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ISSUE NINE AUTUMN 2005 PUBLISHED BY THE MERSEY BASIN CAMPAIGN WWW.MERSEYBASIN.ORG.UK CELEBRITY MAKEOVERS Lancashire gets the star treatment. INTERVIEW PC Kath Juckes and the Birch Green Dirt Busters COMMENT It’s time to move the Mersey SourceNW is the magazine of the Mersey Basin Campaign. The campaign works towards better water quality and sustainable waterside regeneration for the rivers and waterways of England’s Northwest. www.merseybasin.org.uk Cover Tony Wilson and Yvette Livesey (see page 14-17). Photograph by Len Grant. CONTENTS Anyone who is Features Regulars prepared to pull other people’s 10 KEEPING UP APPEARANCES 4 REGIONAL ROUND-UP litter from the With things looking up for the site of News on the environment, water and regeneration from chilly waters of Liverpool’s Garden Festival after 20 years of around the Northwest. their local river decline, Ben Willis uncovers the new ideas on in autumn so that we can all enjoy long term maintenance. 8 LOCAL ROUND-UP a countryside that is clean and The local perspective on the environment and pleasant is clearly worthy of our 14 CELEBRITY MAKEOVER regeneration. thanks. The surprise is that every Can designer Wayne Hemingway, music October for the last fourteen years, impresario Tony Wilson and his partner 18 SPOTLIGHT that’s exactly what hundreds of Yvette Livesey bring some celebrity magic PC Kath Juckes explains how the long arm of the people have indeed done. to Lancashire’s regeneration? law helped local people clean up Birch Green in They’ve been taking part in Skelmersdale. the MWH Mersey Basin Week, 20 PUBLIC BODIES the biggest week of water related From the Angel of the North to Another Place, 19 BUSINESS improvements and activities in Antony Gormley’s art is as popular with the Interview with Pete Petrondas, founder and managing the Northwest. public as it is with the critics. He talks to director of fast growing mobile phone recycler Eazyfone. The Mersey Basin Campaign, Matthew Sutcliffe about art and regeneration. which publishes this magazine, 26 RESEARCH has more reason than most to be 22 FLOCKING TO THE MERSEY New research is drawing attention to some of the grateful to the volunteers of the Often overlooked, the Mersey Estuary is an region’s forgotten rivers. Northwest. Without their help the internationally important wintering ground for Campaign simply could not operate birds, says the RSPB’s Tim Melling. 27 THE SHARP END That’s why we’re proud to sponsor the Promoting sustainable water the way it does. Their desire to Comment: The next step in improving the River Mersey Unilever Dragonfly awards, recognising the use is one Unilever’s three improve their local environment is to move it, says Dr Keith Hendry. volunteers whose efforts are revitalising provides the enthusiasm and hands global sustainability initiatives, the rivers and watersides of the Northwest. on help our network of local alongside sustainable agriculture co-ordinators needs. Volunteers like Malcolm Bower of the Every year we try to do our and sustainable fishing. Macclesfield Canal Society, who for over bit in some small way to honour a decade has tended and improved the our volunteers by handing out the canal for the benefit of boaters and the local Unilever Dragonfl y awards, along community alike. with a cheque to fi nance further environmental improvements. It’s also why Unilever continues to support the The work of the region’s army of 14 20 22 Mersey Basin Campaign, which for 20 years volunteers often goes unsung, but if they weren’t there, we’d notice. Malcolm Bower, winner of a Unilever Dragonfly Award 2005, has played a crucial role in the transformation with members of the Macclesfield Canal Society. of the region’s watercourses. To say that they deserve our thanks and appreciation is not a new Subscriptions: Fouzia Bhatti, 0161 242 8200 Design: Hemisphere, Manchester observation, but it is one that’s [email protected] Print: Gyroscope, Manchester worth repeating. For more on these Contributors: Louise Tickle, David Ward, Ben Willis, Tim Melling SourceNW is published quarterly by the Mersey Basin Campaign. stories, see pages 8, 9 and 18. Photography: Len Grant, Don McPhee, Karen Wright, Steve Young The opinions expressed in this magazine are not necessarily those of the Address: Mersey Basin Campaign, Fourways House, publishers. Comments, letters and corrections are welcomed and should be Matthew Sutcliffe, editor 57 Hilton Street, Manchester M1 2EJ addressed to the editor. SourceNW is printed on 100% post-consumer waste [email protected] Website: www.merseybasin.org.uk recycled paper using vegetable-based inks. SourceNW is sponsored by Mersey Basin Campaign corporate sponsors include www.unilever.co.uk REGIONAL ROUND-UP REGIONAL ROUND-UP Manchester Two hundred is my Planet year wait is over Stars including actor Christopher Eccleston, athlete “We appear to be getting to the point where the Diane Modahl and Premiership footballers from Celebrities take climate change pledge as three The discovery of young salmon in the adult salmon can make it all the way to the breeding Manchester City, Manchester United and Wigan Athletic grounds at the headwaters of the river.” have joined a major environmental campaign aiming to million people are urged to make Manchester River Goyt marks a historic moment for the One of the main barriers to migration had been make Greater Manchester a leader in tackling thought to be the low water quality in the Manchester climate change. the ‘coolest’ city in the world. Northwest’s improving environment. Ship Canal, a stretch of which the fi sh must pass Campaigners are urging the three million people through. Although much better than in the past, water who live or work in Greater Manchester to take the leaving electrical appliances on standby, University, Defra and Manchester Salmon are breeding in the River think the public realise how big a deal this is. quality in the canal remains poor compared with much of ‘Manchester is my Planet’ pledge before a G8 climate turning down the thermostat by one degree, City Council. Other major supporters Mersey catchment for the fi rst It’s massive. It’s the fi rst time in hundreds of the rest of the Mersey system. change event in early November. Each individual will be and thinking twice about making a car journey include Manchester Enterprises, time in living memory, according to years we’ve seen baby salmon anywhere in the Whilst it is now clear that some salmon are making pledging to help reduce greenhouse gas emissions in when they could walk, cycle or use public United Utilities, Manchester Museum ecologists from the Environment Mersey catchment.” it past the Ship Canal, they still face a diffi cult journey Greater Manchester by 20 per cent before 2010, transport. and ITV Granada, as well as Bolton, Agency (EA). Only 20 years ago the Mersey was so ahead – many of the Mersey’s tributaries are blocked to help the UK meet its international commitment on Backed by the support of local celebrities Salford and Manchester Metropolitan Environment Agency offi cers polluted that few fi sh could survive in it at all. by weirs that are impassable to migratory fi sh such as climate change. the campaign signed up over 4,000 people Universities. found three young salmon during Since then, however, organisations salmon and sea trout. The route up the Mersey to where According to a survey of greenhouse gas emissions within the fi rst four days via the internet, text Manchester is my Planet is fi sh surveys on the River Goyt, a including United Utilities, the Environment the young salmon were found is very unusual because it for the region, Greater Manchester is responsible message or by fi lling in pledge cards. aiming to gather 10,000 pledges tributary of the Mersey in Stockport Agency, the Manchester Ship Canal Company is not blocked by weirs. for 36 per cent of the carbon dioxide released in Dr Who actor Christopher Eccleston said: before the November G8 summit, – proof that salmon are breeding and the Mersey Basin Campaign have worked According to Bill Darbyshire, one of the next big the Northwest, with the largest single source of “Coming from Salford I am very proud to and with over half that number now successfully. to bring about a remarkable transformation of challenges is it to build fi sh passes on these weirs. emissions – 23 per cent – coming from domestic be involved in the Manchester is my Planet signed up organisers say the target The discovery raises the the river. Without them, there will be no return to major salmon households. campaign. The fact that people in and around is likely to be surpassed. tantalising prospect of a return to “The three million people who live or work in Greater Manchester can now take real action against major salmon runs on the Mersey “I don’t think the public realise how big a deal this is. Manchester together have the power to make an climate change is an excellent way to show MORE INFORMATION – at least in the long term. important contribution to action on climate change in the rest of the country that here in the North Sign up to the pledge by visiting Environment Agency spokesman It’s massive.” runs. The problem is that fi sh passes can cost around the UK,” said environment minister Elliot Morley. we are leading on the important issues facing www.manchesterismyplanet.com, by texting Oliver Southgate said: “The River £100,000 and there is no direct government funding “In local neighbourhoods and in our homes, what us today.” the word ‘pledge’ and your postcode to Mersey has a fi shing history dating Jeff Lang, United Utilities’ chief operating available to pay for them.

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