WHAT HAVE WE DONE SO FAR?  
  During 2005  
 
  • Held regular public meetings to elicit support from other groups and individuals
  • Formed an Executive and appointed Officers
  • Prepared and presented a Constitution.
  • Sub-divided the body of membership of interested participants into groups based on members' skills and expertise. Environmental and Legal, Wildlife and Ecology, Flooding and Pollution, Publicity and Fund-Raising.
  • Raised Public awareness through a Media campaign
  • Commissioned an ecological survey of the site and communicated the findings to the relevant and other interested bodies.  (Report available on request)
  • Commissioned aerial photographs of the area
  • Identified key rare and protected species
  • Engaged a very good Solicitor and a Planning Expert to act on our behalf
  • Formally notified RWE NPower and Oxfordshire County Council of their obligations under the Countryside and Wildlife Act and the European Habitats Directive, indicating that the site is protected by this legislation until the matter is resolved.
  • Arranged for petition forms to be circulated for eventual submission to RWE NPower.
  • Held site meetings with the Local Authority and the Environment Agency
  • Raised funds to continue to run the campaign.
  • GOT THE HELP OF THE WATER VOLE!
  • Petitioned the Radley Parish Council for a Public Meeting and gained their support
  • Appeared on Radio Oxford's Bill Heine Programme several times
  • Appeared on BBC South Today News
  • Picketed the NPower Exhibition in the Village of Radley to raise awareness of the issues and the alternatives available to NPower.
  • Got Evan Harris to visit the Lakes and add his support to the campaign
  • Saw coverage of Evan Harris' visit in the Oxford Mail & Times
  • Attended the Conservation Fair in Abingdon and obtained 300 signatures and got six new members.
  • Appeared on Central TV News
  • Raised funds at a Car Boot Sale on the 7th August
  • Petitioned Abingdon Town Council on the 8th August and gained their support.
  • Exhibited at Radley Village Hall, 11th August, 2.30pm to 8.00pm
  • Campaigned at Carfax on 13th August
  • The Watervole campaigned in Abingdon Town Centre on the 20th August
  • Exhibited at The Guildhall in Abingdon, 20th August 10.00am to 1.00pm and recruited a further 54 Members.
  • Planned the next Exhibitions in Oxford
  • Received a Complaint from NPower about our Website and the fact that we reported thousands of dead fish.  We have removed this statement from the draft letter of objection to Oxford County Council for the interim whilst we obtain a signed affidavit from three witnesses who reported this incident to the Action Group.  The past Chairman of the Parish Council remembers the incident and we are also searching the Parish Records.
  • Campaigned at Carfax on Friday 26th August for three hours and got 51 new members and a further 153 signatures on our petition!
  • Classified wildlife from photographs taken in the Lakes Area since May 2005.
  • Spent the Bank-Holiday weekend collating reports for submission to Oxford County Council
  • Been complimented on our draft reports by experts who have cast an eye over our Group efforts.
  • Been supported by our employers, families and friends without whom this campaign would not have been possible.
  • Delivered our letters of objection with the Water Vole on Tuesday 30th August 05. 
  • Listened with amazement at the Chief Executive of BBOWT obfuscating (and a few other words which might be indelicate) over their "objection to NPower's Application to fill the lakes".  To say what might be left after infilling could be better than what we have now is so far off the mark as to make other conservationists and the interested public question their stance.   BBOWT have told the SRL Chairman that they knew nothing about the article in the Oxford Times Business Supplement.
  • Got the support of Dr. David Bellamy. 
  • Campaigned at Carfax on the 3rd, 9th September and at Waitrose  on 16th September and increased the membership by another 177 members breaking a significant barrier and taking us well on our way to 500 members.
  • Our Treasurer Co-Hosted the Bill Heine Programme on 16th September 2005 for two hours and was able to broadcast the campaign issues to thousands of people across Oxfordshire.
  • Exhibited the photographs of the lakes and their wildlife at the Wesley Memorial Hall in New Inn Hall Street, on the 23rd September 05.  The Water Vole was in attendance and as a result, sixty-three members joined and two hundred people signed the petition.
  • Convinced the Environment Agency that there is a case for flood risk.
  • Convinced the Environment Agency that the wildlife on the site needs protection.
  • Forced NPower to put their application into Abeyance.  Round One to Save Radley Lakes and if they think we'll go away - they are mistaken - we are even bigger and better than we were when we started.    We have all sorts of professional people signed up, all willing to take on the challenge of making sure Radley gets justice. 
  • Found out that NPower paid £3,200,000 for the house and lake known as Sandles and Thrupp Lake.  Their Shareholders are going to be very unhappy when they find out that Didcot Power Station has bought a very expensive piece of real-estate just in order to vandalise it.
  • Gained the support of numerous local organisations
  • Petitioned at the Craft Fair in Abingdon and collected over a thousand signatures and several new members.
  • Held a fund-raising Dinner and Quiz, adding a sizeable sum to the Campaign Chest.
  • Had a stall at the Radley Village Bazaar and added to our sizeable collection of signatures and raised more money for our Campaign Chest.   
  • Raised a few hundred pounds in Oxford at our Bazaar and the Green Fair.
  • Had a cracking good time at our New Year's Eve Party - If you weren't there, you missed a great do!
  
  During 2006  
 
  • Gave a presentation at Abingdon Naturalists Society which described the plight of the lakes and the wildlife in the threatened area.  Seventy one people were in the audience, more than half of whom were non-members.  ABNATS got to recruit some new members and so did Save Radley Lakes.
  • Had a momentary feeling of elation when the TV News reported that NPower had abandoned their plans to fill the lakes with ash, but immediately realised it had been misreported;  NPower's press release started off with the words that they had found a new ecological solution to dumping the ash in Radley's Lakes.  Someone didn't read the rest of the report to find that they were resubmitting their application with a variation to only fill one of the lakes - as if this will make a difference to our campaign. 
  • Pressed ITV to make the revised planning application more public and appeared on Central TV News on Saturday 11th February .
  • Received a huge pile of documents from Oxfordshire County Council relating to the latest application from NPower. If we want a further copy we are obliged to pay £30 each copy.
  • Our Campaign has awakened the evil Count Cenospheratu and the very scary Doctor Pulverash, but the Water Vole will soon see them off!!  If you came to the Spring Fair in the Guildhall on Saturday 11th March you would have seen how!
  • Addressed the Abingdon Town Council on Monday 13th March and obtained their support, as well as that of Radley Parish Council.  The Town Council intends to recommend to the Vale of the White Horse that they should combine resources to fight this application. 
  • Spent hours analysing NPower's documentation, researching and reporting, to prepare an objection which will hopefully sway the County Council Officers and Planners in favour of Save Radley Lakes. 
  • Appeared on BBC, ITV and Radio Oxford all on the same day.  NPower tried to upstage us by allowing TV Cameras into Didcot to tell how they have produced more electricity in the last three months than ever before. That means more ash, more NOX emissions, more CO2.  Eric Hobson had his five minutes on Radio Oxford and trotted out the same tired old lies about the infilling being a marvellous opportunity for wildlife.  How does he sleep at night?
  • Delivered our Objection to Oxfordshire County Council, comprising 9 reports, totalling over 300 pages.  Since that date we have delivered a further report on the hydrogeology of the area, and two further technical objections.
  • Obtained 11500 signatures from members of the public.
  • Suffered a huge disappointment when Oxfordshire County Council Officers recommended to the Planning Committee to grant permission to NPower despite a wealth of objections from the public and the fact that there were planning guidelines which would have allowed OCC to refuse permission and not lose on appeal.
  • Decided to take legal advice regarding the actions of Oxfordshire County Council
  • Determined to fight on and raise further funds for a judicial review
  • Made a Complaint to the Ombudsman about the conduct of Oxfordshire County Council Officers and the way they led the Planning Committee to make the decision they did on the 10th July.
  • Lobbied the Secretary of State but to no avail.
  • Enlisted support from a group of people "Friends of Radley Lakes" who are now campaigning to have the area made  a "Town Green"
  • Held countless functions and fund-raising stalls to raise funds to pay fees for  the Town Green  Legal Process
  • Acted as Mentors for an Open University Module on Planning.
  
  During 2007  
 
  • Held a Poetry Competition - Click here to read the entries Held a Protest Cycle Ride Click here for report
  • Held a Protest March from Radley to the Lakes with 24 hours notice  Click here for the report
  • Held a Protest March from Abingdon to Radley on the 10th March at which 550 people turned out to show their disapproval of NPower    Click here for the report
  • Been successful in getting evidence of previous use to convince Oxfordshire County Council to hold a Public Inquiry.
  • Supported by one of our members getting a petition on to the Government Petition Website, although NPower attempted to have it removed. Petition now closed
  • Been approached by schoolchildren who are unhappy about NPower's plans.  So we arranged for them to go to the heart of Government, No. 10 Downing Street, to tell Tony Blair what they thought.
  • Financed the legal costs for the Town Green Public Inquiry.
  • Got Tony Juniper of Friends of the Earth to visit his old childhood haunts and endorse the Campaign to save the Lakes.
  • Provided evidence at a Public Inquiry chaired by Vivian Chapman QC which was delivered by witnesses who were prepared to give up their working day to sit and wait to be called by the Barrister representing Save Radley Lakes. 
  • Held an Easter Fair in the Radley Village Hall and populated it with stalls of all descriptions to raise money for the Town Green Legal Fees
  • Held a Hair and Beauty Evening in the Radley Village Hall with former resident Angela who owns Anya Hairdressing in Abingdon bringing her team of stylists to show what the latest hair fashions are using members of the audience who volunteered to be the "guinea pigs". 
  • Held a Sponsored Dog Walk at the end of April from the Abbey Meadows to Radley Lakes which was supported by hundreds of Dogs and their owners.
  • Held a "Design a Poster" Competition for local schoolchildren with prizes being awarded following judging by the head of Abingdon College Arts Department
  • Held an Essay Competition "Why Radley Lakes should be saved"  Judged by Paul Mayhew Archer and prizes presented to winning schoolchildren.
  • Had a stall at Abingdon Airshow on the 6th May selling Cards and Prints
    Held a June Fair on the 2nd June 2007 in the Guildhall in Abingdon, selling all sorts of items, cakes and refreshments.
  • Held a Photographic Exhibition at Peachcroft Farm,  on the 17th June, courtesy of Wells Foods which served to show the wildlife being threatened and raised money from the sale of cream teas.
  • Public Inquiry Part Two - 20th to 22nd June 2007 - Listened to the final witness Statements giving evidence of use and then listened to the arguments from the landowners, past and present why they thought no one had used an area which is clearly so valued by local residents.  One witness said NPower knew the price of everything and the value of nothing.
  • Took a stand at the Radley Village Fete and Flower Show at the end of June and decided SRL could do its own Fete and earn even more money!
  • Held a Race Night in the Guildhall on the 21st July 2007 where people could bet on horses with improbable names, but which were based on actual races.
  • Took over the Village Hall and Playing Field on the 28th July 2007 to hold a Fete with traditional side-stalls and amusements.  The star event was the Family Dog Show with prizes for the most obedient, the one most like its owner, the one who could leave the sausage uneaten and the one who could do the best tricks.  There was a set of cooling towers at which to aim tennis balls to send them toppling and win a prize.  This stall took a huge amount of money at 20 pence a go!
  • Discovered the RWE NPower have, in their own admission in their Corporate Responsibility Report, recycled more ash in 2006 than they produced.   How can you recycle more than you produced?  Well because NPower had a big stockpile of ash waiting to go to Thrupp Lake, which would have filled it in two years if they had been allowed free rein.  As it was, they had to go for Plan B - which is to recycle the stuff and they did!  Big Time!  Just what Necessity being the Mother of Invention goes to prove.  It can be done, and they don't need Thrupp Lake.
  • Lobbied the Environment Agency at their Open Day at the Guildhall and exhorted them to do more about the loss of the floodplain which has caused problems in 2003 and in 2007 with flooding because of the incursion into the flood plain of NPower's ash filling.
  • Obtained the support of the CPRE who made a national appeal for help with funds which brought in over £1000.
  • Discovered that NPower recycled very little ash in 2005 which was what we suspected as the stockpile of ash began to increase.  This was designed to scare Oxfordshire County Councillors into believing the Power Station would close if they couldn't get rid of their ash.   NPower have not been able to get rid of the ash into Thrupp Lake for two years so they have had to recycle it. They had no other option and, surprise, surprise, they can and did recycle the ash.
  •   Lobbied Waste Recycling Group over the huge capacity which is next to the Power Station.  Obtained their agreement to look further into their own requirements for ash for daily cover at their waste disposal site and what would happen when the power station closed.  There would be a huge amount of lorries on the roads round Sutton Courtenay bringing in aggregate for daily cover.
 
 
  
  2008 onwards  
 
  • Received support from the Town and Vale Councils to continue the fight.
  • Obtained cross party support at a public meeting in February 2008 when politicians of all parties attended and pledged support to the application for a Judicial Review.  Raised over £4000 in one day for legal fees.
  • Continue to lobby the Environment Agency, Oxfordshire County Council and the Government to keep the matter of the Radley Lakes in the minds of the politicians.
  • Raised a substantial amount of money in the first six months of 2008 to pay for top Barristers to take the Judicial Review to the High Court.
  
  WHAT WE NEED TO DO!  
 
  • Convince other people that they must do something themselves.  They  should not rely on Save Radley Lakes alone to achieve it for them.
  • Persuade members of the public to write and object to the current proposals.
  • Increase the membership of the Group
  • Raise more money to pay for professional assistance that is not available from within the Group
  • Investigate all aspects of the current and previous planning applications.
  • Carry out research into the implications of the proposals and into finding alternatives for the disposal of PFA.
  • Persuade people that the campaign is not over.  We have lodged our formal objections . We might find the rarest of all rare wildlife which would open up yet another front in the campaign and even at a late stage would be admissible as a late objection.
  • Point out to the press and politicians that NPower only pay £2.00 per tonne to dump their ash in Radley's lakes, yet Household Waste has a levy of £40.00 per tonne.  Thus there is no incentive for them to recycle.   We should lobby our Council and MPs about this anomaly.
  • NPower will say the lights will go out if they don't fill the lakes with their filthy ash.  What they need to do is get their dinosaur power station upgraded properly with catalytic convertors so they can burn their ash at the right temperature and produce ash which can be recycled.  We intend to bring their deficiencies to the attention of the wider community. 
  • Ask our supporters to write to NPower and demand to know why they haven't invested in the Rocktron Process which was successfully implemented at the Fiddlers Ferry Power Station.  Aberthaw Power Station (owned by NPower) took part in a pilot study to test the process, which was successful.  However, NPower have taken the blinkered attitude - as represented by their Station Manager's comments - "We are in the business of producing electricity - not selling Ash!". 
  • If this fails, seek leave for a judicial review.
  
  WHAT CAN YOU DO?  
 

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