activists in Coventry Cathedral on March 19th 2009, but in spite of this we concentrated really hard.

Hansen said: ‘Coal-fired power plants are factories of death’.

Have you considered watching the film, The Age of Stupid, Lucy?

You’ll be doing your bit for Shropshire, because local actor, Pete Postlethwaite is in it.

See http://www.shropshirestar.com/2009/03/20/its-not-as-stupid-as-it-sounds/

Postlethwaite plays the part of an old man living in the devastated world of 2055, watching “archive” footage from 2008 and asking: why didn’t we stop climate change while we had the chance?

You may not enjoy it, though, Lucy because it uses cartoons to get its quite simple message across.

The clue to the message is in the title by the way. I’m sorry one of the words has 2 syllables.

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Of course this opencast project will go ahead,they’d better get used to it, when big business wants it, big business gets it, the local people should accept this and go and sling their collective hooks because where profit’s concerned the public’s totally ignored !.

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RGA Dave, what happens when public confidence in free market globalisation collapses, and EVERYONE of every political hue is talking about regulation of big business?

Also, will big business still get its way if it has been bailed out by the world’s taxpayers?

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if you dont want a coal mine, STOP USING SO MUCH ELECTRICITY PEOPLE! go on turn it off and insulate your home instead

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Huw, I dont need free insulation, I sleep under two duvets – it really is simple.

Why should tax payers like me fund government schemes so people can walk around their homes in next to nothing?

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Charities like Age Concern and Help the Aged and political pressure groups like the National Pensioners Convention remind the British public every year of the thousands of pensioners who die from cold-related illnesses every winter.

Are you in denial about this scandal, too, Lucy W?

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I can’t help but feel that this land will be dug up at some point. Then lets create more social housing for the nearly 15,000 on the housing waiting list and the homeless.

More green areas need to be used for the self same reason.

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Well Huw said it: “Hypocrisy is unfortunately one of those parts of the human condition which is not going to go away.”

So are you going to take in an old person this winter into your eco-friendly insulated house?

And do you have a spare room? Perhaps you could let a homeless person use it, afterall whats the difference between someone having an empty house or just a room?

By the way the so called 1 million empty homes are uninhabitable and many are dangerous. There is legisalation giving local authorities the power to take possession, renovate and collect the rent until the costs are repaid – then possession reverts to the owner.

The practical facts are is it would be cheaper for housing associations to build new than renovete, hence the owners have not taken action.

Have you never stopped and thought why the legislation (I think its the Housing Act 2004) has only been use about 6 times? Well I’ll tell you why – because its only piece of pathethic legislation our Parliment turf out to keep the do-gooder voters happy. That’s the problem with democracy.

I don’t know who this so called Agency is, but why don’t you give them some money or remotgage your house and buy an ‘empty’ home to provide for the homeless?

What is required is a little less talk and a lot more action.

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Huw, I let my house to the homeless whilst living in an eco-froendly dwelling. How about you?

Only last week I helped poor retired people grow heir own veg. Saves on food miles as well. How about you?

I think I tick the ‘action’ box. How about you?

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