BALI is not relaxing this summer as there are still so many things that are going on in our fight to persuade East Sussex that the Ashdown Brickworks site is a dreadful and potentially devastating site to put yet another landfill in Bexhill.

BALI is most definitely not a political organization and its committee and supporters are made up of people from all cross -sections of society and political persuasions.

New BALI Membership Scheme for Rother
We are launching a membership scheme in September which will reach out to not only Bexhill residents but also anyone in the Rother area who feels this is a wrong move on the part of East Sussex.. Further information will be available nearer the time or if you wish to register an interest now, you can do it through the website www.nolandfillatbexhill.org.uk or contact Iva on 01424 221872.

Fundraising: Donations Welcome Please!
In order to ensure we have the funds to continue the campaign, our Fund Raising group has been tramping the highways and byways of Bexhill delivering leaflets to explain why we need extra funding to step up our campaign. Mike Rosner, in charge of the BALI 100 Club, is hoping that yet more money can be raised in this way to ensure BALI has sufficient finance to afford essential legal advice and representation.. He can be contacted on 845688 and would be delighted to hear from you.

BALI Events Summer and Autumn 2010
While that is an ongoing thread, we are now recommencing our programme of social events with the dual purpose of not only adding to our funds, but also uniting our supporters and ensuring that everyone is aware of what BALI is doing and why.

The first event is at Freezeland Farm, Freezeland Lane on Saturday September 4th 7 pm for 7.30 by very kind permission of Bill and Margaret van Draat. We are calling it BALI FOR A TASTE OF BALI as the evening will have an Indonesian flavour.
Tickets are £20 per person which includes a 3 course meal with wine and music. These can be obtained from Iva 221872. PLEASE SUPPORT US!

The second Event is a Dinner Dance on Friday November 26th at Highwoods Golf Club by kind permission of the Chairman and board.. Please put this date in your diaries and further information will follow nearer the time.

In between, at the end of October, BALI and East Sussex County Council are organizing a Meeting of Key Stakeholders which will take place in the Rother District Council Chamber whose aim is to get all sides together for an ‘informed dialogue’, putting points and counter points.

This is a difficult campaign which BALI is in for the duration and which, if the town and district remain united, we believe we can win.. There already exist wonderful plans to regenerate the clay pits after excavation, but we first have to win the fight to stop landfill filling them with waste. That will take a lot of work and dedication over time which is why we need help from all Bexhill and the surrounding area.

It is no good listening to those who say it will never happen. We have to continue the campaign until such times as Ashdown is officially taken out of the Waste Strategy

Be in no doubt that yet another landfill – Bexhills’ 4th – will impact on the whole town and district..

Chairmans Speech to the Public Meeting November 6th 2009

BALI Chairman's Speech

Nick Hollington: 6th November 2009

First of all, on behalf of BALI, I'd like to welcome you all to this meeting and particularly the speakers who have so generously given their time to address us here tonight, and to Greg Barker, our MP, for kindly agreeing to Chair it.

For many in the audience, particularly our loyal BALI supporters, this third meeting here in this very hall, with this very same Chairman – we met here in 2002 and 2005 - to oppose a landfill at Ashdown Brickworks, must feel a bit like what is nowadays called Groundhog Day in reference to the film of the same name about a man who continually repeats the same day over and over again, seemingly trapped in an endless time-loop.
I have to say I have often felt like that myself these past few years.

I believe, however, that we can now break this cycle, as did the character in the film, and remove this dark spectre that continually hangs over us of a massive waste dump on our doorstep.

I meet or get calls almost every day from people who ask me about BALI and the proposed landfill at Ashdown and I really enjoy giving them information and hearing their views and, above all, receiving their encouragement for what BALI is doing. What I have to say I don't enjoy is hearing some people claiming to know what is going to happen regarding a landfill at Ashdown whether it's of the 'Oh! It's never going to happen' variety or the 'Oh! That's bound to happen whatever we do' kind. I have to tell you – and I'm sure the gentlemen from ESCC here tonight will confirm it - that NO firm decision has yet been reached on a landfill at Ashdown Brickworks. At the same time, I strongly believe that, if we do nothing, a landfill will probably happen, with all its egregious consequences for the community of Bexhill, consequences that any people here from the Pebsham area have had to suffer, I'm sorry to say, for the last 25 years or so. Doing nothing, as they say, is not an option.

Why, you may well ask, is it so difficult to defeat this pernicious proposal, which to many of us here seems so blindingly obviously wrong? Well there are lots of reasons, but three main ones I think.

Firstly, Ashdown is what is called a minerals void, a large hole in the ground (in fact two holes) caused by the excavation of clay. Traditionally, the simple answer to waste has been to bury it in such holes and of course this is also of great value to the owners of the holes, who eventually will otherwise be required to restore the land at their own cost when the pit is fully excavated, and in effect, by this means, get paid vast sums for doing so.

Secondly, Ashdown was, in 2006, despite BALI's opposition, identified in what is called the Waste Local Plan as the only site for landfill in the County. Now we have come to a new plan, what's called a Core Strategy for Waste. Unfortunately, however, there's a tradition that I've never really understood that if something goes in one plan it is more or less automatically transferred to the next. In that case, I'd say, what's the point in making new plans?

Thirdly – and this is controversial and would be denied by many – Councillors in the rest of East Sussex and Brighton and Hove will expect the waste to come to Ashdown because otherwise it would raise the possibility of a landfill in their area. They will say 'There's a big hole in Bexhill. It's quite obvious it should go there'. They might add with their thoughts, if not their words 'After all, we've always sent our waste to Bexhill'.

This is why it's so important that our local Bexhill councillors defend our interests. No-one else will!

So, given this heavy pressure to use Ashdown as a landfill site, how can we defeat this proposal and emerge out of Groundhog Day? How can we get Ashdown removed from the Core Strategy in the Consultation that is now taking place? Well, our Consultant, Geoff Smith will be giving us detailed advice on this shortly, but let me, if I may, set the scene:

The gentlemen from ESCC Waste Team here tonight, who are highly professional people to whom I trust you will listen to respectfully, have a huge job, which I don't envy, to manage the approximate 2 million tonnes of waste produced in East Sussex and Brighton and Hove each year. I imagine it must be like a giant jigsaw puzzle where you have to fit different pieces in different places: somewhere an incinerator, somewhere a waste transfer station, somewhere composting .... and, let's face it, nobody ideally wants any waste facility in their backyard. It's a difficult task and they are seriously trying to reduce the amount of waste sent to landfill but, at the end of the day, there's this big jigsaw piece of waste that needs to be landfilled somewhere. So then there is what appears to be a big suitable space for that jigsaw piece in Bexhill. It's a mineral void hole in the ground, perhaps it's even the right size. It looks on the surface as if this jigsaw piece goes there. But.. a big but.. problems arise when you try to put that piece in. When you do, I believe, however you twist it and turn it, it simply doesn't’t fit Ashdown.

Because what it has to fit is not just the physical space – and that is even subject to doubt as the quarries are not yet fully excavated, but it has also to fit government and county policies which determine where you can and where you can’t put a landfill site.

Now, it may surprise you to know that BALI supports all government policies regarding the siting of landfill and particularly ESCC's own policy in its new plan. It's called 'Spatial Policy CS6'. We have no quarrels with it. We think it's excellent. We just don't understand how the Council could possibly select Ashdown as a landfill site under that – their own-policy.

Let me give you a few examples of what I mean:

• Policy CS6 states that the Council must demonstrate that there is no unacceptable impact on the local environment.
  
  In more detail it states that a landfill site should not be situated less than 500 metres away from valued environments such as ancient woodland, Sites of Special Scientific Interest and areas of outstanding natural beauty. But you surely couldn't have a more valued environment in Bexhill than the Highwoods – yes, ancient woodland, an SSSI - and it's less than not 500 metres, but 50 metres away from the quarries and it's unique flora and fauna would be devastated by a landfill so close to its borders.
• Policy CS6 also states that the Council must demonstrate that there is no unacceptable impact on communities.
  Well I don't think the people in this audience and the community of 5000 or so people living within a mile of the site - and many much less than that, would agree for one minute that the impact of a landfill at Ashdown would be acceptable. In detail the Strategy talks about effect on the users of local amenities. Well how about, for instance, the people who daily visit their departed loved ones in the cemetery 250 metres away, the golfers at the Highwoods Golf Club just across the road from the site and I believe, most importantly of all, the 1600 or so young people who will be studying in the new Bexhill High School being built just behind us and within 800 metres from the Ashdown site.
  I give one more example but there are others;
• Policy CS6 states that the Council must demonstrate that there is good access to the main areas of waste arisings in East Sussex
  and I would remind you that by far the greatest area of waste arisings is Brighton and Hove.  How could they possibly demonstrate that? Good access? Sorry – hopeless access! Waste trucks can't possibly use Turkey road, Whydown Road, Pear Tree Lane, St Mary'’s Lane, Gunters Lane, Sidley High Street. Even if they were to slip an access road in from the Ninfield Road, the A269, that road is insufficient and how would that slip road entrance be accessed from Hastings or Bexhill?
  Of course, what they need is the Link Road and then a substantial spur road from it leading to the A269 and then the slip road. Well that might happen in 10-15 years time, but the Council needs landfill sites now: they don't have any at the present time.
  

So the jigsaw piece simply doesn't fit - and if they tried to make it fit, to force it in, it will be a disaster. But they might try, so we must act.

 

So What Do We Have To Do?

Well three things again and many of these are already underway.

1. BALI needs to present a strong case in planning terms to ESCC as to why their Preferred Option for landfill at Ashdown is, and I use planning terms here: 'unsafe', 'unsound' and  not 'effective'. In common parlance that simply means wrong.
   One change in modern planning practice is that the Council must have what is called a strong 'evidence base' to justify any identification of a site for landfill. We believe that the evidence in the case of Ashdown is 'flawed' -another planning term- and we will present our own robust evidence base to show that Ashdown is unsuitable and unworkable in the time-frame required. Through the generosity of our supporters we have been able to afford to instruct a distinguished legal – planning Consultant Geoff Smith, who will speak to you tonight, and his case is almost ready now to submit in the current consultation.
2. Rother District Council will also make a submission to ESCC as what's called a 'statutory consultee' and their submission will carry great weight. We hope that they will again point out the flaws in the proposal that make it currently unworkable and therefore 'unsafe' and 'unsound'.
3. Last, but not least, we need the CLEAR VOCAL SUPPORT OF OUR MP (We have it), OUR COUNCILLORS (some give it, some still don'’t, I'm afraid) and the GOOD PEOPLE OF BEXHILL who have shown their support by turning out it in such numbers on this damp miserable November night and who can each play their part by making submissions to the consultation and by writing to their councillors urging their support for BALI.

 

---

In the film GROUNDHOG DAY, the main character uses his continual experiences of reliving the past to improve himself, to learn more about his surroundings and to work with others for good. One day he wakes up - and the time-loop is broken. It's a new dawn! In the same way, if we can defeat this proposal - but we must act now!- we can move on with our lives and start planning something really special for the Ashdown site once it is excavated and many of our speakers will address this much more attractive prospect this very evening.

Again, I thank you for coming this evening.

Nick Hollington, Chairman, BALI

Unity Against Landfill Plan for Ashdown Brickworks

By Ben Higgins - Published Bexhill Observer Date: 13 November 2009

HUNDREDS of landfill protesters packed out a public meeting about the fate of Ashdown Brickworks.
Politics were laid aside for the event, as speakers from all corners of the town united in solidarity against the possibility of a new landfill site.

Bexhill High School hall reached its 350 capacity well before the 7pm start. Around 60 people were locked out in the rain.

Bexhill's MP Greg Barker, who chaired the meeting, said: "There will be a battle to stop this site being used for landfill. There's a huge amount at stake — the future of the town, the value of your homes, the environment you pass on to the next generation and the health of our residents.

""We can win if we all come together."

Donations on the night raised £1,170 to support Bexhill Against Landfill and Incineration (BALI), which organised Friday's meeting.

The two-and-a-half-hour meeting, the third of its kind since 2002, gave context to East Sussex County Council's (ESCC) decision to name Ashdown Brickworks, Turkey Road, as the preferred choice for a major new landfill site designed to take 4.5million tonnes of waste from East Sussex and Brighton and Hove until 2026.

Geoff Smith, BALI's legal consultant, urged residents to submit protests and passed around a handout explaining the best way to register an objection.

He said: "Some people think all the letters you write will not make any difference at all. I know there are key times when letters and submissions matter. This is that time. They will matter. We have a really big chance to take Ashdown Brickworks out of the waste plan once and for all."

ESCC was represented by Ian Blake, a team manager for the Waste and Mineral Planning Policy document, published in September, in which Ashdown Brickworks is the only site specifically named and highlighted on a map detailing possible landfill locations.

After explaining his role, Mr Blake took questions from an audience angered by the prospect of accepting around 1,120 tonnes of the county's waste each day for 11 years, during which he confirmed ESCC plans to ignore government recommendations that the new landfill accept 8.8 per cent of London's waste – 106,000 tonnes a year.

A procession of Bexhill's community figures outlined the damage they believed the landfill could cause.

Alan Malpass, president of Highwoods Preservation Society, said the landfill would be a "tragedy" for the nearby Site of Special Scientific Interest, and warned of a devastating explosion in the population of rats and gulls.

Dominic Manning, of Rother Environmental Group, and Dr Edward Echlin both counselled a responsible attitude towards recycling before Stuart Earl, of the Little Common Business Association, spoke about the damage such a landfill would do for the town's business community.

Brian Storkey, of the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, said: "Bexhill absolutely depends on tourism for our shops to survive. This could deter big business from investing, and small businesses from starting up.

Mr Storkey, of the Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism, continued: "It could be disastrous. One thing is certain – it will not be a visitor attraction."

Further speeches from two of the 12 Rother District councillors who attended, Cllrs Forster and Lendon, added weight to the objectors, balanced by a cautious approach from Cllr Michael Ensor, also a county councillor, who said he was "neither definitely for, nor against the plans", but encouraged people to comment.

Cllr Lendon's 93-year-old father, Ronald Lendon MBE, told Bexhill to "have none of it", and remembered bad experiences of St Mary's Lane landfill when he was a Bexhill councillor 50 years ago.

Closing the meeting, Greg Barker said: "The town turned out in force tonight and sent one very clear message. We will not stand for a landfill site at Ashdown Brickworks and the people of Bexhill will fight this proposal every step of the way.""

BALI chairman Nick Hollington added: "BALI was very satisfied with the meeting overall, with such a vast range of speakers from different backgrounds and a great public response which humbled us and from which we take great encouragement.

"We hope that everybody will express their objections in the ESCC consultation and in letters to their councillors. In the latter respect, while some councillors came out strongly against the landfill, we would have liked to have seen more support from them and I trust this will be more forthcoming in the coming weeks."

Report on the Public Meeting 6th November 2009

Information about the Public Meeting and Links to the Minutes and other relevant articles.

Thank you to everyone who turned out in the rain and came along to the Public Meeting on 6th November, especially to those who were unable to get in to the meeting to hear the speakers but who wanted to have their say.

Thank you also to those who generously donated to the campaign at the meeting - the fantastic sum of £1,169 was raised.

Please read:
- BALI's minutes of the public meeting, and
- the speech notes from the meeting of Nick Hollington, Chairman of BALI.

Read the Bexhill Observer write up of the meeting.

Further news and developments will be published on this website as soon as possible.

In the meantime, please do make your views known via one of the ways set out below but importantly, please let East Sussex County Council know your views and objections.

---

 

How to Object To The Landfill Proposal

Your chance to let East Sussex County Council know what you think about their Preferred Strategy for Waste has been extended until 15th January 2010.

You can comment online at http://consult.eastsussex.gov.uk or submit comments by post to: Transport and Environment, East Sussex County Council, C4 Waste and Minerals Policy (AP), FREEPOST LW43, Lewes, BN7 1BE. For telephone enquiries the ESCC number is 01273 481846.

We have set out some Headline Comments on the relevant proposed Policies (and supporting paragraphs) which you may find informative and useful.

 

YOU CAN HELP IN MANY WAYS:

• Please read the Headline Comments on the relevant proposed Policies (and supporting paragraphs),
• Put your views to ESCC in the Consultation:
  
  • online here: http://consult.eastsussex.gov.uk, or
  • By Freepost to: Transport and Environment, East Sussex County Council, C4 Waste and Minerals Policy (AP), FREEPOST LW43, Lewes, BN7 1BE.
• Write to our MP, Greg Barker, who chaired the public meeting: details at www.gregorybarker.com,
• Write to your local District and County Councillors: details of your Councillors can be found on the:
  
  • Rother District Website: Councillors List
  • East Sussex County Website: Councillors List
• Join our BALI Committee to fight the dump or volunteer help us deliver leaflets, fundraise, etc.
• Donate to BALI's "Fighting Fund" to help cover our legal costs.

 

For further information contact BALI on 01424 843046, 01424 220109 or 01424 845688, or mobile 07814 895874, or write PO Box 194 Bexhill-on-Sea TN40 9BD.

You can also register your interest at www.gregorybarker.com or call the office on 01424 736861.

 

Big Hitters take up the Rubbish Dump Fight

Bexhill Observer Article: Published Date: 6th November 2009

Campaigners against a massive rubbish dump off Turkey Road expect a capacity 300 gathering at a protest meeting tonight.

The meeting is being organised by BALI, the local action group.
It will be held at Bexhill High School, Gunters Lane, at 7pm.

MP Greg Barker will chair the meeting which will be opened by BALI campaigner Nick Hollington. The gathering will then be briefed by legal and planning experts as well as local councillors and resident's groups and local conservation and environmental groups.

BALI has distributed 4,000 leaflets in an effort to drum up support for the meeting.

Mr Hollington said "East Sussex County Council are sending top executives from their Waste Team to make a powerpoint presentation of their Waste Strategy and our BALI Consultant, Geoff Smith of DMH Stallard will be 'replying' and explaining how people can object to the landfill in the Consultation that has just started.

2Then we have some very good environmental speakers, perhaps especially the well-known Alan Malpass who believes a landfill will decimate the bird population and wildlife of the adjacent Highwoods, a much-treasured beauty spot and Site of Special Scientific Interest. The key councillors will speak - it is eventually their views and decisions that will count.

"Finally we have an interesting 'double-act' of Ron Lendon MBE, a former Bexhill councillor who was instrumental in closing the St. Mary's Lane landfill in the 1960's, followed by his son, Cllr. Paul Lendon who, following his father's footsteps, is now opposing a landfill at Ashdown.

"Questions and speeches from the floor will take place at various stages and I expect a lot of local people will wish to give their views."

Other speakers will include Brian Storkey of Bexhill Chamber of Commerce and Tourism and Stuart Earl of Little Common Business Association.

Mr Barker said "I hope that there will be a really good turnout for this important meeting. A huge landfill site at the Ashdown Brickworks would have huge and very negative implications for the whole town, not just nearby local residents.

But to fight this, we must form the widest possible coalition and engage positively in the process.

"The team at BALI have worked incredibly hard in recent years but now they need more help."

Read the original article on the Bexhill Observer website.

BALI Campaign Update September 2009

It has become crystal clear from evidence we cannot divulge that East Sussex County Council (ESCC) are currently and actively considering Ibstock's Ashdown quarries as a landfill site despite the dire consequences this will entail for our local residents and our beloved Highwoods.

 

All will be revealed in October, when ESCC will publish its 'Preferred Strategy' for waste as part of its "Waste and Minerals Development Framework" (WMDF). The Ashdown quarries will almost certainly be selected as a "Strategic Location" for the landfilling of East Sussex waste and the waste due to come from London under the South East Plan.

 

During the recent elections, Cllr. Gadd called the rumours of a landfill at Ashdown 'rubbish' and claimed that the incinerator being built at Newhaven will be able to handle all our (and London's) waste. BALI does not believe this for many reasons. Just one example is that certain types of waste (e.g. metals) cannot be incinerated and the bottom ash (or 'fly ash') remaining after incineration can amount to 25-30% of the waste burnt. All this has to be landfilled unless other means of disposal are found.

 

We are not standing idly by and will fight any proposals to landfill waste at Ashdown all the way. In anticipation of 'bad news' in October, we have reengaged our lawyers (DHM Stallard) to digest all the previous (voluminous) material regarding Ashdown and to recommend a plan of action. They have now done this and will proceed to make a case in response to the forthcoming proposals arguing that the site should be excluded from the WMDF for a whole host of reasons - unfortunately too detailed to go into here.

 

All this legal action is necessary, but expensive, and we are grateful for the generous donations made by BALI supporters hitherto. Following the last Highwoods news letter we had an anonymous gift of £200 for which we would like to thank the donor. If you would be willing to donate, would like more information about BALI or would like to help in any way, please phone me on 01424 843046.

 

Nick Hollington
Chairman B.A.L.I (Bexhill Against Landfill and Incineration)

 

PS:  One thing we'd like to develop is a positive plan for the Ashdown quarry for the future which excludes the landfilling of organic waste. We have suggested to Rother District Council as part of their Local Development Framework that they consider a "West Bexhill Country Park" including the quarries, the Highwoods and the lovely adjoining countryside. However we don't have the expertise to practically develop this project. Can you help - or do you know anyone who can?

BALI - Still in Business?

Friends of B.A.L.I.

Perhaps you are asking – is B.A.L.I. still in business – if so what are they doing? Or have they run off with our money and all our accrued interest!? Let's answer the easy questions first.

No, we have not run off with your precious savings; your money is still safe and sound in the Yorkshire Building Society - and perhaps we should gloss over the subject of the huge sums of interest you are earning from your investments! However, B.A.L.I. would like to thank all of you who have stayed with us and given so generously over the years because you feel our town is worth fighting for and you refuse to accept that it could be blighted by a landfill site for the next 30 years.

So what have we been doing? Our fund raising efforts continue. To date we have raised £23,000 for the War Chest; this money is 'ring fenced' and will only be used to fight any planning application. The 'every day' fund stands at £8,000, and is augmented by the weekly bonus ball lottery; (there are still a few 'lucky numbers' available! Please phone 845688 if you would like to join in the fun).

Our Solicitors (Stallards) continue to keep B.A.L.I. informed of any developments re. landfill issues, on which we act if necessary.

B.A.L.I. meets every 6 months with the Manager and Company Secretary of Ibstocks. We hope these frank discussions keep us in the picture regarding changes of use of the brick works site.

We are members of the Rother Environmental Group who meet monthly; we also take a keen interest in the Highwood Preservation Society. Our website is out of date. From now on it will be up dated monthly with new and relevant information.

Hope to see some of you through the spring and summer months – we accept that trying to raise funds in this period of recession is going to prove very difficult. However, let's keep up the good fight.

Mike Rosner (B.A.L.I.)

Letter published in the Bexhill Observer March 20th 2009

Ibstock meets BALI again

On 26th November 2008 we held our second meeting with Ibstock. At our first meeting on 23rd May 2008, we agreed to meet on a six-monthly basis. At this latest meeting, Stephen Hardy, Ibstock Company Secretary was accompanied by Steve Chapman, Ashdown Site Manager. Representing BALI were Nick Hollington, Mike Rosner and Judy Murray.

While the detailed minutes of these meetings are kept confidential to BALI members, some of the main threads of this second meeting were as follows:

• Ibstock has had no new approaches re: a landfill at Ashdown. (It is understood that Ibstock would not themselves operate a landfill, but make a commercial arrangement with a waste contractor such as Veolia, Cory, Viridor etc.)
• There has been no charge of policy since our previous meeting when Ibstock promised full consultation with BALI and the local community before making any planning application for a landfill.
• Ibstock summarised how it was coping with the recession in the brick making industry. The worry expressed by BALI was that the decline in demand for bricks might force an earlier consideration of the Ashdown site for landfill
• Ibstock repeated their belief that London waste would not come to this area (proposed under the South East Plan) and that, if it did, they would only accept it if requested by the East Sussex County Council
• Other Ibstock sites are being more actively considered for landfill e.g. Laybrook in West Sussex, where they are already consulting with the residents and a local action group
• Ibstock have made a submission to the ESCC WMDF (as BALI has). We asked if BALI might see it.
• The Rother District Local Development Framework document (Consultation on Strategic Directions) was discussed, which outlines a proposal for a country avenue in North Bexhill, extended to provide the transport infrastructure required for a landfill at Ashdown
• Stephen Hardy outlined his work as Chairman of the Landfill Tax Trust

BALI has found these meetings with Ibstock frank, useful and informative. We hope to arrange a further meeting for May 2009.

Turkey Road Battle Not Over Says BALI

Turkey Road battle not over, says BALI

Visitors to a Spring Fair organised by Bexhill Against Landfill / Incineration (BALI) have been warned that the fight against the use of the Turkey Road brickworks quarries continues.
Introducing Town Mayor Cllr. Eric Armstrong, who was accompanies by his wife and Mayoress, Jeanette, BALI Chairman, Nick Hollington said; "Someone said as they came in "Are you still fighting, then?".
We are very much fighting. From our letter in the Bexhill Observer, you will see that we are still very much alive".
Referring to the objection lodged by brickworks owners Ibstock to Rother Council's plan to extend the Bexhill cemetery, the chairman said "Ibstock, quite clearly, are still thinking of using the quarries for landfill.
It is very difficult to run a campaign over a long time. People get tired and people get bored.
We have been going five or six years but we are still very grateful for the support we get from the community. The BALI 100 Club, where people can put in £100 towards our fighting fund and have it returned with interest if no application is made for landfill, is going well."
Cllr. Peter Fairhurst, Cllr. Paul Lendon and county council member Cllr. Martyn Foster were also present as the chairman added:"It is nice to see so many councillors here this morning."
The Town Mayor said "In the role of Town Mayor I am not allowed to make political statements but the issue BALI is fighting affects everyone in this town.
We don't want landfill and we don't want incineration in Bexhill."
Referring to the existing Pebsham tip, he said:"I live close to it and I can see no positive aspects for anyone."
He urged supporters to spend their money in supporting a worthwhile cause.
In addition to a stand loaded with recycling literature and a welcome display in the foyer of St. Martha's hall which included press cuttings and photographs, Saturday's event included cakes, jewellery, tombola, raffle and china and glass stalls in addition to bird boxes.