9th October 2009
The Save Radley Lakes campaign group has won its fight to preserve two lakes under threat. But while members embrace their involvement in a new nature reserve, they warn their struggle is not over.
SRL is a diverse group that includes scientists and naturalists. Dr Basil Crowley, chairman since July 2005, a parish councillor and professional scientist, says: ‘Like a lot of people I saw what was about to happen and felt outraged.
‘Naturalists had seen the ecological value of the area and didn’t want to see it damaged. We formed a group of like-minded people and took it from there. We’re ordinary, professional people. The most active members tend to be older because they’re most able to generate the time. However, the campaign has enjoyed strong support from all age groups.’
In June 2005 RWE npower, landowner and operator of Didcot power station, applied for permission to fill the last two of about 12 lakes at Radley, Oxfordshire, with pulverised fuel ash.
The group raised more than £80,000 to fight the complex legal battles that ensued. They collected a 13,000-signature petition and gained supporters including MP Dr Evan Harris, the Lord Mayor of Oxford, several Abingdon mayors, celebrities, six councils, the Campaign to Protect Rural England and Radley Parish Council.
Publicity officer Marjorie White says: ‘People said it was a done deal, but you can win if you’re absolutely determined never to give up. You’ve got to do your homework, you’ve got to be respected and you’ve got to involve local people.’
Last February, the company suspended its plans because, it said, good performance in ash recycling and milder weather meant there would be less ash to manage. About 900,000 tonnes of pulverised fuel ash, mainly produced before the station’s closure in 2015, will be used for landfill capping, road works and engineering at Waste Recycling Group’s Sutton Courtenay landfill site. ‘We’re very pleased that we’ve found such a significant alternative to ash disposal at Radley,’ says John Rainford, Didcot A station manager. ‘Our vision for the Thrupp Lake area involves a strong partnership with the Radley community.’
RWE npower, its ecological consultant Bioscan and the parish council have chosen public participation specialists, the Northmoor Trust, as reserve managers. The company says it is exploring opportunities for ecological restoration at other parts of the site and considering converting its ‘Sandles’ lakeside house into an education and environment centre.
A fence erected to prevent newts returning to Thrupp Lake has been taken down and parish councillors have called off their year-long bid to register the Radley Lakes as a town green. But SRL has no agreement with landowners, Tuckwells and John Curtis, who maintain mineral rights in other parts of the area and are expected to begin further gravel extractions in the forseeable future.
Dr Crowley says: ‘Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes are safe, but that’s a small part of an area of over 1km2, including all the lakes that were filled, the lakes that were destined to have been filled, but were saved or overlooked, plus any that might be created in the future.’
The land, which is mostly in the Thames floodplain, and is in the Oxford green belt, has been subject to gravel extraction for decades.
It has limited use for building or farming, says Dr Crowley. ‘It’s an excellent opportunity to create a wildlife area.’ While SRL knew wildlife and local people would be disrupted, it considered gravel extraction as a short-term nuisance with the benefit of creating new lakes. ‘We could then have pristine lakes subject to proper ecological restoration,’ explains Dr Crowley. ‘Thrupp and Bullfield Lakes have naturalised by themselves, largely through neglect, but it took 50 years.’
SRL hopes to buy one of the remaining lakes, which has undergone what it considers proper ecological restoration. Created in 2002, Longmead is for sale for £100,000. Potential funders include landfill tax distributors WREN and TOE.
The group is also interested in the wider area. ‘We’re beginning to form a group to look at the whole area between Kennington and beyond Abingdon with a view to protecting its wildlife corridors,’ Mrs White says. ‘There are nature reserves but what happens outside doesn’t really affect them.’
The vision includes documenting an ecological profile for the area, ‘so no-one can destroy wildlife without knowing.’ ‘It’s a vision,’ says Mrs White, ‘but it’s slowly becoming more than that.’