The Lickey Hills Society

Marlbrook Tip

Members who do not live in the immediate area will probably not know about the former Marlbrook tip, or land fill site, that is on an elevated position on Alvechurch Highway, to the south of the Lickey Hills Country Park. For years this old quarry was used as a landfill site well before all of the restrictions and controls that today govern the types of refuse that may be tipped. For the past few years the tip has been in the process of being made safe ready for Green Belt usage. This story has become somewhat of a saga as the restoration of the Marlbrook Tip works seems to go on and on. However, work is proceeding on relaying a new culvert water channel to take the brook that passes under the tip. The work has been hampered by the unpredictable and unstable nature of the rubbish tipped there years ago; by the weather; and by the availability of materials required to cap the tip in preparation for the top soil to be put in place. On completion the surface will be approximately 3.5 metres higher than the "present Ordnance Survey map contours" At the moment though, the tip appears to be higher than this because material, soil, clay etc, is being scraped off and piled on the periphery of the tip as the trench ditch for the culvert is excavated. The owner of the site has permission for a nine-hole golf course, but how far in the future this will be is difficult to assess, given the problems mentioned above.

The delay in finishing the tip, and the frequent tipping lorries, have obviously frustrated and annoyed people whose homes overlook the site and those who live close to it, as well as concerned others. Some of this frustration has resulted in letters to the press, rumours and constant criticisms to the local councillors often suggesting that the situation is out of control. Whilst the Lickey Hills Society understands these frustrations, particularly relating to the time factor, we are satisfied that, given its nature, the site is as safe as it can be at the moment, and that the very necessary work is proceeding in accordance with the demands and constraints of a difficult operation. Our view is based on the reports given to the Marlbrook Tip Monitoring Working Party (a body set up Bromsgrove DC Planning Department and chaired by Councillor B Fuller) by independent engineers and officers from various government agencies. These professional people monitor the progress and the type of work being undertaken on the site, as well as the quality of water flowing out of the site, methane emissions, etc.

The Lickey Hills Society serves on the Monitoring Working Party with other organisations, such as Parish Councils, the Lickey Hills Community Group etc, and collectively we rigorously peruse the reports and communicate the locals' concerns to the owner of the tip and to the professionals monitoring it. The Lickey & Blackwell Parish Council does a good job in reporting the progress of the work through its Parish Newsletter (space in the LHS Newsletter does not usually allow us to report on this). Alas, some parishioners do not read this, and obviously people outside the parish do not receive it, so the Lickey & Blackwell Parish Council agreed to set up a public meeting in an attempt to get information across to the uninformed. This meeting is scheduled for 7 pm on February 27th at Lickey Parish Hall, which will probably be before you will receive this Newsletter. We hope that the meeting will allay people's fears and assure them that the operation is being monitored thoroughly. We hope that our members will also be assured, as we shall continue to attend the Working Party and to review the reports and proceedings with our usual rigour.

Getting Canned

If you regularly attend the Society's twice yearly litter picks, it cannot have escaped your attention that the biggest proportion of cans found are for Carling Lager. Those of us who separate out the cans for re-cycling have also noticed that the brand is one of the few not to have any anti-litter exhortation or sign printed on the can. Could it be that Carling are probably amongst the least litter- conscious of the drinks manufacturers, or may-be their drinkers are? We are writing to Carling to ask them these questions and to suggest that they ought to educate their drinkers. We will let you know their comments. If you would like to test our hypothesis, or just want to do your bit, join us suitably attired, at 10am Saturday 21st April, at the Lickey Hills Visitor Centre, for a couple of hours.

Recent Events

Our thanks to Harvey Skelcher of the Friends of Sutton Park who, on the January 22nd, gave members a very inspiring account of the work of the Friends over the years in the Sutton Park. All present were greatly impressed by the scope of the Friends' work and by Harvey's extensive knowledge of wildlife.

Next Society Event

Forest School Taster
Saturday 10th March 11am – 1pm at Lickey Hills Country Park

You will have read in the previous Newsletter of how excited members got at the Annual General Meeting over the latest educational project on the Hills led by the Lickey Hills rangers. The project, developed in Scandinavia, involves school children and other young people spending time, over six weekly sessions, learning woodcraft skills that many of the older generation will remember from scouts/guides. This involves using tools, building shelters and fires, and being out of doors in all weathers! Members present were so taken with the idea that we asked Steve Hinton, the ranger who gave the talk, if he could set up a sampler for ourselves. True to his word, we have the opportunity on March 10th to sample a few activities for a couple of hours, including a snack and drink around the camp fire. Baden Carlson (must be an old scout with a name like that!) asked at the AGM if we could wear shorts, to which the answer was yes but bring your own Vaseline for your chapped thighs, as activities will carry on whatever the weather, excepting gales! More sensible members will want to wear clothes appropriate to the weather on the day. As the maximum number for the group is twenty, members who want to take part will need to ring either of the above phone numbers to book a place. Before you book a place, please ensure that you will be willing to turn out on the day, whatever the weather conditions, as it would be a pity if others missed the opportunity to take part.