Don't Ditch our Lodes
THERE WAS FURTHER FAVOURABLE COVERAGE of our cause in the Cambridge Evening News on the 9th of November and the case for truth and accuracy was again highlighted. Go to this page on the Cambridge News site
It is clear that the seemingly all-powerful National Trust 'got at' the Government, which altered its original response to my on-line E-Petition (961 signatures to today's date) and, as you may be aware, I wrote to the Prime Minister about it asking that the Government's response to my E-Petition be altered again. Sadly, there has as yet been no response from 10, Downing Street.
More good news has emanated from this area, however, in that last week Swaffham Prior Parish Council unanimously supported the Environment Agency's published and preferred option for the future of The Cambridgeshire Lodes, "to continue to maintain them at their current level," but this is, as we know, subject to a five-yearly review. I have called the five-year review period 'a reprieve.'
This week, at a meeting of The Swaffham Internal Drainage Board, I had the honour to propose the same support for the preferred option. The proposal was seconded by Cllr. Mike Mason (Independent, Histon & Impington), a member of the Board appointed by South Cambridgeshire District Council, endorsed by Mr Ross Chilvers, the Board's engineer, and agreed unanimously. Interestingly and intriguingly, one of the votes in favour was cast by Mr Jon Megginson, a new member of the Board who is also in charge of the National Trust's so-called 'Wicken Vision.'
To be fair to Mr Megginson, he was not party to the instigation of this scheme, which was approved by those much higher up in the National Trust's command structure and which I have described as 'ill-conceived, unnecessary and unwanted,' but it will now be interesting and intriguing to see if and how the 'Wicken Vision' can be pursued at all whilst at the same time preserving The Cambridgeshire Lodes as they are.
It is widely known and understand, especially by the Environment Agency, that the greatest danger to the banks of The Lodes is from future changes of land use and flooding from their outsides. Ominously, the Environment Agency has made it all too clear that "if changes in land use alter the risk of embankment failure, it will be necessary to consider other options," though Mr Jonathan Fearnley, of the Agency, has recently emphasised "We won't abandon the Lodes," which is good.
We live in interesting times!
My on-line E-Petition is still active and I ask one and all to obtain yet more signatures for it. Go to -