CWT Logo

Cornwall Wildlife Trust has been leant on by Edward Iliffe of MDL to have the CWT logo removed from our website. It is extremely gratifying to know that we are having an effect! Here is the correspondence relating to the matter...

email from Edward Iliffe to Adam Whaley 7/4/06
"...Could you also confirm that all the advertisers on your site have given permission to be there".

email from Adam Whaley to Edward Iliffe 7/4/06
"All the 'advertisers' on the site have given their permission - and a few others are there because we want to give them a plug - nobody has complained, all have been advised. What's the problem? Is that the best you can come up with?"

(no reply received!)

It is interesting to note that this single piece of Iliffe blather represents the only aspect of our website that MDL has attempted to refute! However, our pithy reply was obviously not enough to satisfy Mr Iliffe so, in a fit of pique, he hassled Cornwall Wildlife Trust resulting in our secretary receiving this:

The Wildlife Trusts Cornwall
Five Acres
Allet
Truro
Cornwall
TR4 9DJ

Mrs Sybil Collins
Carinthia
8 Parc-an-Gate
Paul Lane
Mousehole
Penzance
Cornwall
TR196TT

27^th April 2006

Dear Mrs Collins,

Re. CWT Eel Grass report and use of our logo on the Stop the Marina website

I am afraid that the Eel Grass report is still not completed, Joana Doyle, one of our Marine Conservation Officers, is working on it as we speak. The marine team is constantly busy and things sometimes take longer than anticipated. As soon as the report is completed Jo will provide me with a copy to send on to you, sorry for the delay.

We have been contacted by the developer with an interest in Penlee Quarry about the use of the CWT logo on the 'Stop the Marina' website. Prior to this I was aware that there was a link to an old press release of ours, but not that our logo had been used.

Whilst we expressed concerns about the development back in 2003, and still have concerns, we do not have an official stance as yet as to whether we object to the proposals or not. Once we have more information on the proposals and the likely ecological impacts, both terrestrial and marine, we will decide our position. Our decision will be made purely on information about impacts on habitats and species.

The use of our logo on the 'Stop the Marina' website gives the impression that we support the views of the group. As we do not yet know what our official response is we would prefer to not have our logo on the site. I would be grateful if you could remove our logo at the earliest opportunity.

Please contact me if you would like to discuss this further. Yours sincerely,

Cheryl Marriott- Assistant Conservation Manager

>

 8, Parc-An-Gate, Paul Lane
Mousehole
Penzance
Cornwall
TR19 6TT

Cornwall Wildlife Trust,
Five Acres,
Allet,
Truro,
Cornwall
TR4 9DJ

29th April, 2006

For The attention of Ms. Cheryl Marriott Assistant Conservation Manager.

Dear Ms. Marriott

Re:  CWT Eel Grass Report and use of logo on Stop The Marina Website.

Thank you for your letter of 27th April regarding the above subjects.

I am most disappointed that after this protracted length of time you still are unable to give me information about the location of Eel Grass in Mounts Bay. I asked for this many months ago and was promised details last year!

As to the Logo issue mentioned in the second paragraph of your letter, to quote you " We have been  contacted by the developer with an interest in Penlee Quarry about the use of the CWT logo on the Stop The Marina Website. By this I assume you mean Edward Iliffe of Marina Developments Ltd?

Surely his concern at the possibility of your organisation supporting us should initiate "Warning Bells" at CWT? Mr Iliffe knows that should he be allowed to carry out his scheme, much of the wildlife and plant life will be destroyed in the Quarry and the birds will certainly leave their habitat. As a Trustee on the Mousehole Wild Bird Hospital and Sanctuary it concerns me very much that the quite rare Peregrine Falcons will be driven from their natural habitat because they certainly will go when the blasting and disruption commences should planning permission be granted.

I thought that CWT was on the side of those who try to protect the environment, not make things harder for a group like mine who is trying to stop a ruthless, money - orientated entrepreneur from destroying it. Obviously I was wrong.

Regarding the Website, I do not own a computer at the moment, as my very sophisticated word-processor is ample for my needs. May I suggest that you send our Website Manager an E-Mail stating your objection to your logo being shown on our publication?

Again I must stress my disappointment and surprise that a Wildlife organisation such as yours should have any doubts about supporting a group that is attempting to stop the destruction of peregrine falcons, other wildlife and fauna.

If this development succeeds it will ruin the peace, tranquility and everyday lifestyle of so many West Cornwall residents for many years to come, with mining, blasting, dust, traffic chaos in our small roads, over stretching of our already crumbling local services with a whole new village dumped between Paul and Mousehole villages and Newlyn and, this is even before the nightmare of the Marina begins.

Would you like all this and, to add to it the promise of Jet Skis and Power Boats roaring over Mounts Bay shattering our peace forever and making our lovely area like a horrendous Theme Park?

If you cannot support our group when we are trying to protect nature, our seas, and the life of our people, you should not call yourselves the Cornwall Wildlife Trust because you are not living up to its' principles in mind or deed.

Yours sincerely,

Sybil R.Collins. (Mrs).
Secretary to Stop The Marina Group.

>

Mrs Sybil Collins
Secretary to Stop the Marina Group
Carinthia
8 Parc-An-Gate
Mousehole
Penzance
Cornwall
TR19 6TT

5^th May 2006

Dear Mrs Collins,

Re. CWT Eel Grass Report and use of logo on Stop the Marina Website

Thank you for your letter dated 29^th April.  I enclose a copy of extracts from the 2002 Eel Grass report.  I have included all the Mounts Bay information and other general information on Eel Grass that might be of interest.  I did not realise that you did not have this early report or I would have sent it sooner. As I explained on the phone, the report on the surveys we carried out last year is still not complete.  I can only apologise that this has taken longer than we originally anticipated and assure you that we will get a copy to you as soon as it is published.

As I mentioned in my previous letter the Cornwall Wildlife Trust does have strong concerns about the proposed development at Penlee Quarry.  There is national guidance from the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister on how biodiversity and geodiversity should be handled in the Planning process- Planning Policy Statement (PPS) 9 Biodiversity and Geological Conservation. The guidance is clear that it is the responsibility of the developer to gather information on the habitats and species likely to be affected by their proposals.  Features of ecological importance should be protected by incorporating them into the design of the development and any impacts should be avoided where possible, or mitigated for.  If there are impacts that cannot be avoided or mitigated then compensation such as habitat creation off-site should be proposed.  If it is felt that the information supplied is not good enough, or the mitigation/compensation is not acceptable, permission can be refused on nature conservation grounds. 

Once we have all the information, which is likely to be at the planning application stage, we will decide whether the application fulfils the criteria of PPS 9.  If we feel it does not satisfy PPS 9, and the policies in the Penwith Local Plan then we will object to the application on nature conservation grounds.  As planning applications are determined against local district, county and national planning policy, we base our comments on how the applications measure up against these policies.  We have found this approach is the most effective as the points we raise are directly relevant to the discussions of the planning committees and planning officers.  The point I am trying to make is that until we have looked carefully at the proposals and judged them against the various polices and guidance, we do not know what our official position will be.  Whilst CWT would prefer the quarry to become a nature reserve rather than be developed, this is not grounds for an official objection.  I hope you agree that this is the best approach to take if CWT’s views are to be respected and taken seriously.

We are currently leading a project with English Nature, the Environment Agency, and the local planning authorities to produce a guide for developers on how we expect them to handle biodiversity and geodiversity in developments in Cornwall, in line with national planning guidance, policy and wildlife legislation.  I hope this shows how committed CWT is to improving the way wildlife is considered in development planning in Cornwall.

The use of our logo on your website suggests we fully support the views of the Stop the Marina group.  Whilst we are sympathetic to group’s cause, and share many of your concerns, I hope you can see why we do not want our logo to be used in this way before we have an official view on the proposals.  I will copy this letter by email to your web-manager as you suggested in your letter.

I must make it clear that we are not qualified to make comments on other impacts such as those on landscape and increases in traffic etc. I recognise that these are important and relevant issues, but CWT is consulted for its views on impacts on species and habitats not wider issues.

I hope this better explains our position, and that you can understand why we are approaching the situation in this way.  If there are any points that remain unclear please do not hesitate to contact me again.

Yours sincerely,

Cheryl Marriott
Assistant Conservation Manager

Comment: The above explanation goes some way towards a reassurance that CWT have the best interests of Cornwall's wildlife at heart. However, we would question the dubious morality of a charity receiving money from developers via their consultancy arm - Cornwall Environmental Consultants Ltd (see their client list) - as to how best to mitigate the impact from development! One can't help wondering how much credibility Greenpeace would have if they 'advised' British Nuclear Fuels on how best to mitigate the danger from the proposed next generation of nuclear power stations? Perhaps the Council For The Protection Of Rural England could advise them as to what colour they should be painted?