BALI Chairman Newsletter - December 2009

Christmas & New Year Message from Nick Hollington, Chairman of BALI
as published in the Bexhill Observer dated 11th December 2009

Dear Sir/Madam

On behalf of BALI, I would like to thank all those who have supported us, including your newspaper, in our opposition to the proposed landfill at Ashdown Brickworks since East Sussex County Council published its new waste plan in September.

This has been a hectic time for BALI, but we have been strongly encouraged by the volume of letters, emails and phone calls we have received as also the reception of the public at the meetings we have addressed. The climax of our campaign was, of course, our packed Public Meeting on November 6th, where speaker after speaker, representing various community groups or political parties, or simply themselves, spoke forceful and intelligently of the many devastating dangers of such a huge dump so close to residents' homes and local amenities such as the Highwoods and the new Bexhill High School.

We believe such a landfill will adversely affect our whole town in various ways in terms of waste truck routes, air pollution, depreciation in house prices, effects on tourism and business, etc. all of which will, if the proposal is implemented, militate against the quality of life we enjoy in Bexhill and the economic regeneration we seek. Bexhill has done enough in disposing of the County's waste: we cannot continually be the County's dumping ground.

If we are to be called 'NIMBYS' so be it, but no-one else will protect our environment if we ourselves don't. In fact, however, BALI does not support the dumping of waste in the ground anywhere. It is the most environmentally damaging of all ways of dealing with rubbish and wastes valuable resources which could be reused, recycled or recovered. Neither does it encourage the essential reduction of waste which we need to achieve. In any case, in the 21st Century there are many new technologies available to deal with waste which are far more efficient and friendly. Landfill should be history.

There are no benefits whatsoever for Bexhill in accepting a landfill as your previous correspondent Mr. Minter has suggested. Waste trucks will simply arrive and dump their loads at Ashdown (it will not be a civic amenity) creating little employment gain to counteract jobs that may be lost elsewhere, even perhaps at the Brickworks itself. Rother District and its taxpayers will receive no financial reward while the site-owner and waste contractor will pocket huge sums of money at our expense. There is no 'other side of the coin'.

In this respect it is important to understand that it is not your local Rother District Council that is to blame: they only collect your domestic waste; it is East Sussex County Council (ESCC) who dispose of it. Local District councillors of all political parties have, we are glad to say, now come out strongly against the proposed landfill. It is time now to put further pressure on your County Council and County Councillors.

Many people have already written strong letters of objection to ESCC. If you haven't done so yet, please do so before the deadline of January 15th, 2010. If you need any help, we have published an information sheet explaining how to object and where to send your objections. This is available on our website or by phoning BALI on 07814 895874. Please use this number also If you would like further information or feel you could help BALI or give a donation to our Fighting Fund.

Finally BALI would like to wish all our supporters a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year. In 2010, I believe, if we can stay united against this pernicious proposal, we can defeat it and finally remove this dark spectre that has been hanging over our town for so long. But it may be a long hard fight with many battles yet to come.

Nick Hollington

Chairman BALI