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Rotherwas Ribbon Press Release
September 24, 2007, 2:23 pm
The following press release was received by Heritage Action today:
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PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE PRESS RELEASE
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THE RIBBON COVER-UP
Internal e-mails obtained under the Freedom of Information Act reveal that senior council officers knew about the importance of the Rotherwas Ribbon on May 11th, and therefore almost certainly before the local elections.
They kept it secret - even from elected councillors - for nearly two months. They decided back in May how they would deal with the Ribbon, making a mockery of recent Cabinet reports on options. There is now also evidence that the process of scrutinising these decisions is being watered down to cover up the cover up.
Cllr. Gerald Dawe (Green), in whose ward the Ribbon was discovered, said: "It is now clear that the procedures of Herefordshire Council fall well short of the standard expected by other UK local authorities and this is damaging our reputation. Scrutiny of these decisions must be done properly and it cannot be rushed just to cover up possible mistakes by Cabinet and officers."
1. THE RIBBON DECISION: Did the Council act properly?
Copies of e-mails to officers and contractors released under Freedom of Information include quotes from Mairead Lane, the Construction Project Team Leader on May 11th, two months before the discovery of the Ribbon was made public by the BBC Today programme. Ms Lane wrote: "There is a political dimension to the issue, which everyone seems to be aware of... [The find has] ...undoubted national and potential international significance. Ms Lane went on to discuss how "we could turn around a potentially bad publicity situation...".
She concludes "Further discussion will be needed as a solution is reached to agree an approach to publicity which best benefits the Council / consultant and contractors."
Campaign Co-ordinator Bob Clay said: "No officers appear to have considered the Ribbon or the public! The delay in releasing information was clearly a political decision to avoid negative publicity, but made by supposedly impartial officers."
"We always said that there was a political dimension to the way the Ribbon discovery was handled. This was denied but these documents prove it beyond doubt. It is outrageous that elected members were kept totally in the dark for 2 months."
Other documents include a claim by John Burnett (Council PR) that English Heritage told the Council back in early July that they were "very unlikely" to schedule the monument - but that the Council "are not saying this publicly". English Heritage had not had time to consider it properly at this stage.
Mr Clay added: "It seems that the Council successfully staged a "cover-up" of this huge discovery for two months, hoping to get the road continued before adequate consideration of alternatives could take place.
English Heritage have said that they cannot make a decision on scheduling until the full extent of the Ribbon is ascertained. The Council implied this would take 6 months and decided it was 'too expensive' to delay the road.
We have evidence that the extent of the Ribbon could have been established several weeks ago at around four thousand pounds only. Only when the extent of the Ribbon is known can an informed decision be made about the road. This is something the Council do not wish to have. They want the road at all costs - including local democratic procedures."
2. THE SCRUTINY: Are the Council's scrutiny procedures sub standard?
The Cabinet have 'welcomed' call-in of their decision by the Environment Scrutiny Committee. However it is now becoming clear that the Scrutiny procedures within Herefordshire Council fall well short of the standards adopted by other Authorities. Herefordshire Council's scrutiny processes are at variance with the guidelines as follows: -
Government guidelines require that local authorities should provide overview and scrutiny committees with a budget. In Herefordshire there are no such budgets. So the Committee cannot call some witnesses because "it doesn't have a budget", according to Chair of the Environment Scrutiny Committee Cllr. Bob Matthews.
These guidelines also suggest that scrutiny committees should meet frequently on a monthly or six weekly cycle. The Environment Scrutiny Committee only meets quarterly.
Cllr. Matthews asked Cllr. Lloyd-Hayes to find her own witnesses. It is extraordinary that a committee chair does not realise that the committee as a whole should decide who to call.
A Committee cannot arrange witnesses, call for documents, re-interview witnesses and much other essential processes and then debate and agree a decision in only 10 days. The very suggestion is confirmation that some people have no intention of allowing the job to be done properly. This suspicious and unseemly haste seriously compromises accountability. Standing orders say only that the Scrutiny Committee should meet within 10 days.
There has been no reply to any of the substantive points. Bob Clay was courteously invited to address the Committee last Monday under the Agenda item for members of the Public to propose future items for the Committee to consider. Councillor Edwards gave an undertaking that the Committee would consider the process by which the "Find" has been dealt with but nothing has yet been forthcoming.
Strategic Monitoring have been given evidence about the late arrival of the Archaeological Peer Review, for example. This was a crucial and somewhat critical document. Why isn't there an enquiry taking place into why it was only produced at the start of the Cabinet meeting? One of the major issues that should be examined with witnesses, is why steps were not taken that could have identified the problem before construction started.
Surely English Heritage have to be asked to explain the one page evasion that appeared after we had all been told time and again that they were to be the main "independent adviser."
Former Hereford Mayor Cllr. Marcelle Lloyd-Hayes said: "We are of course concerned about the council decision over the Rotherwas Ribbon, but are equally concerned over the flagrant haste and manipulation of the scrutiny process which should guard Herefordshire's voters against abuse of power.
It is clear that there is a serious democratic deficit on Herefordshire Council. It is the role and duty of those of us who have been elected to hold the executive to account more effectively by demanding a proper scrutiny process and not a botched job."
All councillors have been asked:
Do you believe that this shows that local government in Herefordshire needs to be more open and democratic in order to bring our processes to the standard expected elsewhere in the UK?
Are you concerned that democratically elected councillors are being excluded from key parts of the decision-making process and that Cabinet Members and Council Officers need to be made more accountable to elected members?
Do you believe that the Scrutiny Committee should be allowed sufficient time and resources to be able to thoroughly and robustly scrutinise the Rotherwas Ribbon decision making process
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NOTES TO EDITORS
1. There is a great deal more about the role of Scrutiny Committees in the two letters that our Campaign sent to the Strategic Monitoring Committee last week. We urge you to read them (attached to the email).
2. Background on the discovery of the Rotherwas Ribbon/ Dinedor Serpent including earlier releases can be found on http://www.rotherwasribbon.com
3. Contacts:
Bob Clay (Campaign Co-ordinator) - 01432 270105 or bob.clay1@btinternet.com
Cllr Gerald Dawe (Green) - 01432 343262 or geralddawe@aol.com
Cllr. Marcelle LloydHayes (Lib Dem) - 01432 274289 or marcelle@marcelle.org.uk
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Yet more vandalism at the Rollright Stones
September 17, 2007, 8:37 pm
Following the recent vandalism at the Rollright Stones, a Heritage Action Site Inspector visited the site on last weekend:
I had arrived early, so as to avoid the tourists, and had the circle to myself for all of 5 minutes. I nearly cried when I saw the aftermath of the damage, both in the circle and to the King Stone sign.
At least 4 inches of wood ash surrounded the base of the stone at the right of the entrance to the circle, and the entire top of the stone was blackened, presumably where the tyre was hung and filled with wood. Closer investigation of the ashes turned up wood that had not been fully burnt, and I was horrified to find that these remains suggested that pre-worked kindling had been used to set the fire, suggesting that this was not a spur of the moment thing, but an act that had been carefully planned.
Fire Damage at the Rollrights - Photo Credit: Alan S
Across the way, the cast iron sign by the King Stone had also been attacked, looking like it had been set to with a gemmy bar, as the iron was split and buckled.
I have tried to understand the mindset of people who would do such a pointless thing. I have failed. Maybe it was because there was only £7 in the collection box that they also raided?
Luckily, it looks as if the Whispering Knights were left alone.
In response to this latest attack, Claire Gourlay, a spokesman for Thames Valley Police, said:
"We are investigating this attack and an officer has visited the site to assess the potential benefit of scenes-of-crime officers attending to gather forensic evidence."
Anyone with any information is urged to contact the Police on 08458 505505
The Rollrights still stand, but for how much longer? Anecdotal evidence points to the fired stone being cracked around its circumference, and thus in danger of further damage. Something has to be done to stop these attacks, before someone does irreversible damage to this ancient monument. In response to this latest act of vandalism, George Lambrick, chairman of the Rollright Trust charity, has said:
"We are considering installing some kind of CCTV system here to deter further attacks."
It's a sorry state of affairs when a Scheduled Ancient Monument has to be protected in this way, and a sad indictment of what we are becoming as a society. Heritage Action hopes that the vandals are brought to justice, and that the good work of the Rollright Trust is not compromised by arguments over who pays to secure the site.
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TEN MILLION ARTEFACTS TAKEN FROM FIELDS!
September 10, 2007, 7:45 am
Where? Throughout the world? Eastern Europe? Iraq?
No, in Britain!
On Friday September 14th, the
Heritage Action Artefact Counter will tick to the figure of ten million, being a conservative estimate of the number of recordable artefacts removed from our fields and scuttled home with or flogged by metal detectorists, the vast majority without a word to anyone else.
This is not heritage protection. In fact it is uncivilised behaviour towards heritage and it doesn't happen anywhere else in the world.
IT'S TIME TO CALL TIME ON THE EROSION!
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The Rotherwas Ribbon: The City of Hereford opts for world notoriety
September 7, 2007, 7:52 am
So it's confirmed!
Hereford Council is to drive a road over a prehistoric monument that their advisors have told them is uniquely important in both Europe and the world.
How come? Well, the short answer is because they want to. Actually, the short precise answer is because someone is going to make loads of dosh out of it and they want them to.
It is to be fervently hoped that the environment scrutiny committee will call this outrageous decision in for forensic examination. Never did a decision warrant it more.
Suprising?
Hardly. Anyone that has watched this hurried saga will have realised the road was going to be built, come what may. The Council has been pushing ahead despite the Government repeatedly telling them it was neither needed nor value for money. Confusion surrounds when they first knew the Ribbon lay on the route and why it was the media that first broke the story of its vital importance. And of course, the fact it was left without drainage ditches and covers so that it was flooded and damaged in the recent storms is a reality for all to see.
The Council still haven't revealed whether they know if it stretches a very long way, (but the fact that there's no talk of diverting the road is a clue! ) We have heard whispers it does. We predict it will be confirmed once the road is built.
But surely, national action can be taken to stop local vandalism?
Of course! We have a national protection scheme for nationally important archaeology. Britain isn't a banana republic after all! We have English Heritage, our national and international champion for heritage (so it says on its website).That's OK then.
But hang on, what's this English Heritage say about the Ribbon?
"There have been calls for English Heritage to 'stop the road'. We are not in a position to pass judgement on whether the planned road should go ahead.
English Heritage has received a number of requests to schedule the site. We are considering whether it meets the legal tests and criteria for scheduling, however, further analysis and interpretation of the site and the surrounding area will be required before a recommendation is made to the Department of Culture, Media and Sport. This analysis will take some time and it is not expected that a decision on scheduling will be made in the immediate future.
"Not in a position to stop the road"?
Really? But able to schedule the Ribbon, and thereby render it untouchable? So in what way is English Heritage not in a position to stop the road? In No way, we suggest.
And what about this?
"It is not expected that a decision on scheduling will be made in the immediate future."
We thought emergency scheduling could be done in no time at all, and has been. But not here, it seems. Which means, of course, Hereford Council are free to let the road go ahead in the meantime, and THEN it will be scheduled! Loot accompli!
So, there we are.
We have a unique monument, stretching (we suspect) from high on the "sacred" Dinedor Hill, out across the fields to who yet knows what or how far. It offers a stunning opportunity for the people of Hereford and Britain to interact with our ancient ancestors in a way unique in the world - the ability to walk the very route of an extraordinary four thousand year old spirit path, long, sinuous and mysterious, uninterrupted from its start to its end.
Yet this chance to touch the essence of our spiritual past in a way that doesn't exist elsewhere is to be snatched away forever, within months of its discovery. Soon, anyone walking the Ribbon will only be able to go so far before leaving it to cross a miserable twenty-first century road serving a miserable twenty-first century industrial estate that no-one but certain people wants. There are ceremonial avenues at Stonehenge and Avebury, bisected by roads in each case. Not so at Hereford! But soon.
Welcome to Britain and Hereford, banana republic, where guardianship is a matter of mere words, money wins and world heritage gets trashed.
Hereford Council has had the neck to announce its decision to build its road over the Ribbon is a win-win solution. Not for the Ribbon it isn't, nor for anyone that cares for national or international culture. From where we're standing, as plain ordinary people, the whole Rotherwas saga stinks, as posterity will forever know. And that includes those that are hoping to come out of it smelling of roses!
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