Reservoir Dregs

I was too angry to write this blip yesterday, and I can't say I've settled down much now

Six weeks ago I posted a blip about some proposed developments at the Baildon Moor reservoirs. That will give you a bit of the back story, together with a 'before' image to go with the one above.

Whenever we talked to people about this in the village the general response was that the proposals were 'pie in the sky', and that we might get to see a bit more detail during the planning stages.

There don't appear to have been any planning stages.

On Monday morning, before eight, diggers had entered the site, and since then they've been scouring the vegetation away. We have been trying to find out if an ecological survey had been conducted, but nobody seems to be able to answer that question. Whatever flora and fauna used the site haven't been given any consideration. We've been told that there is a demolition order on the site, but at the same time that it is not being demolished, but retained by being brought back into use. Perhaps a demolition order circumvents some of normal due process?

Whatever the ins and outs of the planning/development process, nobody is condoning the fact that the contractors tipped waste from the development over the reservoir wall onto the moor - in fact onto a patch which is quite a distinctive wetland. I went over yesterday evening and recorded what has been happening, and you can see the set here..

Although this has been reported, and discussed extensively in the community, the work continues. My own feeling, as before, is that an intensification of use of this site is going to bring an additional urban pressure, to the moor, where development is supposed to be very well controlled.

For now, I will continue to monitor activities closley, and get involved in the discussion where I can. The last few days have been sad ones for the moor that I love.