CONVENIENT TO DUMP ON RHUDDLAN AGAIN.

Denbighshire County Council advertised in the press last week for volunteers to help develop a Nature Reserve in Rhuddlan, conveniently forgetting to mention the fact that they are to locate a holding depot on part of the land which DCC had already allocated as a nature reserve.  The depot will be used to store bitumen drums, plant and anything they regard as necessary from time to time

D.C.C have already started work without any consultation with the community and blocked the right of way on the old highway which really needs to be retained as a highway and a right of way for legal reasons, as a highway we are better placed to serve notice through the courts on any illegal camping. 

The Rhuddlan Environment Group is disillusioned and disgusted with the way they and the residents of Rhuddlan have been treated by Denbighshire County Council. By securing this land as a holding depot the public footpath and right of way has been blocked. On DCC’s original plan of the reserve all the land edged in blue and in their ownership formed the Rhuddlan Nature Reserve. We never thought that they would actually try to get away with reneging on a promise to the residents of Rhuddlan, but they have with this latest action.

At the last meeting of the Rhuddlan Environment Group it was a unanimous group decision to go ahead and fight the planed Holding Depot as it was not in keeping with a Nature Reserve. There was no consultation as to the closing of the footpath, no consultation with the family living adjacent to the entrance of this depot, no consideration as to environmental issues as this land is a flood plain and no consideration to its close position to the very busy hospital junction on the A525. DCC have once again gone ahead without looking at the whole picture and its effects on the residents and the environment. DCC already have four locations they could use but DCC haven't even answered the group’s letters of complaint and offer of negotiated proposals. Automated responses are all that has been received by members who have complained.   
If any member of the public wanted to develop this land it would be refused by DCC. But the county wish to grant themselves “Permitted Development Rights”. If they are allowed to get away with it then all over Denbighshire residents will be able to adapt the same attitude without fear and completely change our democratic system. 

We are devastated by the amount of time it has taken to achieve any work on site and our volunteers are losing their enthusiasm, we have been held back by DCC.
We will continue to fight against a holding depot and the blocking of our right of way and keep working to develop the Rhuddlan Nature Reserve for present and future generations.
Please check our web site for an update and photographs of the damage to the site.

Rhuddlan Environment Group