MOOR RESTORATION TRUST NEWSLETTER WINTER 2007/2008

FLOWER SCAR …….. AND BEYOND

It’s working. All that effort and generous support in 2006 and 2007 has made a real difference to the moor. The “safe area” between the Flower Scar Road barriers is now almost free of rubbish, and natural vegetation is making a come-back. So are the walkers, riders and cyclists who come to enjoy the moor. We still have a problem with tipping at the west (Sharneyford) end of the road, but when you remember the 3m high heaps of waste that used to be on the moor, this problem will certainly not defeat us; it just takes time.

The photo above was taken on a wintry day, looking across the farms and intake land towards Clough Foot village (mostly hidden in the valley), Gorpley and Inchfield. Our work to protect Todmorden Moor continues, in spite of wind turbine applications This Newsletter gives a good idea of current projects and how you can get involved.

GUIDE QUARRY - THE SITE OF THE OLD STONE-CRUSHER

This year, 2008, we plan a small project near Guide Quarry at the east (Sourhall) end of Flower Scar Road. Some people will remember the stone crusher and grinding floor that used to be in a depression next to the road, just beyond the water in the photograph. In the 1970s Natural History Society was allowed to remove the grinding-stone and floor to Bacup for safe keeping and nothing remains but the depression in the ground.

Some of our members investigated the site during the summer and decided that, as the ground is now a bog, it would be a waste of time trying to restore the grinding floor. However, we realised the view is wonderful from there. We plan to clear and stabilise the area around the depression, provide some information and photographs about the stone-crusher as it used to be, and put a seat there for people to rest and enjoy the view.

NEW FUNDING FOR THE MOOR

In October T.M.R.T. was invited to the Pennine Prospects Conference at the Square Chapel, Halifax. Pennine Prospects is a newly formed organisation designed to promote the interests of the South Pennines, and during the conference we met Nancy Stedman who is putting together a funding bid to help the moors in our area.

Nancy asked if they could include T.M.R.T.’s work on Todmorden Moor as part of their application. Of course we agreed. IF Todmorden Moor is included in the bid, and IF the bid succeeds, Todmorden Moor could attract more funds and more expertise to help us improve the old industrial scars on the moorland. So - fingers crossed.

Calling local ex-miners.

We would like to meet ex-miners living in this area who have personal experience of working in the local coal mines. T.M.R.T. is planning to record some of the interesting memories of working down the mines in the Todmorden area before these valuable memories are lost.

If you are willing to tell us about some of your, or your family’s experiences, and allow us to record them so that in the future youngsters will have a better idea what life as a miner was like, please contact Sarah on 814988.

Commoners’ Corner

2007 has seen the return of the Twite to Todmorden Moor. Around 20 were seen on Lower Moor at Guide Quarry and sightings were also reported at Back O’th Edge at the Cloughfoot end.

In recent years there has been a decrease in the numbers of Twite. In the National Species and Habitat Review 2007, Twite were added to the UK list of priority species for biodiversity action.

The Twite is a characteristic bird of the moorland fringe. They nest on the moor but feed on the moorland edge farm land where they require a succession of different seeds. There is also known to be a small number of breeding birds in Gorpley Clough, so it is possible that the two flocks are linked.

With lower grazing numbers on Todmorden Moor Common over the last few years we can now report the signs of heather, crowberry and bilberry regeneration. If this trend continues it will mean nesting and feeding potential for the return of many more species in the future.

Slightly smaller than the Sparrow, 14cm in length,

the Twite is brown with darker brown streaks, the belly is white.

It can be seen on moorland, pasture and farmland. Seen in this area in the spring and summer.

WIND POWER UPDATE

As everyone will now know, applications were made last year by Coronation Power for three wind farms – Todmorden Moor, Reaps Moss, and Crook Hill. Because the Crook Hill site (straddling the – Rochdale border) is barely visible from Todmorden Moor, we have not been involved with that application as a Trust, though members have campaigned individually. Our main effort has been concentrated on Todmorden Moor.

The documents supporting the application contained many flaws which had to be considered carefully before becoming the basis of objections to Calderdale Council. In fact, a series of objection letters was sent to the Council as it would not have been practical to send them all in one letter. Robin, Mark, and Eddie have been principally responsible for dealing with application and the objections to it.

SPRING WATER

In August, Coronation Power submitted a supplementary document which was supposed to answer points raised by the Council, and some of the points made by objectors. In this it signally failed. Concerns about peat and spring water which had been expressed earlier were not dealt with, and still remain.

No serious work has been done by Coronation Power to assess the impact of the turbines on the peat, and the consequential impact on the more than fifty properties which are dependent on spring water supplies. Fortunately, the Pollutions Officer at Calderdale not only accepts that they have a serious case to answer on these issues, but is also deeply critical of the noise assessment made in the application, and the potential noise impact on residents in the area.

REAPS MOSS

An application for four turbines on Reaps Moss was lodged with Rossendale Council on the same day as the one for Todmorden Moor, along with a parallel application to Calderdale for the access road to Reaps Moss. Because any turbines on Reaps Moss would be clearly visible from Todmorden Moor, we have also objected to these turbines and the access road, largely on the grounds of visual impact, but also on more technical grounds. The road would require a large cutting, and no details have been provided of where the excavated material would go.

T.M.R.T. has contributed to, and greatly benefited from, the work of the Friends of the South Pennines, an umbrella group with supporters from Todmorden, Walsden, Littleborough, and Bacup. This group, ably chaired by Chris Edwards, has been extremely useful in coordinating the signing of opposition letters, leaflet drops and, more recently, making sure that the objectors were well represented at a planning meeting in .

The wind farm applications have created some interest in the news media. Articles which have been generally sympathetic to the objectors have appeared in local papers, and Todmorden Moor has been visited by Yorkshire TV’s “Calendar” and BBC “Look North” during the year.

Yorkshire Television interviews objectors gathered on the moor

LATEST INFORMATION

The Reaps Moss application has been turned down by Rossendale Council.

Currently Calderdale Council has suspended work on the application for the Reaps Moss access road because Coronation Power appealed to the Planning Inspectorate in December. This appeal is on the grounds of “non- determination” of the application, and a similar appeal is expected in relation to the turbines on Todmorden Moor. We await further developments. For the latest news visit our website www.todmordenmoor.org.uk.

If you would like further information, or feel you would like to help keep Todmorden Moor from being covered in giant wind turbines contact Robin on (01706) 814988. [email protected]

Not Just a Load of Old Balls!

During the summer of 2007 one of our members found a large coal ball on the moor, and when a local farmer told us there were specimens near his land that were “too big to move”, we thought we better start finding out what coal balls actually are.

Put very briefly, they are extremely hard nodules of rock found within some coal seams, notably the Upper and Lower Mountain Mines of East , and almost nowhere else in . If the nodules are split open, beautifully preserved fossils can be found inside, and this has excited palaeobotanists for over a century.

In 1903 the British Association visited Todmorden Moor Mine specifically to collect and examine coal balls. They were guided by Mr James Lomax, a miner turned geologist who later donated his collections to local museums. Specimens are now in various USA and Australian universities apparently. The best collection of “prepared” coal balls in northern England is now in Bolton Museum.

When we started to read up on the subject we realised how rare and interesting coal balls are, and how mysterious. Geologists are still uncertain how, or why, they are formed within certain coal seams.

In the case of Todmorden Moor, the conditions for coal ball formation seem to have been created when the layers of rich organic material (the future coal seam), were inundated by sea water. This is when geology gets so fascinating. It wasn’t Todmorden-on-Sea of course, but our local hills were certainly under the sea many millions of years ago.

T.M.R.T. has contacted the Geological Trust and given them the information we have on coal balls. Will we get a Geological Designation for Todmorden Moor? We don’t know yet, but if we do it will prove again that Todmorden Moor is a very special place.

CLOUGH HEAD QUARRY – RESTORATION OR DUMP

Many of us have been watching, and smelling, the progress of the compost plant on Bacup Road with increasing concern during 2007. Several T.M.R.T. members and local residents have visited the site at the invitation of TEG, the composting company. Opinions vary.

The plant should be doing a good job recycling our waste into a reusable product. But, the plant is not a closed system, unlike the original plan before TEG took over. There is no way to prevent occasionally sick-making odour from the stored wastes escaping when the plant is operating. The finished product seems pretty rough and certainly isn’t odourless either.

A Planning Application….stopped.

For this reason T.M.R.T. objected to TEG’s recent Application to spread 2500 tonnes of compost in Clough Head Quarry and on the damaged moorland beside their plant, in what they called a restoration plan.

We have been pushing for restoration of the quarry for ages, and this became an urgent issue after the horrible damage done during the construction of the compost plant.

However, when TEG’s Application came in we had to make it clear to them, and to the Council, that we could not support it. Serious problems concerned us: what is the compost’s nutritional value for plants? What is the acidity? What concentration (spreading rates) would be recommended, and how would it be “dug in” to prevent it being washed away in heavy rainfall? And then there’s the smell!

If 2500 tonnes of compost are to be spread near people’s homes it has to be a beneficial, odourless product. Local people are not happy that this would be the case, and after a lot of objections to Calderdale, TEG withdrew their application.

So, Clough Head Quarry will remain, for the moment, vulnerable to serious erosion and environmentally dead. We are going to talk to TEG to see if they are willing to tackle the erosion problem, but the rest of the restoration must wait for a much better scheme.

2008 RESOLUTION

TODMORDEN MOOR NEEDS FRIENDS!

What with wind turbine applications, smelly compost, new sightings of rare birds, coal ball hunts, off- roading damage, and the search for funds to improve the old mine site on Flower Scar Road, there will be a lot going on in 2008.

Members of T.M.R.T. are invaluable, but we are few. Please consider becoming either a full member, or a FRIEND OF TODMORDEN MOOR this year.

To become a full Member costs £14 per year £8 for concessions. You could become a Friend for as little as £5, or by giving us a donation of £5 or more. We are a registered charity so you can Gift Aid your donations to T.M.R.T.

If anyone would like to join us as a Member Friend or Volunteer please contact Robin on 01706 814988, and please look at our web site www.todmordenmoor.org.uk.

TMRT at 10 Keswick Close Todmorden OL14 8EJ Registered Charity Number 1015576