Temple Park - Trow Quarry issues

[curly]

For those interested in saving the integrity of Temple Park, THE TIME TO ACT IS NOW!
Write to your ward councillors, write to the Gazette, meetings are already taking place where NO opposition councillors or members of the public are allowed in, we've been down this road before.

http://www.southtynesidetoday.co.uk/Vie ... eID=898697

If you don't like writing letters, then why not swamp the Council Leader with e-mails? His address is as follows

cllr.paul.waggott@s-tyneside-mbc.gov.uk

Remember, if they build a school on Temple Park, that land will be lost for public recreation and leisure, Temple Park Leisure Centre will become only partly accessible to the public while the school uses it's facilities, the offer of adding the King George school's land onto Temple Park cannot be guaranteed, children will have to cross Nevison Avenue, King George Road, and John Reid Road to get to school. This thought alone scare me to death!!
The current site at Brinkburn is large enough to build a new school with outstanding sporting facilities, it is more central, and safer to access.

[jimmywizz]

curly when i get a chance tomorrow or sunday i will post a message on the shields board and get people to vote if they want the school built in that place or not, then we could send the results to the council, plus can anyone get in contact with the guy who has set up the fighting fund ? as we could tell him to use our boards to get his message across, if we dont take a stand we will lose all our green area in the town

[curly]

That's gotta be worth a try Jimmy, this whole thing raises my hackles someting rotten!

[curly]

I'm getting seriously annoyed by this and the Trow Quarry issue now! It's starting to boil my p*** and I don't like swearing in public. So much so that I've e-mailed every Councillor in the Borough with the following open letter (yes all 54 of them)!


Dear Councillor,

I am writing to every member of South Tyneside Council about two issues for which I have critical concerns. Neither of these issues are specific to any one particular ward and both are of universal concern and importance to all of our residents within the Borough.

First, following the Shields Gazette's articles about the apparent environmental dangers at Trow Quarry, I, like others, am appalled and disgusted at the Council's total lack of transparency on the matter and it's negligence in not informing the public or the National Trust at the earliest stages of the discovery of wide ranging pollutants, heavy gases, and toxins emanating from the site.
There are a number of very serious questions that need immediate answers from the Leader of the Council;
a) Why has the report taken 13 months to reach the public domain?
b) Why were no steps taken to immediately safeguard the public at this location?
c) Have efforts been made to ascertain liability and responsibility for the cleaning and making safe the area?
d) Has contact been made with The Environment Agency for help and advice?
e) What are the Council's current plans for public safety at Trow Quarry?

My second major issue of concern is with regard to the Council's clear intention to build a new secondary school at Temple Park, I fully accept that falling school populations in this age group makes it necessary to close two current schools (King George and Brinkburn) because of the high costs of maintaining them to current Education Dept. standards.
What most of us do not accept is the proposal to build a new school on land bequeathed to the people of South Shields by the Church Commissioners with the sole intention that it be permanently maintained for public leisure and open space recreation. I am also worried by the stated intention of giving over the King George school land to Temple Park to compensate. will there be a guarantee that this arrangement will be permanent? Will it still be open public land for our ancestors in 50 or 100 years time?
Whilst I can understand the need to build a school with special sports status (which may attract grant aided funding through the taxpayer), to annexe it to the Leisure Centre will bring nought but opprobrium from the public when they wish to use facilities reserved during the day by the school. Furthermore, we are also highly concerned by the dangers that children would face in crossing Nevison Avenue, King George Road, or the most dangerous road in South Tyneside, John Reid Road. I am astounded that the Council should wish this scenario to happen!
I am surprised that one of the alternatives suggested isn't being given more serious consideration, the use of land currently occupied by Brinkburn School. It is spacious, and enjoys sufficient green space to facilitate the building of a school with special sports status, but perhaps would require further work in attaining grant funding. One has to ask whether the Council has exhausted it's lines of enquiry in this respect, and whether it has looked further afield for funding perhaps from The Sports Council or the EC. It would also make a more central site for a school with far fewer road safety issues.
Another major issue concerning the use of Temple Park, and relating to Trow Quarry, is it's former use as a landfill site in the 1950's and early 1960's. What efforts have been made to ascertain the environmental safety of the site? Will it too start to offer up gases, carcinogens, toxins and pollutants. Not wishing to sound too sensational, but are we about to poison future generations of our youth?

I would hope that as an elected representative of the people of South Tyneside that you will ask yourself similar serious questions, and despite any party allegiances, look at your conscience, and decide to represent a commonsense view that at present it is not safe to allow public access to Trow Quarry, and it is not safe at present to go ahead with any proposal for further building on Temple Park.

I look forward to hearing your views,





We went to war to stop Saddam Hussain poisoning his people, but we'll quietly let our Council get on with it? I don't bloody think so!!


If you would like to join in, I don't mind you copying and pasting from this post. Send your e-mail to Paul Waggot the Council Leader, his address is in the first post of this thread; or if you wish to contact specific Councillors their e-mail addresses and phone numbers are here

http://www.southtyneside.info/localdemo ... embers.asp

For heaven's sake, please give up half an hour of your time for the sake of future generations!

[curly]

Sorry to have missed this out (and remember Temple park was used as a landfill site) further background information;

http://www.southtynesidetoday.co.uk/Vie ... eID=900536

and here

http://www.southtynesidetoday.co.uk/Vie ... eID=900541

[curly]

Good news! Just had a phone call offering support support from one of the opposition councillors!

[jimmywizz]

when i was a kid i can remember playing at trow rocks and it was full of little bottles that had been dumped from the hospital etc etc so i wonder why it has taken 30 to 40 years to figure at that there is a problem when they have known all this time what lies under the topsoil, when lets face it if we dont fish all the cod out of the north sea then we might as well posion off the ones left with the old waste

[curly]

I remember after they'd covered it with topsoil it was used for camping for a little while. Thing that bothers me most is that while they were filling the hole with waste they were doing exactly the same thing at Temple Park.
Same time, same waste, same method, same result?
If anyone reads the two Gazette articles, it becomes pretty damned scary!
I don't want a school at Temple Park, and neither do I want the same pollution problem there.
Just to show that some Councillors are little more than voting fodder for the Labour Party, I'm publishing the reply that I received from one of them, (to an e-mail that went to the entire Council) and my riposte!


Dear sir, thank you for your recent email in which you state that there are a number of serious issues that need immeadiate answers from the leader of the council the first regarding Trow rocks. I can only suggest that if you require answers from the leader of the council then you should contact him. On your second point regarding pollution I share your concerns having spent a large part of my life[ like many others in our area ] working amongst substances which can be harmfull to health. Could I suggest that you contact Cllr J Sewell the lead member for the environment on this matter. You go on to mention your concerns that a school may be built on Temple Park. I understand from Cllr R Reynolds the lead member for lifelong learning and leisure that no decision has been made to build a school on this site it may be helpfull if you contact him on this matter.


My reply was as follows;


may I thank you for your response to my e-mail, which unfortunately moves us no further forward, you will note from the header that I have indeed contacted every elected member of the Council , I was rather hoping that elected members would do a little more than swat at e-mails as though they were bothersome insects! We are after all talking about health threatening pollutants in areas widely accessed by the public, one of which this Council clearly intends to build a school upon.
Can I please impress upon you the importance of using your influence and pressure upon the decision making bodies to defer any decision about building a school at Temple Park until we know that it is a safe environment, or a decision is taken to build at one of the other two optional sites; and to call for an immediate safeguarding of the Trow Quarry area.









Come on people these are pretty scary pollutants, get off your backsides and take some action!

My blog today;

http://spaces.msn.com/members/curly15/P ... 02_owner=1

[curly]

I've just been informed that there is closed committee meeting of the Council tomorrow where there will be NO opposition Councillors, press, or public invited, (that's democracy for you) to discuss the Trow Quarry issue. The Shields Gazette is hoping to break a big story tomorrow night!

[curly]

Well, I'm hoping that the coverage in the Gazette tonight might make some of these arrogant, secretive Councillors stop and think for a moment before they make a horrifyingly bad decision to build a school on Temple Park;

see my blog comments http://spaces.msn.com/members/curly15/PersonalSpace.aspx?_c=&_c02_owner=1

[offthewall]

In response to a comment by Jimmy....>>can anyone get in contact with the guy who has set up the fighting fund ? <<..................
the last time I had contact with this guy was on CAMPBELLCOLIN9 (e-mail address)

[curly]

I'd really like to get Colin on this board, I'll ring the Gazette tomorrow and see if I can get a contact number for him.

[offthewall]

The last I heard he had an office at Laygate, I think in the old Bank building on the corner opposite the Adam and Eve.

[curly]

I've contacted the Gazette and they will try and put him in touch with me - does anybody have a good idea about how many times Temple Park Leisure Centre has been closed over the last couple of years? By that I mean;
closed for an evacuation
closed for maintenance work
closed because of asbestos finds
closed because of equipment / machinery failure
closed because of roof leakages
closed because of a faulty fire alarm

Does anyone have any contacts within the Leisure Centre who may be willing to talk about these closures?

If so, please send me a private mail, this is most important so please ensure that it is private!

[curly]

It's so easy to get paranoid and start believing in conspiracy theories, see my blog.

http://spaces.msn.com/members/curly15/P ... 02_owner=1

[curly]

It really is time for you, the public, to do something if you wish to stop the plan for a new super school being built on Temple Park

This is an article from the Shields Gazette reporting on a recent "closed" meeting.





CONTROVERSIAL plans to build a new super-school on Temple Memorial Park in South Shields have moved a step closer - despite massive public opposition.
At a behind-closed-doors gathering last night, South Tyneside Council's cabinet received a report recommending the closure of Brinkburn and King George V comprehensives and the creation of a new school on Temple Park.
Although the proposal still has to be ratified by the full council, it appears to bring the controversial super-school plan for Temple Park a step nearer.
It comes despite a 6,000-name protest petition and more than 250 letters of objection.
In a private cabinet briefing document leaked to the Gazette, executive director of lifelong learning and leisure Barbara Hughes advises members to push ahead with the Temple Park option.
She says: "It is already clear from the declining population that by the end of the decade nine secondary schools will be needed in South Tyneside and not 10.
"By closing Brinkburn and King George V schools and replacing them with a single school of 1,100 pupils we will reduce surplus spaces by 772 places.
"The provision of a school on the Temple Park site, which would have dual use community facilities in addition to use by the wider public, is a very cost-effective way of utilising public assets."
After the meeting council leader Coun Paul Waggott emphasised no final decision has yet been taken.
He said: "Temple Park is the preferred option of the council officers, but we don't always take cognizance of their views.
"This was a briefing at which the lead members were able to ask questions and be briefed on the consultation process.
"We are aware that some people don't want this to go through and that some think we don't consult, but we do."
Coun Waggott said no final decision will be taken before Christmas.
Today defiant opponents of the plan pledged to fight until the bitter end - and they are well prepared.
Property developer Colin Campbell has set up The Temple Park Legal Fund and joined forces with seasoned schools campaigner Stephen Pattison.
And Mr Pattison, who was a key figure in the successful fight to save Temple Park Infants, revealed the battle to block the latest plan is gaining momentum.
A letter was delivered to the town hall today demanding that an independent panel is brought in to consider the school plans.
And he pledged: "Despite last night's recommendation this is a long way from over."
The Save Temple Memorial Park Committee is hoping to raise £5,000 to fight the council's plans.










The full Council normally "rubber stamps" the Cabinet decisions, so ask yourself, did I voice my opposition to my Councillor? Do it now and press them to defy the party whip on the grounds of environmental and public safety.

Here is the full list of Councillors, where you can find their e-mail address and phone numbers

http://www.southtyneside.info/localdemo ... embers.asp

[curly]

Keep your eyes peeled on your local T.V. tonight , this story has at last reached the T.V. stations.
Cllrs. Potts and Elsom will be interviewed on Tyne Tees Television for North-East Tonight, and Curly was interviewed by The BBC for Look North!

It's time for some others to jump on the bandwagon though!!!

[jimmywizz]

missed the story curly, but glad to see that the tv has picked it up and now we might get to the bottom of this issue

[curly]

That's right Jimmy, the issue is now getting the prominence and focus that it deserves to keep it in the public eye. Today's North East Tonight on Tyne Tees had a second go at it, this time about the possible environmental dangers at Temple Park, I think we are now moving onto the battleground that I had hoped for. It was always my intention to establish the link between the pollution at Trow Quarry and similar problems at Temple Park and Benton Road, I can't think of a better combination of reasons to prevent the building of a school than health dangers and the covenants imposed at the time of the land transfer in 1946.

Today the Council has made a major backing down in the secretive ways that it used to hide evidence. The report commissioned on Trow Quarry will be made available for public viewing at the Town Hall tomorrow, and a smaller summary report will be made available to take away, as well as being published on the Council website

http://www.southtyneside.info/

There was also the admission yesterday on T.V. that there are "medium and long term (health) risks associated with Trow Quarry, and on T.V. tonight the admission that have been monitoring levels of methane in Temple Park Leisure Centre for the last ten years!

The statement said that there are no reasons for concern. I ask "if this is the case, why are you concerned enough to install expensive monitoring equipment to measure concentrations of methane?" Why spend this money if there is no reason to be concerned?

All of this just proves that the man in the street with a will and a purpose, aided by about 200 e-mails to Councillors, Press, and T.V. stations, and the use of this message board, can bring about some change!

Fact: from being a report hidden away for 13 months it is now out in the open available for the public.
Fact: the Council admits it has to apply to the Govt. for money to safeguard the future at Trow Quarry.
Fact: Methane does emit from the earth at Temple Park
Fact: Council officers are still strongly recommending the building of a new school on Temple Park
Fact: I have Colin Campbells phone no. (he's in Rome at present)
Fact: there is still a long way to go to prevent this dreadful decision being taken!
Fact: the more people who take an interest and protest to their Councillors, the easier it will get!

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/tyne/4093537.stm






Again my apologies for the length of this post.

[jimmywizz]

curly if you get in touch with Colin Campbell then invite him to use our boards as a meeting / info point