Skip Navigation | HOME | UK Indymedia | Editorial Guidelines | Mission Statement | About Us | Contact | Help | Support Us

manchester Indymedia

Countryside Properties- Mayfield...and a field in May 2004...

Save Spodden Valley | 17.08.2006 11:53 | Ecology | Health | Social Struggles | World

Countryside Properties have gone into advertising overdrive with its new housing development at the former Mayfield rugby club in Castleton.

After being criticised for illegal flyposting earlier this year:  http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/regions/manchester/2006/03/336159.html

Countryside Properties have now paid Rochdale Council for road signs and half page colour advertisements in the Council's newspaper "Local matters" delivered to every home in the Borough.

There has also been a huge advertising spend by Countryside Properties with the Guardian Media Group in their Homesearch sections of the Rochdale Observer, Manchester Evening News and TV station Channel M.

It is a pity that Countryside Properties' budget doesn't cover the destruction of Woodlands in the Spodden Valley.

Mayfield and a field in May... here is the connection...

Spodden Valley woodland destroyed in May 2004...
Spodden Valley woodland destroyed in May 2004...

Counryside Properties Mayfield unlawful flyposting earlier this year...
Counryside Properties Mayfield unlawful flyposting earlier this year...


In May 2004 woodlands surrounding the former asbestos factory site in Spodden Valley were destroyed. Countryside Properties suggest that they had no involvement.

Later in 2004 they applied to build over 600 homes and a children's nursery on the former asbestos factory site. The destroyed woodland in the photo was designated as "Plot 5" residential housing. The controversial planning application remains firmly on hold and Countryside Properties announced early in 2005 that "Plot 5" was to be removed from their application. However, the questions surrounding the destruction of the woodlands won't go away. The plot thickens...

Countryside Properties have received praise from the WWF (World Wildlife Fund -not the World Wrestling Federation, but the way CP appear to wriggle out compromising positions plus 'duck and dive' from answering public questions would have Giant Haystacks and Big Daddy weeping).

Countryside Properties describe themselves as a ‘key partner’ with WWF-UK in their “one million sustainable homes taskforce”.

Countryside Properties publish a glossy brochure called their "Environmental, Ethics and Social Report" The 2005 report published after the destruction of Spodden valley's woodlands proudly states:

"Countryside Properties has never been prosecuted for environmental malpractice".

In January 2005, Countryside Properties directors suggested to Save Spodden Valley campaigners that they only got involved with the site AFTER the woodlands were destroyed. A Land Registry search suggests this is not true. (This gets a bit tricky as CP subsidiaries seem to have a habit of changing their names on the Companies House Register) The predecessor-in-title to Countryside Properties (Northern) Ltd registered an Option for the 72 acre site in April 2004, several weeks BEFORE the woodlands were destroyed.

"Countryside Properties has never been prosecuted for environmental malpractice".

…is that phrase starting a ring a little hollow yet?

A Forestry Commission officer confirmed that the woodlands destroyed were in breach of criminal law- the 1967 Forestry Act.

The Forestry Commission’s criminal prosecution file was obtained under Freedom of Information. It contains a letter from “Woodrep Tree Surgeons” confirming that:

“It was my client’s intention to remove all trees from these areas unless an outstanding amenity case was made”

Later in the letter, Woodrep Tree Surgeons states:
“…the fellings of 17th May were probably a breach of the [1967 Forestry] Act.”.

Companies House confirms that Woodrep Tree Surgeons Limited (CRN 04929172), that traded from the same address, is now dissolved.

Save Spodden Valley campaigners vow to carry on their investigation over the destruction of the woodlands surrounding the asbestos factory.

Meanwhile, Countryside Properties market “Mayfield” in Castleton.
They describe “Healey Dell Nature Reserve is a wildlife sanctuary, rich in industrial archaeology” and within “easy reach” of Mayfield.

The advertising gloss omits to mention that Healey Dell is within the Spodden Valley. The Nature Reserve borders the land that Countryside Properties registered an Option on weeks before woodlands were destroyed during nesting season.

That is why for many in Rochdale, seeing the phrases “Countryside Properties” and “Mayfield” have a twisted irony.

Save Spodden Valley
- e-mail: SavespoddenValley@hotmail.com
- Homepage: http://www.Spodden-Valley.co.uk

Download this article in pdf format >>

Email this article to someone >>

Submit an addition or make a quick comment on this article >>

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. Destruction of the countryside PLC... — Hobbit
  2. Countryside Properties Didsbury Point woodlands for sale! — Amy, Didsbury

Publish

Publish your news

Do you need help with publishing?

Kollektives

Birmingham
Cambridge
Liverpool
London
Oxford
Sheffield
South Coast
Wales
World

Other UK IMCs
Bristol/South West
London
Northern Indymedia
Scotland

Manchester Topics

Analysis
Animal Liberation
Anti-militarism
Anti-racism
Bio-technology
Climate Chaos
Culture
Ecology
Education
Energy Crisis
Free Spaces
Gender
Globalisation
Health
History
Indymedia
Iraq
Migration
Ocean Defence
Other Press
Palestine
Public sector cuts
Repression
Social Struggles
Technology
Terror War
Workers' Movements
Zapatista

Manchester Actions 2010

Flotilla to Gaza
Mayday 2010
Tar Sands

Manchester Actions 2009

COP15 Climate Summit 2009
G20 London Summit
Guantánamo
Indymedia Server Seizure
University Occupations for Gaza

Manchester Actions 2008

2008 Days Of Action For Autonomous Spaces
Campaign against Carmel-Agrexco
Climate Camp 2008
G8 Japan 2008
SHAC
Smash EDO
Stop Sequani Animal Testing
Stop the BNP's Red White and Blue festival

Manchester Actions 2007

Climate Camp 2007
DSEi 2007
G8 Germany 2007
Mayday 2007
No Border Camp 2007

Manchester Actions 2006

April 2006 No Borders Days of Action
Art and Activism Caravan 2006
Climate Camp 2006
Faslane
French CPE uprising 2006
G8 Russia 2006
Lebanon War 2006
March 18 Anti War Protest
Mayday 2006
Oaxaca Uprising
Refugee Week 2006
Rossport Solidarity
SOCPA
Transnational Day of Action Against Migration Controls
WSF 2006

Manchester Actions 2005

DSEi 2005
G8 2005
WTO Hong Kong 2005

Manchester Actions 2004

European Social Forum
FBI Server Seizure
May Day 2004
Venezuela

Manchester Actions 2003

Bush 2003
DSEi 2003
Evian G8
May Day 2003
No War F15
Saloniki Prisoner Support
Thessaloniki EU
WSIS 2003

Languages

english

IMCs


www.indymedia.org

Projects
print
radio
satellite tv
video

Africa

Europe
antwerpen
armenia
athens
austria
barcelona
belarus
belgium
belgrade
brussels
bulgaria
calabria
croatia
cyprus
emilia-romagna
estrecho / madiaq
galiza
germany
grenoble
hungary
ireland
istanbul
italy
la plana
liege
liguria
lille
linksunten
lombardia
madrid
malta
marseille
nantes
napoli
netherlands
northern england
nottingham imc
paris/île-de-france
patras
piemonte
poland
portugal
roma
romania
russia
sardegna
scotland
sverige
switzerland
torun
toscana
ukraine
united kingdom
valencia

Latin America
argentina
bolivia
chiapas
chile
chile sur
cmi brasil
cmi sucre
colombia
ecuador
mexico
peru
puerto rico
qollasuyu
rosario
santiago
tijuana
uruguay
valparaiso
venezuela

Oceania
aotearoa
brisbane
burma
darwin
jakarta
manila
melbourne
perth
qc
sydney

South Asia
india


United States
arizona
arkansas
asheville
atlanta
Austin
binghamton
boston
buffalo
chicago
cleveland
colorado
columbus
dc
hawaii
houston
hudson mohawk
kansas city
la
madison
maine
miami
michigan
milwaukee
minneapolis/st. paul
new hampshire
new jersey
new mexico
new orleans
north carolina
north texas
nyc
oklahoma
philadelphia
pittsburgh
portland
richmond
rochester
rogue valley
saint louis
san diego
san francisco
san francisco bay area
santa barbara
santa cruz, ca
sarasota
seattle
tampa bay
united states
urbana-champaign
vermont
western mass
worcester

West Asia
Armenia
Beirut
Israel
Palestine

Topics
biotech

Process
fbi/legal updates
mailing lists
process & imc docs
tech