Friends of Scotia Valley

How to get to the site

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 20:59:10 GMT

The site is only a short walk from 2 major bus routes the 20/21 and the 6/6a

To get to the Scotia Valley end of the Bypass site

Traveling by Coach

you will arrive at Hanley Coach Station simply catch either of the above bus numbers you can find first

Traveling by Rail

you will first need to catch a bus to Hanley and then change to one of the above

Traveling by bike try and follow the Sustrans Route 5 that goes through Scotia Valley

To get to the Sandyford end of the Bypass site

as above but just catch the 20/21 from Hanley and get off at the KFC and McDonalds :)

Scotia Valley.. Where is it ?

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 17:00:33 GMT

Scotia Valley Where is it?

Where is it?

At the North of Stoke-on-Trent. The valley runs from Tunstall in the south to Newchapel in the north. To the west lie the estates of Sandyford, and to the east, Packmoor and Pittshill

What is it?

Much of the valley is Stoke-on-Trent Council greenway, featuring trees, ponds and pathways.

The western side is regenerating heath land, punctuated by heather, and desire-line paths. A former marl pool is popular with anglers.

What’s special about it?

Think of Stoke-on-Trent and what do you think of? ‘Sick City’, former pottery manufacturing centre; a backwater in need of regeneration?

But look beyond the official reports and stereotypes, and there are green, much loved parts of the city, where nature, equestrians and cricket clubs thrive.

Horse riders move from the Greenway to the heath land in the west.

Zodiac and Silverstone estates can be seen behind them.

The whole area forms a rare mosaic of habitats and nature, with heath land adjoining ponds and coppices. There are numerous protected species such as birds of prey, badgers, water voles and bats. The heath land is home to orchids and newts, whilst kingfishers, herons and woodpeckers have been sighted on the greenway. Scotia Valley is home to numerous dragonflies and hunting ground for kestrels, sparrowhawk and owls.

As top City Council Ecologist Ian Collis says,

“The site is well-used by local people. This is a valuable ecological site, and I am surprised it has not been designated as an Area of Wildlife Interest.”

The location and layout of the Scotia Valley make it especially popular with local people. It’s within easy walking distance of hundreds of homes, and is enjoyed by young and old alike.

Clanway Greenway – former Railway Line path, prior to recent damage by council workmen

Cyclists, dog walkers, nature lovers and horse-riders are seen here most days. Picnickers, swimmers and kite fliers wait for the right weather! - But this is very much an all weather attraction, even in the snow

Perfick!

This is what one of a group of local teenagers said:

“I live in Sandyford. It’s good round here for bikes. I bring my dog down and go for a fish in the marl pool. We come here regularly. We do all sorts. My nan and granddad come up here, and they always walk about to get out of the house, and it’s nice for the dogs. My brother comes down here, walks the dogs and goes for a swim in the marl pool. It’s better here, because we just live in those houses around here. It’s perfect for us.”

Whilst it’s easy to label an area as important because kids love it or there’s loads of rare species, many people here just love the peace and tranquility they’ve enjoyed for decades. No traffic or pollution. A place to relax, chill out, meet friends, exercise maybe, but simply to recharge the batteries and lift the spirits. This is real regeneration!

History of Scotia Valley

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:59:42 GMT

History of Scotia Valley

The area gets its name from Scotia Brook, which travels, via a chain of ponds, from north to south through the valley. (Legend has it the name Scotia comes from a retreating Scottish army, hundreds of years ago, as does ‘Clanway’!)

The valley was originally a farming area, which was intersected by a railway, complete with embankment, 150 years ago. The railway, part of the Beeching cuts, closed over 40 years ago.

Between 1930 and 1980, most of Scotia Valley was farmland and rough grazing for horses. Clanway Farm was a real farm. The ‘bomb holes’ originated from informal surface mining.

Whilst Scotia Brook and certain ponds survived, much of the area became used for marl (clay) extraction in the west, and landfill to the south. The east was soggy grazing for horses. Locals will remember the pedestrian connection between east and west: Sausage Tunnel.

In 1972, the first Phase of Clanway Reclamation began, with further landscaping in 1976 and 1992. Meanwhile, the abandonment of marl extraction in the 1970s left nature to work its wonders on the western valley, below.

Clanway Heath land, looking south

A New Landscape

The 1980s saw a wave of compulsory purchase in Tunstall, with a corresponding wave of house-building in Packmoor, on the eastern ridge of Scotia Valley. Naturally, people moved here for the green location and easy access to open space. That attraction has merely increased as the Valley and its nature has matured. The most recent building wave occurred from 1992, with the Silverstone and Bent Farm estates.

History of Campaign

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:58:15 GMT

History of threats

In the 1970s, Tunstall was full of ‘pot banks’ (pottery factories), and the roads choked with commuting Ford Cortinas. The Council’s ‘solution’ was to be the ‘Tunstall Northern Distributor’, designed to spread the traffic load by building a road across the Scotia Valley. The scheme lay dormant until the late 1990s, by which time, most of the pot banks had closed. (Not one of the famous names now remains).

The Council, however, sought to borrow ‘Capital Challenge’ money to ‘regenerate’ Tunstall. Many of their proposals were opposed by local residents and traders. And the Council’s bid failed – they were told they needed to put a bypass into their proposals. So, the Tunstall Northern Bypass was born – like the Northern Distributor on steroids, with added roundabouts and spur roads. The owners of the access land at Sandyford, which included the Cricket Club, objected. But Redland, owners of the marl pool were greatly chuffed – Their landlocked site would have access first for landfill and dumping. Then, when lots of coal had been dug out, it could be sold with planning permission for building…

Concerned local residents and traders formed the Friends of Tunstall group, and organised public meetings. Council officer Steve Tams (Director of the Bypass project) said, “Don’t worry, all your questions will be answered at the Public Inquiry.”

The Public Inquiry took place in two parts in 1998. To the astonishment of local residents, the Inspector announced:

“We are not here to decide whether the road is necessary or would work, merely to address the Orders.”

What did this mean? Essentially, the Council, with 60 Labour Councillors and no opposition, had given the Bypass planning permission. All that could be challenged were the associated Compulsory Purchase Orders, mainly into Public Open Space.

Whilst the Inspector made great criticism in his Report regarding the Council’s inadequate access and crossing proposals, local people could only challenge one issue: “Equal Advantage.”

In law, if you take away Public Open Space, you must replace it with something “equally advantageous.”

Clanway Greenway, looking east, from ponds, towards the old railway line path

So how do you ‘replace’ matured woodland, ponds, paths etc.?

Essentially, the Council proposed to bulldoze and landscape part of the heath land by Sandyford, ‘give’ a narrow corridor of the heath land back (called Plot 6 – which the public had already used for decades). Plus ‘Plot 7’ – An already used field off Turnhurst Road – severely sloping, no ponds…and basically just not good enough! (Even now, its regimented rows of ornamental trees are largely dead or disappeared).

Well, the Inspector agreed with local residents, saying he was ‘far from satisfied’.

The Council disagreed with the residents, Inspector and the Secretary of State and forced a rare “Special Parliamentary Procedure.” It actually sought to be above the law of the land and build the Bypass anyway.

So, in the winter of 1999, local residents went to Parliament, to face the wrath of teams of barristers. As with the Campaign to Protect Rural England (CPRE) previously, objections came from the local Friends of the Earth and Transport 2000 groups. For three weeks, a joint team of MPs and Peers sat in judgement. (Most impressive was Ann Macintosh, a Tory MP who is also a QC).

Numerous residents gave evidence: amongst them, traders, teachers, nurses, pensioners, engineers, children, and local councillors.

In addition to its own legal team, Stoke-on-Trent Council employed two teams of barristers, numerous officers and ‘expert’ witnesses. Two local residents had the opportunity to cross-examine them.

During the hearings, it emerged the Council witnesses were unfamiliar with the details of the local area, had missed everything from badgers to horse chestnuts, and some of their witnesses even praised the value of the Scotia Valley heath land!

The result? The Parliamentary Joint Committee were so concerned about what they heard, they issued a rare critical “Special Report” - http://www.parliament.the-stationery-office.co.uk/pa/jt199900/jtselect/jttuns/15/1503.htm

Only the sixth in Parliamentary history, it agreed with what the Independent Inspector said:

· there had been no full Public Inquiry,

· the Council hadn’t followed the spirit of the law,

· had wasted public money,

· hadn’t consulted local people properly (and should do in future),

· and should provide much more public open space, accessible to all, including pushchair users and people with disabilities.

· Furthermore, it made the report as a message to planning authorities throughout the country.

Sadly, the Council (and the Secretary of State) ignored the Report, and continued regardless. In December, 2000, this prompted a High Court action from local residents. They won the judgement, with the verdict that the Parliamentary Committee would have been appalled at the Council’s and Secretary of State’s treatment of their report, and their lack of consultation. Furthermore, so appalled was the judge, the right to appeal was denied.

In October 2001 The Secretary of State accepts a revised proposal submitted by the city council.

In July, 2002, numerous local residents try to get the area preserved through Village Green status. (See Open Spaces Society web site). A Public Inquiry is held, with residents facing THREE teams of barristers! One lawyer had warned us it was a lost cause, because the Inspector, a QC, had a history of turning down village green applications, and had frequently worked for corporate interests opposing local residents – including having worked with the lead barrister opposing us here! Even though people in their 80s testified to having used the land for decades, the application was lost.

February 2004.

Councillors approve a planning application for nearly 400 homes on the Clanway Farm site, alongside the proposed site of the Tunstall Northern Bypass. Councillors were told it was basically a ‘derelict brownfield site’! Ecologists and representatives of Staffordshire Wildlife Trust were appalled at the prospect of turning a wildlife haven into a moonscape.

October 2004.

Secretary of State announces his satisfaction with legal agreements and brings the compulsory purchase order into operation.

January 2005.

As preparations for a High Court challenge are made, the Council fast-tracks ‘advance ecological mitigation works’, mainly consisting of felling 6,200 trees lying in the path of the proposed bypass. One pond was drained (now filled up again!); another was filled in.

Since the area remained public open space and no paths were closed, local residents, mainly pensioners, attempted to show their disgust to the local media. They were met by special police who deal with environmental protestors, complete with video cameras and threats of arrest!

Most of these trees were felled early in 2005, but the pond is already thriving again.

February 2005

The battle goes to the High Court of Justice in London, arguing that the planning permission is now out of date and that the road does not create enough good quality public space for wildlife and residents; and that the Secretary of State had put the importance of house building over the need to provide good quality public space, as requested by both the Inquiry Inspector and the joint Parliamentary Select Committee.

May 2005

Since the High Court felt unable to consider the issue of planning permission, an appeal is made against High Court ruling and the City Council is now considering, in the light of Mr Justice Forbes’ judgement, the need to renew the planning permission.

July 2005

Scotia Valley is looking resplendent. It’s the summer holidays, wildflowers, heather and birdsong abound. There are cyclists, anglers, dog walkers and horse-riders galore.

The Council plans a Thomas Tank road train event, to publicise its recent improvement of greenway paths. We point out that they’ve actually messed up many previously fine paths, during the tree felling works – so the event is moved to the nearby greenway behind Victoria Park Road.

Joan Walley MP

Thu, 01 Sep 2005 16:57:13 GMT

Today in a local paper Joan Walley MP for Stoke on Trent North writes "I do not feel that new road building with private or public money is the right way to tackle congestion. Experience has shown that in the future the problem will happen all over again as the car journeys increase to fill the new road. Instead we need to look at alternatives that will be sustainable and not a 'quick fix' "

Joan Walley MP www.joanwalleymp.org.uk

What is the Tunstall Northern Bypass?

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 18:29:52 GMT

What is the Tunstall Northern Bypass?

At just under a mile long (1.2kilometers), this road would cross the picturesque Scotia Valley, joining Sandyford Roundabout in the north of Stoke-on-Trent to two points at Pittshill. It is expected to cost taxpayers over £7.5 million.

Land-take necessary for the Bypass

Already many of the trees seen here have been felled

Constructing the road would involve massive disruption and earthworks, with cuttings and embankments over a hundred metres across – more than the length of a football pitch. At the eastern end, at Clanway Greenway, the embankment would be some forty feet high. Numerous pavements and scenic pathways would be severed, the only continuous access being through a subway under the embankment. The Council is citing this subterranean path as promotion of sustainable transport, calling it part of Sustrans’ cycle network…

Preparatory works for the bypass have included

compulsory purchase and demolition of homes and businesses
closure of allotments
felling 6,200 trees
draining of ponds (with limited success!)

Clanway Stadium, before and after tree-felling

The Environmental Statement into the bypass proposals continually refers to:

Significant construction noise and disruption
Community severance – and increased journey times for pedestrians
Reduced amenity for residents and users
Substantial pollution impact on Scotia Brook
Reduced species with risk of extinction for some

The excess cuttings from the Bypass works would be dumped on the heath land, where it is also proposed to remove substantial amounts of coal, and dump in the marl pool over a six year period.

Eventually, most of the green spaces adjacent to the bypass would be built on – Though, thanks to campaigners, Sandyford Cricket & Recreation Ground has been saved from the proposals.

The Council claims the Bypass would reduce congestion in Tunstall. Many, including local traders, disagree. Others say why pay £7.5 million for this inefficient, destructive bypass, when there is a forthcoming, free, truly brownfield one in south-western Tunstall, on the Norcross site.

Meanwhile, with the local LTP2 (Local Transport Plan) being formulated, many believe the proposed Northern Bypass fails to meet modern economic and environmental guidelines.

Temp

Mon, 22 Aug 2005 18:43:47 GMT

filler

Photo Album: Scotia Valley

Tue, 14 Nov 2006 19:23:42 GMT

Scotia Valley

Greenway Gemini2

Greenway poppy

Jan 2004 Advanced works 1

Jan 2004 Advanced works 2

heath land 1

heath land 2

marlhole1

marlhole2

1 of 6 Ponds in Scotia Valley

Winter Path - Clanway Greenway

More Photos...

Photo Album: Other Campaigns

Sat, 22 Apr 2006 08:08:02 GMT

Other Campaigns

Campaigners against the Heysham M6 link

Campaigners from Derby HEART

campaigners remind DfT about road protests

Opponents of the A57-A628 Mottram-Tintwistle bypass

residents protest against the proposed Linslade bypass

Southend road protesters invade DfT

Custom List: Articles

Wed, 31 Aug 2005 18:55:22 GMT

Articles

Custom List: Links

Sun, 21 Aug 2005 14:24:01 GMT

Links

RoadBlock
an alliance of groups and individuals
Councillors for Tunstall
Contact information
SPECIAL REPORT FROM THE JOINT COMMITTEE
Onyly the 6th ever such report produced
Staffordshires Waste Plan
Page 18 shows future use for the Marl hole, LANDFILL