| MMAG (Marston Moreteyne Action Group, formerly MMETAG) is a non-political group of volunteers who joined forces in July 2008. Our original focus was to stop plans to build a so called ‘Eco-Town’ in the Marston Vale area. We proved highly effective in co-ordinating opposition to those plans including getting over 700 villagers to march on the A421 (see the video below). |
 MMETAG Members
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The Action Group was re-launched in 2009 to fight inappropriate development that would swamp and urbanise our individual and distinct rural communities. On these pages you can see our history in the successful defeat of the ‘eco?town’ proposals as well as the current threat from incinerators and the East of England Regional Assembly new town proposals.. |
| Please click here to view a video of the March or click here for the March Page | |
October Update
Dear Supporter
New Towns & Incinerators – The Campaign to Protect Marston Moreteyne Goes On!
MMAG have been active on a number of fronts in recent weeks – please see below:
Rookery Pit Incinerator Proposals |
As you know Covanta intend to submit a planning application for an Energy from Waste (EfW) plant to be built in Rookery Pit. In advance Covanta have already secured a contract with Buckinghamshire County Council to process their waste on the site. MMAG – without prejudice to our opposition to this proposal – are one of the members of the Community Liaison Panel (CLP) set up by Covanta to facilitate communication between Covanta and surrounding communities. The first meeting of the CLP took place on September 22nd at the Forest Centre and focused on the design of the plant, public health and air quality issues. Covanta shared with the CLP several mocked up photographic images of what the plant might look like, but retained these at the end of the meeting. MMAG have no hesitation in saying the plant would have an offensive visual impact whether viewed from the village, Forest Centre, Stewartby, Brogborough Hill or Ampthill Park and would dominate the skyline for miles around. Please Click Here to View an Artisits Impression.
Covanta drew attention to a recent Health Protection Agency statement that “modern well managed incinerators make only a small contribution to local concentrations of air pollutants. It is possible that such small additions could have an impact on health but such effects, if they exist, are likely to be very small and not detectable”.
However, the Action Group which successfully opposed similar plans for an incinerator in Buckinghamshire (www.besavi.co.uk) saw incineration as a serious health risk as evidenced by the requirement for a high chimney (the Covanta Rookery Pit chimney if built, would be 115 metres high in comparison with the brickworks chimneys of 80 metres) . Incinerators emit ‘particulates’ the most serious of which contributes to increased risk of heart disorders, birth defects, cancer and other health disorders. See www.ukhr.org for more details. 90% of PM2.5 particulates are not scrubbed out of chimney emissions and the residual fly ash contains mercury, arsenic, nickel, lead and dioxins; so toxic in fact that it must be taken to a licensed landfill for hazardous waste. What a dreadful irony – in order to avoid landfill taxes the incinerator produces a substance so toxic it can only be land-filled! There is also the pollution that comes from the transport of the waste to and from the site; all of which will be by lorry. Of course a particular feature of the Marston Vale is the meteorological phenomenon known as ‘thermal inversion’. Although the prevailing wind is south westerly because we live in a vale, pollution can become trapped and may then fall back into the Marston Vale. To overcome this phenomenon the incinerator chimney may need to be even higher – but the emissions have to come down somewhere!
So what are MMAG doing? We are liaising closely with other groups and in the event of a planning application, which due to its classification as a power station will bypass all local planning processes, we will make our opposition clearly felt with the Secretary of State.
Click Here to View Arguments Against Page
Click Here for BEaR Project Response
Click Here for the Main Rookery Pit Page
Click Here for Marston Moreteyne Parish Council response to the BEaR Project
East of England Plan 2031 – Scenarios for Housing and Economic Growth |
The East of England Regional Assembly (EERA) has been conducting road-shows outlining a number of options for housing growth; MMAG attended the Chicksands road-show.
One of the options includes a proposal for a new 20,000 home new town in the Marston Vale. This is the first stage in amending the East of England Plan which ends 24th November 2009.
At the road-show MMAG challenged the housing assumptions and queried where the jobs and infrastructure would come from to support such a proposal. Indeed the arguments against the EERA new town are very similar to those opposing the ‘eco-town’ and MMAG will ensure these views are heard loud and clear! MMAG will be attending the EERA road-show in Bedford.
Click Here for MMAG arguments against a 20,000 home EERA new town
Other News |
Public Meeting on Tourism and Environment in Bedfordshire
MMAG attended a meeting hosted by Nadine Dorries MP on developing an economic future for Mid Beds that is sustainable. MMAG continues to work closely with Nadine to ensure we retain our unique character and advantage. This development follows on from our conference earlier in the year which addressed the question of how we want our communities to develop rather than by default the initiative sitting with developers or those cooking up plans in Whitehall.
Want to Get Involved? Volunteers Always Welcomed
Are you interested in getting more involved in the Action Group in a pro-active way? As you can see from our range of current activities the involvement is varied and interesting from lobbying MPs, working with local authorities to press and TV liaison. Whatever your age or interest come and get involved. We try and do most coordination via email and only meet as and when key activities need planning and agreement. Not sure? Give us a call on 01234 768575 or email on the address below.
Contact us on: marston.moretaine.action.group@googlemail.com
This page has the following sub pages.
