The Lickey Hills Society

Communication Masts

From the authoritative Guardian we learn that Orange are now to offer live mobile TV on videophones in an attempt to get customers to sign up to their 3G networks for which the mobile phone operators collectively paid £22.5bn. in license/franchise fees to the Chancellor of the Exchequer. An Orange spokesman was quoted as saying that they expect that people will not watch TV on these videophones for hours on end but that users will dip in and out. Programmes would include news and fashion, and of course that essential slot without which the country's cultural milieu would be bleak, Big Brother.

As we said in our last Newsletter, the time has gone when there was, arguably, a need to fast track masts for basic 2G phones which effectively now have national coverage. Now we are faced with the prospect of hundreds of new and adapted masts because 3G phones need many more base stations to operate effectively as they transmit electromagnetic radiation at a higher frequency. We do not believe that communities should be asked to accept the spoiling of their landscapes, and possible injury to their health, for videophone uses that can hardly be said to be essential. No one can argue that these uses justify the special planning liberties that were enacted to get the mobile phone system up and running.
But are we being naïve, expecting the government to tighten the planning laws relating to 3G masts when they have taken £22.5bn off the companies that are now desperately trying to boost the take-up rate of 3G phones?

On The Web

We now have our own web site. If you visit it on www.lhs.org.uk you will notice that it's a bit skeletal at the moment but we plan to publish extracts from our Newsletter, lists of events and general information, as well as links to like organisations. If you have any ideas or thoughts about the content then please let us know.

The Austin Centenary: The Rover Closure

It is very sad and ironic that this centenary year of the Austin Motor Company, that was, looks very likely to be the last year of motorcar manufacturing on the Longbridge site. We in the Lickey Hills Society have every sympathy for the workers who have lost their jobs and we sincerely hope that they receive their pensions and redundancy packages that are rightly theirs, in full, in the very near future. We also hope that they will be given priority options on any new jobs that become available on the rejuvenated site.

As to the Austin Centenary, we do not have the details but we are aware that there are various events planned, at least one in Cofton Park and, as Lord Austin is buried in Lickey Parish Church cemetery, there will no doubt be a steady stream of visitors to his graveside. So keep your eyes on the local press for details.

Former Rover Sites & Green Belt Land

As members would expect, we are keeping an eye on the former Rover site developments. We cannot imagine that any new structures will be any more intrusive than the previous plant buildings. In fact any new off- the-design-board structures should be more environmentally sympathetic.

One of our very real present concerns is the fate of the large tracts of Green Belt farming land, around Cofton Richards Farm, previously owned by Rover. The proposed new roads would traverse much of this land, and new roads often become the city/urban building boundaries. We could be faced, therefore, with building on much of this Green Belt land which is always cheaper to develop.

We maintain that these former, extensive factory sites provide more than enough land for any of the proposed and future development of Birmingham's "technology corridor" without the need to use more Green Belt land in this area. Therefore, we shall continue to be vigilant in the protection of the Green Belt.

Recent Events

Our thanks to Daniel Squire of the Lickey Hills Ranger Service, who on April 10th took members on a fascinating Archaeology Walk over the Hills. Our journey back into the yesteryear, "uncovered" evidence of
past activities and industries ranging in time from the Middle Ages to World War II. There's always more to the Lickeys than first meets the eye.

Our litter pick on the 16th April produced the usual amazing number of filled sacks and a group of satisfied litter-pickers who in the space of three hours made a considerable impact on the heavily littered Rednal Hill adjoining the Eachway. If you missed this event look out for the next litter pick, as it's the quickest way that members can make a difference.