SOS Hayle Campaign

[Mitch]

www.soshayle.fsnet.co.uk

Hey up Michele,

Here's that link I mentioned about Hayle in Cornwall, Far West quite near posh as socks St Ives.

It interested me because it reminds me a little of Burnley and Nelson.

Hayle's an old mining centre - it's harbour used to be busy. Just like round here - but with textiles - Valley Mills, Lomeshaye and the rest.

Today Hayle's best chance of money coming in is through tourism - it has a stunning beach called Hayle Towans - towans is Cornish for sand dunes - which back onto the beach.

Hayle Harbour has been in several private company hands in recent years - long given up by the council.

One private company running the harbour was creaming off sand from the beach and selling it on - a residents campaign put a stop to that, and was beginning to go further calling for compulsory purchase of the harbour by the council. The removal of sand was affecting the family holiday crowds who flock to Hayle for the caravan sites, good budget attractions and a great beach - St Ives is the playground of the rich out of many families working on a holiday budget's range.

It's all gone a bit quiet - main reason being there's a sweetener in the offing - but no-one seems to know exactly what, when and how it's going to happen - in the form of regeneration money to do up the harbour.

The regeneration carrot's currently hanging in the air - enough to stall a campaign it seems.

Is this not going on all around the country - they were talking about direct action at one point.

It reminded me also of Mast campaigns - and what's happened there.

Got me thinking - anywise I signed the petition.

[michele cryer]

Great stuff Mitch...yeah, it's a terrible situation isn't it?

I've signed the petition too!

[Mitch]

It seems that there's trouble around Trust owned Ports all around the UK - see this radio 4 report from 'Face the Facts'

www.bbc.co.uk/radio4/facethefacts

(that Face the Facts radio programme isn't half bad, as it's looking at stuff going on around the UK - and it's quite hard hitting as it's making links between how government basically grants license, in this case for privately owned Ports around the UK, to give these companies the opportunity to do exactly what they want - this report above exposes selling off of sand of Britain's beaches to the construction industry for profit causing increasing erosion around the coast - highlighted in this report above at Montrose/Scotland.

It's also critical of local government - in this case Angus Council - who after a strong resident's campaign ordered a report to be undertaken by Con-sultants to placate residents - however the report basically exonerated the Port trust much to local residents' disgust.

Ring any bells, ie. government legislation on telecommunication masts which basically gives the telecommunications companies license to do what they want.

Making these links are crucial ie. beginning to see how local government, cornered by central government policy, is frustrating residents' campaigns on issues such as coastal erosion and against telecommunication masts.