OH WHAT A TANGLED WEB

THEY WEAVE, WHEN FIRST THEY BEGIN TO DECEIVE!

CEMEX : PUBLIC NOT PERMITTED AT "SECRET" SITE VISIT TO VIEW UNAUTHORISED CONSTRUCTION OF EQUIPMENT FOR 100% WASTE BURNING!

Only WCC Regulatory Councillors are welcome to see CLIMAFUEL plant - see Peter Barnes; Brian Moss; Jose Compton; Michael Doody; Pat Henry; Nina Knapman; Joan Lea; Barry Longden; Sue Main; Ray Sweet; Ian Smith; to attend Cemex site at 11.00 on 25th March. We have pointed out that this Cemex REFUSAL to allow any of the public on the site visit, that is now to be held in "secret", is "not fair", is unethical, and flies in the face of the need for transparency, openness, community engagement, public participation and Cemex's own stated position as being open to visitors.

WCC CONSTITUTION SAYS:
"Applicants and objectors will accompany the Committee only in order to facilitate access, point out physical features and answer factual questions. A site visit may exceptionally be followed by a factual presentation on behalf of the applicant (see section 26). At least one representative of any objectors should be invited to observe the presentation."
But DIVIDE the community and RULE is how Cemex always play it! WHY COULD IT POSSIBLY BE - that the meeting MUST be HELD IN SECRET?

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY PERMIT OVER 100% WASTE! as they issue a permit variation to burn over 100% waste at Cemex co-incinerator. The public were told in the public consultation CARRIED OUT BY CEMEX IN THE SUMMER OF 2006 that the "Climafuel" was to be a substitute for 30% of the coal, and was to be "household waste - your black bag rubbish". But afterwards they find out the permit has allowed various industrial and commercial wastes to be incorporated, with a 50% increase in chlorine - to name but one "difference". The copy of the application and consultation document version 1 June 2006 as carried out by Cemex during 2006 is, of course, not on the Environment Agency's Public Register. They have a new different version of the original application in which the new industrial wastes from dechromatation, decyanidation and neutralisation have been included.

And the public were told the 15 tonnes an hour would represent 30% of the thermal value. But given that the substitute fuel only goes into the combustion chamber, and not into the kiln, surely the replacement is ONLY in the calciner? It is difficult (to say the least!) to find out the "true facts" about what is being burn there, but it appears about 60% of the coal is burnt in the calciner, being approximately 18 tonnes an hour. This has been substituted by 6 tph of tyres, which have a higher calorific value, but leaving that aside - there are about 12 tph coal to replace. These are being replaced by 15tph of "climafuel", which has a calorific value between 15 and 23 MJ/kg. So there you are - over 100% replacement. What impact this will have no one knows, except there have been some increases in polluting emissions at Barrington and South Ferriby imported Dutch "climafuel" has been trialled, which is apparently "of a better more consistent quality than the RDF available in the UK". There is a three year contract to import it through Grimsby, where the bales are broken as it is unloaded into "walking floor" trailers for despatch for co-incineration at the cement plants. So much for A LOCAL SOLUTION TO A LOCAL PROBLEM!


PLANNING PERMISSION FOR 100% WASTE - WHO NEEDS IT?
Not Cemex anyway, who have built the "climafuel" docking and transfer equipment without bothering to wait for the planning application to be heard by the WARWICKSHIRE County Council Regulatory committee on ALL FOOLS DAY, as was planned. Instead Councillors, in an apparent breach of Protocol, are to go on a "site visit" on 25th March before the application has been even discussed at Committee. See Minutes Regulatory Committee WCC 4th March 2008. In response to a WCC letter 8th February advising Cemex that these "work are completely unauthorised" and that Cemex may "face enforcement action to secure their removal" and to "cease work to allow the submitted planning application to be considered" Cemex have his to say on 26th February:

* we are surprised complainants have seen it as it is low to the ground.
* we can erect the conveyor system under "permitted development".
* it is a relatively small building, area 745 square metres.
* it is extremely unlikely that the officers will recommend councillors to refuse it.
* the cement plant had planning permission in 1996, therefore no policy objection.
* there is very little likelihood of the operation causing harm by noise, dust, fumes or odour.
* once it was considered it was not permitted development we had already started building.
* the Government sees retrospective permission as an appropriate way to regularise "unauthorised development".

RUGBY AREA COMMITTEE 24 JANUARY:
complained that this Committee had an apparent lack of a meaningful role, and the members of the County Councillors were not being consulted on MAJOR planning applications. WCC lawyers said that these MAJOR applications went straight to the Regulatory Committee "who had the necessary officer support and resources and comprehensive reports and training." The Committee resolved to write to the Strategic Director of Performance and Development requesting the Area Committee be consulted, in particular on applications for planning permission in respect of significant developments affecting the Area." The $100 question: Does the "unlawful" erection of equipment and "retrospective" planning application to burn 100% waste at the Rugby Cemex plant constitute "significant development?"


HAZARDOUS WASTE FLY TIPPING AT SOUTHAM?
LACK OF PPC PERMIT AND PLANNING PERMISSION OF NO CONCERN TO ANYONE as the Regulatory Committee of WCC 4th March got themselves into even more hot water! The officers advised them to renew a "further extension to an old, already expired several times, 'temporary' planning permission for non-hazardous waste CKD which had been granted temporarily in 2000 just until all the waste CKD could be dumped in CLOSED LANDFILL in Parkfield Road Rugby. The Cement Kiln Dust from a coal burning cement plant could be dumped at Southam. After we intervened and explained EU Law and hazardous waste they became even more "mixed up" and admitted they could not understand what is the difference between the previously expired permitted CKD from the coal burning process, and the HAZARDOUS WASTE BYPASS DUST from a co-incinerating cement plant. "The EA had been asked to clarify the issue" which "had lead to even more confusion." They said that "The unauthorised depositing was not a fundamental problem as the EA and Stratford Council did not appear to be overly concerned." GREAT! So no need to COMPLY WITH THE LAW, and no need to have the LEGALLY REQUIRED PPC PERMIT or any legally required planning permission? Bob Stevens asked "whether the applicants (Cemex) would continue depositing at the site" that has no planning permission, and Ian Grace said " this was likely, and that it would be difficult to take action against the company to make them halt in view of the uncertainty surrounding the issue." The initial 2004 PPC application is still the subject of an appeal before the Planning Inspector Kevin Gordon, and yet a further abeyance till mid 2008 has been granted. One reason why the PPC application had been REFUSED by the EA was BECAUSE the site has NO PLANNING PERMISSION. It has no PPC operating permission either, and by October 2007 this became a legal requirement.

MP JEREMY WRIGHT ; ROCK AND HARD PLACE!
The very unfortunate and "shady" re-organisation of the parliamentary boundaries has taken the "Kenilworth" out of Rugby, and placed it in with Southam instead. This leaves ex MP Andy King, Labour, (lost seat to Jeremy in 2005) to slug it out in Rugby with the Jeremy replacement - Mark Pawsey Conservative. Meanwhile , as Jeremy sails away into the sunset at Southam and Kenilworth, this has coincided with Cemex's submitting two EIA SCOPING ASSESSMENTS for MBT/IHT at Southam - or at Rugby - or at both? Jeremy appears to be between a rock and a hard place. If he supports Rugby residents in their rejection of this application he will not do very well in Southam.

SQUANDERING PUBLIC MONEY AND WASTING OUR TIME IN SECRET MEETINGS:
At Southam and Warwick and Rugby secret meetings have been going on between various WCC officers, and Councillors, and Cemex, and local parish representatives (NIMBYS) who are apparently only interested in themselves, and "their little area", and are unable to "think outside of their box", and who "ONLY worried about the increase in lorries in their villages". They also insist on "keeping all the groups separate" so that there will be no joined-up thinking and holistic approach, and so that the COMMUNITY/IES will be REMAIN DIVIDED and SEGREGATED! So many "secret meetings" going on all the time , a massive waste of public time and funds, where officers of the EA, RBC and WCC are concerned - no Agenda, no minutes, no public, no notice, venues are hidden etc. This is a neat little ACTION PLAN, and in this way you can "tell'em what you want and no one will know any different!"

LIST OF VARIOUS COMMITTEES AND MEMBERS TO BE COMPILED.
We are tabulating a list of all these committees and groups and will be publishing a full list of who is involved and how to contact them.

WATCH THIS SPACE!

U-Turn

"NO EXTENSION!" now becomes "YES!"
PUBLIC PRESSURE FORCES BACK-TRACK
"It was clear that members were anxious to have more time to consider the MALPASS SCOPING DOCUMENTS. The problems in distribution have obviously exacerbated the situation and in order to provide community organisations, and individuals, with sufficient time to comment, I have agreed with WCC that the consultation period be extended by four weeks from February 29th to March 27th."

COMPETITION: WINNER TAKES ALL!
NOW PARITY IS TO BE GIVEN TO THE "TWO GROUPS" as SOUTHAM locals fight with RUGBY residents for the :
* PRIVILEGE and PLEASURE and
* HUGE ENVIRONMENTAL and FINANCIAL BENEFIT * that WINNING the PLANNING PERMISSION
* for the HALF A MILLION TONNES a year WASTE PLANT will bring to their homes, roads and area.

WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL last week:
" The Town and Country Planning (Environmental Impact Assessment) Regulations 1999 require Local Planning Authorities to adopt a scoping opinion within five weeks... In the case of Southam Long Itchington the initial circulation list was extended mid way through the consultation exercise following discussions at a local liaison meeting. Given that these additional consultees would have had little time to respond a request was made to extend the consultation period, which Cemex were agreeable to. The consultation period ended up being six to seven weeks. In respect of Malpass Farm there has been no change with the consultation thus I am not convinced that is necessary to increase the consultation period. I have discussed this with Cemex who are not minded to agree to an extension of time. However, any comments/ observations received after the 29th February will not be ignored and will be considered by WCC and forwarded to Cemex for consideration and incorporation within the preparation of the Environmental Statement."

HOW MUCH IS IT ALL WORTH?
BOTTOM LINE! COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE!
OUCH! They burn about 30 tonnes of coal an hour at about £60 a tonne - £1,800 hour.
COST: COAL 24 X £1,800 = £43,200 A DAY depending on coal price/quality. They can SUBSTITUTE 6 tph tyres that attract a "gate fee" of about £35 tonne, so £210 an hour - plus coal saved £360 = £570 an hour SAVED £13,680 a day.
£43,200 fuel bill reduced by £13,680 = daily FUEL COST £29,520

ADD IN TONNES OF RUBBISH
Household waste RDF attracts a gate fee of about £30 tonne(?) They can burn 15 tph "climafuel" for the trials, but according to the web they will be able to double the substitution when the "sham trials" are over. The co-incinerator can achieve "over a 100% substitution" this way, but because the RDF is of variable and lower calorific value it can be substituted at a ratio of about 2 parts to 1 of coal. Could be another £450/£900 an hour income to offset against the coal?

CIVIL WAR IN WARWICKSHIRE OVER WASTE PLANT.
We have called for an INTEGRATED HOLISTIC APPROACH, with OPEN INFORMED PUBLIC meetings and TRANSPARENCY! For the SAKE of EVERYONE we need to get the "LEAST WORST OPTION". But obviously those with a "vested interest" in all this, and those who have their "little power bases", prefer to divide the community, and to pit "each community" against another for the benefit of Cemex! POLICY TO SEPARATE COMMUNITY: DIVIDED WE FALL!
Rugby Cement have set up various little "powerless" groups, such as the Southam Quarry Liaison Group - a group so "un-knowing" that they are not even aware that there is hazardous waste BYPASS DUST from the CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR being dumped in the quarry, with no lawful planning permission and no lawful operating permit.

QUARRY SPOKESMAN HAS HEAD IN THE SAND!
They say that the meetings have "enabled Cemex to project a responsible caring image with local people." "The interests of communities local to Southam do not neatly coincide with this expanding Vehicle Routing Group, which is a CONTENTIOUS ONE with no obvious straightforward solution that will meet everyone's wishes. It NEEDS TO BE KEPT SEPARATE!" The RCCF is also to be kept in the dark, and to be kept away from meeting with those at Southam, (Stratford District, a whole kilometre away from the Rugby Borough boundary!) who are soon to be afflicted!

CEMEX CAN DO ANYTHING THEY WANT
Geoff Yates of Lawford in the Observer "I was interested to read about the planned further expansion of the cement works or is it an incinerator plant? The thing that really amazes me was that the expansion of the Southam works was shelved because of the extra traffic movements that would have occurred. It would appear that the increase to a minimum of 1,000 truck movements per day that occurred at the Rugby works was OK, even though it is smack in the middle of a residential area! In the light of the above with regard to this new extension of activities and with the potential for even more pollution in the area I feel sure the local residents will get the 'usual protection from our local representatives and the department of the environment.'

It would seem that when Cemex say "JUMP" the only question they get asked is "HOW HIGH?""

TOWN CENTRE VIEW FOR ALL TO ENJOY!

CEMENT PLANT TO BE LISTED BUILDING!

RUGBY CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR FORUM UPDATE:

CEMEX DENIES ALL KNOWLEDGE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTES to be burnt in the Cemex co-incinerator. It seems the Environment Agency are to blame, as they just put an EWC waste code for industrial waste into the PPC Permit, along with the stated/consulted household RDF application, without being asked? Believe it or not? And, in any case, EW waste codes are meaningless - apparently!

CEMEX SAID NO! TO REQUESTS FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME IN RUGBY where they are "testing the water" for a possible HALF a MILLION tonne a year waste plant: 1,000 tonnes a day in;360 tonnes burnt; 640 tonnes OUT AGAIN in another form. You know it makes sense! IMPORT Up to 240,000 tpa of MUNICIPAL SOLID WASTE, or COMMERCIAL & INDUSTRIAL waste materials, Plus about 125,000 tpa of imported SRF or Climafuel ready made: to produce 240,000 tpa of Climafuel. Of this 130,000 tonnes can burnt in the Rugby Co-incinerator - and the balance 235,000 tpa to be re-exported? Unless of course they decide to double the burn rate? When asked this they said they would do whatever the AGENCY allow them to do!

MALPASS WASTE PROCESSING PLANT PROPOSAL Out of 1,000 tonnes a day to be imported to Rugby apparently about 30% will be "steam with dust" to be emitted from a chimney, of indeterminate height, or from vents. When questioned about this proposed dumping of 300 tonnes waste a day onto us, they said it might not be as much as 30% as they need to keep some moisture.


WHY DID CEMEX AND WCC PLANNERS NOT TELL US ABOUT MALPASS? The debate became confrontational and acrimonious, as usual, because the forum members and the public realised we had been DUPED yet again! Despite two WCC planning officers attending the 29th January RCCF meeting, organised and controlled by CEMEX, neither they, nor Cemex itself thought to inform the Forum that this new application was "in" and the public consultation was to start on 31st January. Then bungled emails of gobbledygook were sent out on 6th February to a few selected people. What a deliberate mess!

SECRET MEETINGS!

CEMEX: PUNCHES BELOW BELT!

CEMEX : BENEVOLENT SOCIETY "COMMUNITY DONATIONS"
"PERSUADE BENEFICIARIES TO LOOK AWAY" - AS RUGBY ROTS!

ROUND ONE - RING SIDE SEATS ST OSWALD'S CHURCH HALL NEW BILTON WEDNESDAY 27 FEBRUARY 6;30 PM

SOUTHAM PEASANTS ARE REVOLTING AGAINST CEMEX'S LATEST PLANS FOR A 360,000 TONNE WASTE PROCESSING SITE!

So the NIMBYs told them "TO STUFF IT" and re-locate in the urban area of Rugby, in an area already polluted by industrial emissions from the Cemex co-incinerator, where an Air Quality Management Area is in place, and where thousands more residents, homes, schools, listed buildings, can be affected - on the grounds that Rugby is already ruined, blighted, destroyed, by Rugby Cement , and because we are already polluted, we are used to it, and to suffering 1,000 juggernauts night and day, so it won't make much difference to us! Will it?

RUGBY MP JEREMY WRIGHT HAS BEEN ASKED TO VENTURE BACK FROM KENNILWORTH, to intervene, and to arrange PUBLIC meetings, with all County, Borough and District/Town councillors, officers, and ALL the residents of Southam, the parishes, and Rugby who are soon to be affected to a GREATER of LESSER extent depending on WHO WINS? All fights to be held under the Queensbury rules!


BNP and TORIES SHARE COMMON OVERSIGHT IN RUGBY?
In the meantime there are gripping County elections going on for the seat of the Lawfords and New Bilton where the monstrosityis to be built, next to the co-incinerator. All the candidates cite, as a main concern, the significant damaging cement plant - except the BNP and Tory Lawford candidate who apparently have not EVEN noticed a giant co-incinerator sitting there! But could this "oversight" be due to the latest "benevolent donation" of £150,000 for Church Lawford's village hall?

MUSHROOM SYNDROME AT LONG LAWFORD PARISH COUNCIL! CHAIR MR DRAPER also seems to have a plank in his eye as he refused to let Parish Councillors even discuss the "proposed Climafuel plant", despite it being on the Agenda for discussion. Sally Bragg, Borough Councillor left the meeting just before the item, while Claire Watson, Borough Councillor, and the Tory hopeful for the County, did not show up. A member of the public who had waited for two hours to speak on this very urgent topic, was shouted down, and bawled out by the Chair who was laying down the law, presumably in the "interests of Cemex, and of having no democratic due process and no community engagement in Lawford".
Apparently "it's not their problem," despite the fact Lawford is only 200 yards from the site. Not surprisingly minutes from the "secret meetings" were nit distributed. LAWFORD councillors and residents alike have been treated like mushrooms, yet again, kept in the dark and bucket loads of pollution tipped on their heads at frequent intervals. But that is nothing compared to what is going to come next!


RUGBY UPDATE - WHAT GOES UP MUST COME DOWN.
CEMEX consulted the public on what they described as "Climafuel" to be manufactured from household waste: category EU Waste Code 19 12 10, "combustible waste, refuse derived fuel," with a maximum chlorine content of 0.8%, but when the ENVIRONMENT AGENCY issued the PERMIT it contained a 50% increase in Chlorine content, and a new EW category of 10 02 10 "combustible waste from the Physico/chemical treatment of waste including dechromatation, dcyanidation and neutralisation". Working in conjunction with the so-called Environment Agency they changed the specification to Industrial wastes. Having finished the public charade, laughingly called consultation, they altered the chemical contents.

THE HOUSE OF LORDS heard, in a full and fair hearing, held in the House of Commons over 3 days 21-23 January, how the people of Rugby have been cheated by the "authorities and Rugby Cement". The issues:
(1) Whether a PPC permit derived from EU law can be lawfully granted where (a) there has been a failure to provide the public with key environmental information and (b) where/whether such a grant may be a breach of EU Directives relating to the EIA and IPPC regime;
(2) the nature of the court's discretion to decline relief in JUDICIAL REVIEW after having found a breach of domestic (but not EU) law.



** READ THE RUGBY TIMES TODAY **
RUGBY IN PLUME IS LAUNCHING "A PETITION TO RE-OPEN THE RAILWAY" AT THE 27TH FEBRUARY RUGBY CEMENT COMMUNITY FORUM MEETING! the railway route between Southam and Rugby Cemen has ONLY been "safeguarded" because Rugby Cement and WCC wished to spend an extra £28 million of public money to preserve the rail route for use by Rugby Cement. Cemex are not amused about our PETITION and it is reported in today's Rugby Times that they will not even consider it because "its not commercially viable for them". BUT RIP have the backing of the village parish councils and Rugby residents,and also I am sure all the British people who have paid an extra £28 million towards subsidising Rugby Cement and its operations.

SOME LORRIES - LORRY TRAINS PERHAPS?
The Rugby Times "ANGER AT RUBBISH PLANT PROPOSAL" also reveals that Cemex says, of its plans to build a factory to turn 360,000 tonnes of waste a year, 1,000 tonnes a day into fuel: "would mean more lorries accessing the site, with about 11 extra loads a day!" WOW! LOOK OUT FOR THE 100 TONNE TRUCKS!

Western Relief?

The proposed route for the Western Relief road has to be seen to be believed. So I thought I would show you..

MICRO-CLIMATES.

WIND DIRECTION changes at different heights, as is clearly shown in this picture. See the massive plume from the main stack - about 3,000 tonnes a day of gas, laden with pollutants - about 1,000,000 cubic metres each hour. Then notice the streaming plumes from the cement mills, now known as emissions of particulate, "in pure air" (??) from these polluting Low Level Point Sources. When local people complain about "dust" they are invariably scathingly told by the authorities that their "case is not proven - the wind was in wrong direction". But where do these "experts" take their readings? Even the recent air quality assessments which monitored wind speed and direction at four points in the Rugby Borough had four different direction and speeds on the same graph! And do not mention re-suspended dust what ever you do!


WHAT'S NEW?
Since the Rugby Council with drew their support for the Rugby Cement Community Forum in July 2007 there has been only one meeting held in public, in December, in a freezing cold village hall in Bilton. There are plans afoot to change the name of the RCCF, to Rugby Community Cement Forum, which seems in appropriate when the plant has, over Christmas, increased its co-incineration to 220,000 tonnes a year. The household waste (Climafuel) that the public were consulted on in 2007, has now morphed into a permission for 15 tph - 360 tpd, 131,400 per annum of EWC 190210 and 191210, These are apparently residues from household waste and from "wastes from physico/ chemical treatment of waste including dechromatation, decyanidation and neutralisation! Due to the low calorific value 15tph makes only a 30% substitution, while the 87,600 tonnes tyres constitute a 40% substitution being 10 tph.


OTHER WASTES used and stored are listed without waste codes, or quantities, or storage/planning permissions, and the bypass dust is still being trucked in sheeted lorries to be landfilled at Southam, where the "temporary non-hazardous planning permission", such as it was, expired on 31st December. Apparently hazardous waste is not supposed to be allowed to escape, and must be contained, but WCC have agreed to allow them to use returning clay lorries under a Section 106 agreement in 2001. WCC do not seem to know what BYPASS dust is and how polluting.
The old planning permission was for CKD from a coal-burning cement works and this expired in 2001. The Environment Agency seems to have forgotten the Landfill Directive and PPC Regulations, seemingly allowing the dumping under the old expired Waste Management Licence. Every year good old Warwickshire County Council, seemingly in ignorance, gives the operator another temporary extension, even though the landfill has no permission as a hazardous waste site. The bypass dust from the co-incineration of waste is trucked in sheeted returning clay lorries - often streaming out as the lorries travel through the Rugby Town Centre - as witnessed again this week.

MOBILE DUST-CATCHERS ON THE STREETS.
Even the RBC EHO,who have often tried to downplay the air quality problems and contributions from the whole INSTALLATION,and who are slow to bother about such matters as hazardous dust spilling over the residents, have now saida mobile air quality monitor must follow the lorries to try to "catch the dust". Mind you I expect they will warn them first as usual!
Watch this space!!

RUGBY CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR

(click on image to enlarge)
UNACCEPTABLE, UNSUITABLE, UNLAWFUL, SITE OF INDUSTRIAL WASTE DUMP, ENCOMPASSING OPEN AIR WASTE STORAGE, CO-INCINERATION, BLENDING, AND DISCRETE (SECRET) INCORPORATION OF ALL MANNER AND QUANTITIES OF WASTES INTO CEMENT.

WHY OH WHY? IT MAKES NO SENSE!
We Rugby Residents are now in our fourth year of TYRE TRIALS,
with a further one year trial starting to see "how they can manage
to get to 6 tonnes per hour over the course of a year". With a
little bit of luck, and some 15tph of household/commercial/industrial waste
thrown in for good measure. The public were told in the "tyre trials application and non technical summary" that the trials to 10tph would be over within 6 months by 2004, but they are still struggling on with all manner of excuses why they have failed to succeed.
Apparently all this effort just to prove that the 0.15% of particulate emissions emitted from the main stack comes exclusively from the burning of the fuel, which is "not adversely affected by the substitution involved in tyre burning", while the other 99.85% of emissions comes from the raw material "cooking". Believe it - or not! Meanwhile they change the raw materials (responsible for 99.85% emissions) to substitutes/wastes - without any trial, consultation or comment? And Cemex fitted £6 million pounds of bag filters to meet the Waste Incinerator Directive - for the reduction of the particulate emissions from fuel burning emissions from 50mg/NM3 to 30mg/NM3 - except all the emissions are now said to be from the raw materials, and not the fuel at all. Under the WID they are supposed to meet the limits for VOC/TOC (Volatile Organic Carbons) and Sulphur Dioxide, but they claim "a derogation", and actually increased the emission limits fivefold from those existing before the tyre trials from 10mg/Nm3 to 50 mg/NM3.

ALL THIS PUBLIC MONEY WASTED FOR WHAT?
Years of trials - for 0.15% of particulate stack emissions?
EIGHT YEARS of sham consultations; dubious data; withheld reports; pointless public meetings; question and no-answers sessions; misleading and false information distributed; RCCF meetings where questions are asked but not answered - see RBC web site which has suddenly been transformed!; An Agency, which had helped Rugby Cement to build the plant and had just given it an (unlawful) IPC permit in 1999, but that still in 2003 could not tell the public which emissions were permitted and which were not - nor where the emissions came from! The AEAT report into "some" of the differences between tyre burning emissions and coal emissions at four cement plants; The May 2006 EA survey of what people "think" about the cement plant emissions; and now £15,000 largely from the existing health protection budget in order to choose a new Rugby Cemex Co-incinerator Forum;
An Agency which said publicly if the 60,000 people of Rugby came to the meetings and protested, they would take no notice - and which now crows that the protest has somewhat diminished.

WASTES SUBSTITUTED and MATERIALS: TYRES - 600 tonnes stored in open; CLIMAFUEL - household/commercial/industrial wastes; PETCOKE - waste from oil industry; and coal that requires emission limits to increase from TOC 10 to 50mg/Nm3.

PFA; MINESTONE; BAUXITE; OIL CRACKING SPENT CATALYST; ALUMINIUM DROSS; FOUNDRY SAND; GLASS WASTE; SILT;C EMENT BOARD SANDINGS; IRON STONE; STEEL SLAG; IRON PYRITES; TIOXIDE; FLUE GAS DE-SULPHURISATION MATERIAL; POTTERY MOLDS; AND additives such as AMMONIA and SYNTHETIC SURFACTANTS; ALKANOLAMINES; POLYALCOHOLS; SILICA DIOXIDE AND ORGANIC SURFACTANTS and SLURRY THINNERS etc etc

ONE MILLION POUNDS AIR QUALITY MONITORING?
£1 million pounds Rugby Council tax payers money squandered on poorly/wrongly sited ineffective monitoring, in order to "catch" the tyre trials' pollution

- except the trials never properly got going, and the monitoring is over; A
million pounds of ambient air monitoring "hindered" by the Environment Agency which refused to disclose pertinent pollution Dispersion models to help with the locations, and hindered by Rugby Cement which refused to give stack emissions data to the consultants Faber Maunsell and to RBC.

An Agency that does not know which way the wind blows - first in late 1999 before the plant was opened they identified a monitoring site one mile due South of the plant as the "location as close as predictable to the place where emissions from the site were predicted to be a maximum." Rugby people were forced to pay up for two years monitoring - uselessly located due south, too far away, next to a large building, and under a tree.

Then the Agency, after more (secret) dispersion modelling, decided in 2003 that this was NOT the correct location after all, and they then put a monitor one mile due north of the plant, but it appears the data is still not in the public domain; RBC paid thousands of our cash to various consultants who advised the installation of boundary site monitors; properly spaced pollution monitors and the installation of an infra-red stack camera, but all this "good advice" was paid for and simply then ignored.


PEOPLE POWER AT PADESWOOD CASTLE CEMENT:
At Padeswood a straight forward civil law process as a Group Action is underway, on behalf of local residents, who have been blighted by the newly commissioned cement/co-incinerator plant. They will be seeking a) Compensation for Loss of Amenity and b) An injunction on Castle Cement to abate the nuisances caused by their industrial activities. The injunction would have the power of the court behind it and if not complied with, would result in Castle Cement being back in court for that failure. In this action the defence of "operating within permit" is not a valid defence. A Public Nuisance offence is not available as the industry is exempt apparently - as we have found out in Rugby. But, as in Rugby, there is a clear indication of continuing blight upon their lives, properties and possessions caused by emissions of dust, noise, the giant falling plume, and odour, emanating from the cement works, over the preceeding six years.

The cement industry has been left to "Self Regulation" seemingly by dictat of DEFRA. "A lighter touch of the regulations" was a phrase allegedly wielded by government a few years ago. Then, to facilitate the cement company activities further, the 2005 revision of the Substitute Fuels Protocol for Cement and Lime Kilns was so abrasively bullied through by DEFRA and the Environment Agency, after a farce of a "public consultation", that it became clear that as far as Government was concerned, sustaining cement/industrial activity had precedence over the quality of life of local residents. Allied to that, the cement companies, probably through having an eye towards profitablity, have done absolutely as little as they feel they need to do in order control the ill effects of their industrial activities, firmly believing, it would appear, that all and any public complaints via the Environment Agency would be "smothered" in regulation and red tape, and never be anything other than "another entry on the public register of complaints." This current action is "People Power" fighting back against that unjust and improper scenario. And, the inevitable banning from corresponding and from the cement forum has also been tried at Padeswood, with a motion to expel the properly-elected member involved in the legal action - as at Rugby. Only "friends" of the cement company, and those who agree with and endorse both the Agency and the industry are welcome on the Liaison groups and Cement Community Forum!!

DETACHED PLUME?

AT CEMEX RUGBY BLl7248IH

POLLUTION INVENTORY - CARBON DIOXIDE DOUBLES!
On the Agency WIMBY web site you can see various "actual measurements", "calculations", and "estimations", of the "main" pollutants emitted from the MAIN STACK at Cemex Rugby, presumably discounting the main health damaging pollutant of PARTICULATE PM10, which has been of much concern to Rugby residents and to health professionals. The "Cement and Lime Activities Guidance Note PI-CEML-yv071" has been issued to the industry to help them to fill in the forms, as required by the EU, in the correct manner. However there exists much "uncertainty" as to how these figures have been arrived at - and we are left wondering as to the purpose, accuracy and reliability of these figures. Meanwhile the British Cement Association is protesting against the 67% increase in charges to be imposed by the Environment Agency as it gains about £3 million from the EU ETS, with presumably 60 EA staff working full time on this issue alone. See Charges Consultation 2007/08.

CARBON DIOXIDE has more than doubled, (quadrupled since 1999), and in 2006 has been split into two parts - 471,000 tonnes of "thermal" and 604,000 tonnes "chemical" - whereas in 2000 they state they have emitted only 500,000 tonnes - double that of the old plant! But other pollutants do not appear to have increased by the same ratio - suggesting something is possibly "wrong" with the reporting? They have evolved a new method of reporting the pollutants in a "random order" instead of by alphabetical listings. Carbon monoxide seems to have disappeared all together! The old plant can be traced under AH8697. AMMONIA appears steady at about 6 tonnes.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY TO ANSWER CONCERNS:
about increased number and duration of apparently "detached plumes", which by nature form after they are released from the stack, which is very worrying? We have requested information about the time and duration of any trials, tests and changes that have been carried out at the plant during December 2007 as permitted by the Agency such as the use of AMMONIA to reduce nitrogen dioxide, and clay-substitute trials.

ON DETACHED PLUMES: RAPCA:
"For condensable PM and detached plumes - which by nature form after they are released from the stack, BLDS and PM CEMS are meaningless. Measuring precursors (SO2, NOx, THC) would probably be more sensitive and certainly VEs would be more cost effective. Although reading detached plumes (especially since they are usually combined with steam plumes) is EVEN MORE SUBJECTIVE than reading an attached plume."

HEIDELBERG CEMENT California:
"Cement plants, are sometime afflicted with a "detached plume" meaning that detectable emissions do not form until after exhaust leaves the smoke stack.
Chemicals in the plume don't combine to create a problem until after leaving the stack, so sensors inside the stack can't detect the problem.
This often occurs due to changes in the ore and other raw materials used to make cement. The ultimate cause can only be determined through exhaustive and expensive testing. Testing of the plume by the company so far shows the plume contains ammonia, sulfates, chlorides, all potentially harmful to the public under the wrong conditions."

HEIDELBERG CEMENT 1 JUNE 2006:
"With an SNCR control NOX is reacted with ammonia or urea in an environment with a specific temperature range and for a sufficient residence time. The effective temperature range for SNCR is approximately 100-2000F. For a preheater/calciner system this would occur in a zone near the lowest stage of the preheater tower.
Below the effective temperature ammonia present in the gas stream does not react and "AMMONIA SLI " occurs. Likewise if excessive quantities of ammonia/urea are injected some pass through un-reacted and cause ammonia slip. Either case will result in a release of ammonia from the stack that could result in producing a detached plume, causing an opacity compliance issue. If injection occurs at temperatures above the effective range, ammonia present in the gas stream will react to form additional NOX, and NOx emissions may increase."

WARWICKSHIRE COUNTY COUNCIL
Are stuck between a rock and a hard place, yet again! They are disputing with Cemex over various issue including the Western Relief Road, which we recall was prevented from being built in 2000 by the intervention of Rugby Cement and ex MP Andy King who said they wanted to re-open the rail link to the Southam clay quarries, (because they have NO RAW MATERIAL in Rugby) removing about 70 HGVs a day from the villages - about 10% of the TOTAL LORRIES!

Now it is a question of whether the new SILO for the EXPORT/IMPORT of clinker needs a planning application under the Town and Country Planning General Development Order 1995 - or not? And also what about the new conveyors, docking station, etc for the burning of household waste? And also what about the STORAGE of the large quantities of INDUSTRIAL WASTE which have been substituted for raw materials, on the site, without any European Waste Codes or publicly available information about the nature, quantity, and likely/possible impact of these wastes on local air quality and health?
The Environment Agency will not answer any questions about these wastes - so who is responsible for the turning of Rugby into a WASTE DUMP without apparently any planning permission or IPPC Permit? And not to mention the words PUBLIC CONSULTATION!

CEMEX SET FOR TILBURY PORT MILL:
This new 1.2 million tonne per annum facility, (opening summer 2008) according to Paul Fletcher UK Environment Manager: "is ideally positioned for shipping in the half a million tonnes of SLAG it will require per year for the production of CEM3." The CEM3 blended cement product uses 50% clinker - compared to 95% (??) used in the previous blends, which will reduce its CO2 emissions by 50% for each tonne of cement produced.

GREAT ENVIRONMENTAL BENEFIT?
"The 600,000 TONNES CLINKER will be transported by ROAD from the RUGBY CO-INCINERATOR plant." Is that extra clinker - or instead of that they make into cement at Rugby?

Sensitive lorry miles - what are they?

ONE DARK SATANIC MILL

MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR RUGBY!

CEMENT WORKS PREVENTS INVESTMENT IN RUGBY:
Rugby Councillors have thrown out a planning application for a BUTCHERS PET CARE factory and a one hundred foot chimney, in the COTON PARK DEVELOPMENT - because of the experience gained (suffered!!) with the Rugby Cement plant! ENOUGH IS ENOUGH IS ENOUGH - or too much even!!

Various people commented:

* "We already have one dark satanic mill in the shape of the cement works, we don't want another one!"
* "The people have won the battle against the planners!"
* "Thousands of people have protested against it - they thought it was a done-deal but we gave them a bloody nose!"
* "They say that it is safe but that is what they said about the cement factory - and everyone knows that is simply not true!"
* "This goes against all the town's plans to improve itself!"

The Warwickshire Telegraph reported that it boiled down to protection of amenities, and a 700 strong petition - the RUGBY CHAMBER OF COMMERCE did not want it - RUGBY SCHOOL did not want it - surrounding businesses did not want it, and thousands of residents did not want to live near the factory in the shadow of a 100 foot chimney, which would generate smelly emissions, create extra traffic, and impact badly on house prices!

Cynics might ask then why have these same Councillors done absolutely nothing to protect the residents against the increasing impact of the CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR? They have ignored an 8,000 strong petition, passing planning applications one after another to convert the old cement plant from a 300,000 tonne environmental disaster into a 2,000,000 tonne a year waste co-incinerator, allowing the emissions of 3,000 tonnes a day of polluted gas from the main 115 metre chimney and much other pollution from the low level sources, and not to mention the occasional eight tonnes of pulverised fuel (etc!) on our heads, and 800 or so lorries a day!

Could it be that the nearest residents to that industrial behemoth are in deprived wards with Councillors who do nothing, while the middle classes at Coton Park have more influence and clout? But maybe this is a turning point and Councillors are now prepared to fight back against these planning officers who they are, after all, supposed to instruct? Rugby residents need a champion within the Rugby and Warwick Councils - which COUNCILLOR will step forward, and rise to the challenge to HELP RUGBY IMPROVE ITSELF?

UPDATE ON REDROW AND NEW BILTON RAIL SIDING:
RBC Environmental Health Office have said that Cemex and EWS only need a Permit (LA-PPC) for the unloading of coal at the site. For the loading/unloading of "ALL OTHER MATERIALS INCLUDING ANY MANNER OR QUANTITIES OF WASTES" they will not need any application or permission. So the Cemex conveyor/s, due to be put in the £330,000 tunnel under Parkfield Road, thoughtfully provided by the tax payers as part of the Western Relief Road scheme, will carry what exactly?

Meanwhile the cost of the Relief Road Scheme has soared from £11 million in 2000 to £37 million due to the interference of Rugby Cement (RMC) who "claimed" they wished to re-open the railway - when in truth they would only do so if the great British public paid for it for them. Now there seems to be some areas of contention between WCC and Cemex about the WRR route, and the ownership of the land over which it will pass. PLANNING CONSULTANTS have advised REDROW residents to take legal action against the developers and against Rugby Council for "misinforming them" about the status of the railway siding which has actually been in use since the late 1990's. Rugby Cement did not use the railway siding as it was CHEAPER FOR THEM to run 20,000 coal-laden juggernauts in Rugby town centre - regardless of the environmental and health impact! RBC seem set to face yet another OMBUDSMAN inquiry.

INCOMPETENCE AND THE TANGLED WEB OF LIES AND DECEIT: has lead to the cement/co-incinerator installation falling foul of all the various planning and environmental laws, including the EIA Directive, Public Participation Directive and the Aarhus Convention - not to mention HUMAN RIGHTS! Have a look at the paper "Environmental Law and Planning Update" given at the Planning Law and Practice Conference by David Elvin QC on 29 March 2007 for more information. Between 25 June 2005 and 15 January 2007 the UK was in breach of the Directive and during this time Warwickshire County Council was busy rushing through the installation of bag filters to permit the burning of wastes, and various other permissions without complying with the relevant Law - which may lead to further court action against them. So far WCC have declined to answer questions about the storage of hundreds of tonnes of various unquantified and unqualified industrial wastes at the site, and about their consideration at the planning application stage of the impact of the massive plume, which loops, and falls, and hangs over the whole town of Rugby and beyond. Watch this space!

SPILLING THE BEANS

ABOUT THE RUGBY MALPASS : BEING THE PREFERRED LOCATION FOR A 400,000 TONNES MBT/RDF PLANT!

The "spilling of the beans" has not been greeted with great joy by CEMEX, and by Warwickshire County Council, as plans now focus on Rugby as a Rubbish Dump, even though the Scoping Plan has been issued for the disused Southam Cemex cement works. No planning application has yet been made, for either site, but residents are being asked for an opinion on what the Environmental Impact Assessment should contain. However, as all the burnable waste - aka Climafuel - has to be transported by road to Rugby then maybe it would be better to bring all 400,000 tonnes of household, commercial and industrial waste here in the first place, rather than destroying yet another area of Warwickshire? At least that would save "juggernaut-miles", and public money in exposing the county roads to more destruction. Or would it - as Rugby is hardly the centre of Warwickshire it is? Of course some wastes would still have to be exported from Rugby again.

The Scoping assessment says "The facility will be designed to produce 240,000 tonnes of Climafuel, from 240,000 tonnes per annum of Municipal Solid Waste, and from 125,000 tpa imported SRF type materials or Climafuel from other MBT facilities - sourced locally, or nationally. There will be a Blending House and a Reception and Process Building, containing MBT and MHT equipment.

TRAFFIC.
Strangely this is the smallest section of the scoping report! "An assessment should only be undertaken if the development causes a greater than 10% increase in the two way traffic flow, adjacent to the site access, during the typical weekday AM and PM road network peak hours." "This is in line with the IHT guidelines for Transport Impact Assessment." So that is easily controlled - they can hide outside, or inside, the works, till the rush hour is over! And what ever you do, make no mention of the "SENSITIVE LORRY MILES" required to get to the site! Never having had any environmental assessment at Rugby, nor any lawful planning permission, nor lawful operating permit,nor any proper public consultation they now intend to "build on that foundation". Look out RUGBY!

RAILWAY NEW BILTON SIDING.
The jury is still out. Who knew what, and when? Who told who what, and why ,and when? RBC remain in "denial" as the local plan and searches had, they claim, not revealed the presence of a fully operational railway - that has been working since last century - from Rugby station to New Bilton. But their committee reports, and those of WCC tell a different tale. As does their correspondence with Network Rail and Railtrack. The REDROW land was highly contaminated landfill and for that reason is sold for a pittance: 4.5 hectares for £1,250,000 so the story goes, due to the very high costs of site remedy! Were the houses and flats able to sell at a higher price without the potential purchasers knowing there was an active freight line under their very windows? Who was responsible for telling them?

RCCF: REFRESHED!
Protesters are to be "controlled and marginalised, and even excluded" by an army of Cemex placard-waving supporters, who wish to get relations back onto a more friendly and "constructive footing". This may have the "welcome effect" of attracting the Agency back to the table in Rugby, where it has abandoned the residents to their fate. In 2008 a new Constitution, a new Mission Statement, a Fresh Start, and Positive Community Engagement with new, not-so-disgruntled members at the RUGBY CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR FORUM?

Sounds too good to be true? Rugby residents would also love a fresh start, a clean sheet, a new beginning, fresh air, and a town without the ominous plume and giant industrial behemoth looming over us all! Come on Santa we know you can do it!

SHARE THE GAIN?

The County Council has been "invited" to "share the gain" of having the fortunate siting of a huge CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR in Rugby town's smoke control area, (and also an Air Quality Management Area) and to sign a contract with Cemex to burn the County's household and commercial waste. Otherwise WCC will have to "export" its waste while Cemex imports waste from elsewhere - possibly Holland as they do at their South Ferriby plant, because "British made RDF is not as good as imported waste for burning", so we are told, and causes all manner of problems.

The Environment Agency has recently given Cemex permission to burn up to 30 tonnes an hour of RDF, known as CLIMAFUEL, and also to double the tyres to 6 tonnes an hour. And to increase the 600-800 juggernauts each day that smash our streets to bits and poison us with emissions.

GAGGING AND OPENNESS CONCERNS?
At a meeting, from which I was unceremoniously ejected by the renowned county councillor Gordon Collett for simply making a few notes, it was revealed that they have secret plans and clever tricks that they did not wish to see "splashed over the newspapers." This has caused great consternation in Rugby where the Editor of the Advertiser has remarked on the attitude of arrogance and superiority displayed by those who are employed to serve the best interests of the Rugby and County residents, and not simply to serve themselves. "I think councillors should remember that they are ultimately there to represent their constituents, not to gain power and lord it over everyone!"

CASH FOR COMMUNITY YET AGAIN.
Looking back through our articles you will see that Gordon Collett recently received the keys to a £22,500 minibus from Cemex - a charitable donation to help elderly villagers do their shopping?
Also when the first meeting about the burning of household waste was held in June 2006 it fell to Councillor Collett to "warmly" thank Cemex for their wonderful presentation and to make the infamous closing remark - "if we don't get hysterical we can get this through!"

WESTERN RELIEF ROAD UPDATE.
Now he says that he doesn't want any lorries through his village of Dunchurch before 9.00 am on Saturday mornings. And the Parish Councillors at the meeting do not want 140 daily through their villages of Long Itchington, Marton and Princethorpe. They suggest they leave them all in Rugby where the residents are used to it! So much for the Western Relief Road - planners do not seem to have considered what would happen at the Potsford Dam end of it.

CEMEX IN WIN-WIN SITUATION.
A row is going on now as the public have finally woken up to the fact that the WRR is being built in a circuitous route merely to get the Cement plant lorries in and out, and to open up the MALPASS reclaimed Cemex land for industrial development. WCC sold out the people of Rugby in 1996 for a promised £660,000, the interest on which has been paid to Rugby Cement for ten years before that cash had to be given back in February 2006 - SECTION 106 EXPIRED! But due to the "friendly relations" between Cemex and WCC they renegotiated it and got the princely sum of £660,000 back again. BUT then WCC have had to build a new tunnel under the new road solely for Cemex to access its old disused quarry, because the "existing tunnel is not strong enough to take the new road." And no prizes for guessing who will pay £330,000 for that! Well done the great British Public - as Rugby residents face a LOSE-LOSE situation.

RUGBY CEMENT COMMUNITY FORUM UPDATE. Rugby Borough Council, Cemex and the Environment Agency all got together behind the backs of the Forum members and decided RBC would not fund the secretariat for the meetings, basically in effect shutting down the lines of communication in July 2007.
Since then there have been no meetings to discuss all the planning applications, LAPPC applications, doubling of tyre burning, household waste burning, changing of raw materials to waste, increase in lorries etc etc. Plans are afoot to "engage with the community in a positive transparent and open way, and to move forward together!" It is not certain that the community wishes to move where Cemex is taking us! In the meantime it was a clever idea to keep the RCCF initials, but call it the RUGBY COMMUNITY CEMENT FORUM.

However the way things are going on a more appropriate name would be: RCCCF:
RUGBY CEMEX COVERT CO-INCINERATOR FORUM!!

SIMPSONS TO TAKE OVER RUGBY

"HOW IS IT THAT ALL THE SMART PEOPLE HAVE NO POWER AND ALL THE STUPID PEOPLE RUN THE TOWN?"

..asks L Simpson in a letter to the Advertiser about Rugby.

"Forget Evreux, forget Russelheim - surely by the control Cemex seems to have over the Council, and in particular the planning office, isn't it now time for us to be brought into the 21st century and be twinned with Sprigfield USA - home of the Simpsons?! I returned to Rugby after nine years in the north west to be alarmed to see there was a huge "nuclear power plant" at the site where the little old chimney for Rugby Cement used to be. In fact that little old chimney had metamorphosed into that monstrosity that is seen for miles and miles around - a true blot on the landscape. Who allowed planning for that, and how could Rugby Council sell us out and let it happen?"

"It seems to me that over the years it has been a case that what the cement works wants the cement works gets, and as quickly as our local representatives and the Department of the Environment can make it happen, irrespective of local opinion and the population in general" writes Geoff, Long Lawford resident.

NEW BILTON SIDING IS OPEN SPACE: according to Rugby's Local Plan, 2006, which shows it clearly marked as disused and in green! But Network Rail say they have been using it for 8+ years so why did they not put the coal trains on it to Rugby Cement, and save 30,000 lorry miles each year in Rugby town centre? They seem to want it all ways!

WALKER SUPPORT SERVICES are involved and CONSTRUCTION is going on with no consultation nor planning application. Local residents have NOT even been informed despite the Public Register claim by EWS/ Walker to have carried out:
"Significant Interaction with external organisations:
* Cemex plant and personnel;
* also home-owners on opposite side of proposed works."

RBC: we do not know if it needs planing permission. We think it is open space and disused.

WCC: we do not know if it needs planning permission. There are so many lorries on the roads going to the cement works it would be better to put them on the railway. "Air quality problems in Rugby are directly related to the large number of peak hour vehicles and HGVs travelling through the town centre." And no we do not know why we put them there!

WESTERN RELIEF ROAD: we do not know how 400 lorries a week are going to cross the road from the new New Bilton Sidings to the cement works.

EWS: we have submitted out of date maps. We do not need any planning permission, or to tell any local residents who will be affected by noise and pollution.

CEMEX DEADLINE:
Last coal delivery Rugby station 21st December. First coal delivery New Bilton 3rd January.. If coal supply is to be stockpiled it will need to be 5,600 tonnes - 700 tonnes for 8 days!

OPPORTUNITY KNOCKS TO SHUT WORKS: LATEST for RBC EHO to grant LICENCE 21st Dec. "If the New Bilton Environmental Licence application response is negative there will be not be sufficient time to implement alternative arrangements." Shame!


This was all being "sneaked" through nicely, as they shut down the Rugby Cement Community Forum, concealed the information, and applications, and endeavoured to prevent all meetings and discussions, refusing to meet or talk with the community, and pretended the Environment Council was negotiating with the public in an "open honest transparent" manner, and trying to "move forward together." But move forward to where? The battle to wrest control of OUR Town, OUR environment, OUR air quality, and OUR health from CEMEX IS A TUG OF WAR MORE LIKE!

240,000 MILES OF CEMENT LORRIES IN RUGBY

THIS CENTURY WERE TOTALLY UNNECESSARY SAYS OUR RELIABLE SAUCE.

THE RAILWAY TO THE CEMENT WORKS "NEW BILTON SIDING" HAS BEEN FULLY OPERATIONAL SINCE BEFORE THE NEW CEMENT WORKS WAS BUILT!

ANY ENVIRONMENTALLY MINDED COMPANY COULD AND SHOULD, HAVE USED IF FOR COAL DELIVERIES - SAVING RUGBY RESIDENTS FROM 20,000 CEMENT PLANT LORRIES EVERY YEAR!

"The New Bilton Sidings is a part of the operational Network Rail network. This includes all tracks within the area, on both sides of the gates adjacent to the footpath crossing, and as far as the Lawford Road bridge. Beyond that point, the railway is disused, and has been formally closed. "

"The track layout was modernised and relaid in the late 1990's, and has been used by engineering trains, and for the transfer of road rail vehicles for track maintenance."

* Any suggestions why Rugby Cement have not used the railway to the plant? * Couldn't be anything to do with their PROFIT before our health and environment could it? * How much more would it have cost them to take the train to the works, instead of having 400 lorries a week in "lorry trains" through Rugby town? * Now they are being "forced", by the Rugby Station Remodel to use the line, and they try to pass it off a "gift" to residents? * Perhaps some kind of cost/benefit and environmental appraisal could have been done?
At the end of the day who is responsible for this fiasco, and unnecessary environmental damage and detriment? Who has failed to REGULATE and ENFORCE BEST PRACTISE?

NETWORK RAIL - provided the line last century.

RUGBY CEMENT - took the cheapest option for them - PROFIT!

WARWICKS CC - FAILED to make it planning CONDITION!

RUGBY BC - repeatedly gave Permits for unnecessary lorries.

ENVIRONMENT AGENCY - say transport nothing to do with them, and that they never considered how to get 5 MILLION TONNES of material in and out of the works when they were helping Rugby Cement to build the new plant in this location.

Haven't they ever heard : Location, location, location?

CEMENT PLANT PLOT UNFOLDS!

RUGBY COUNCIL PERMITS 160,000 EXTRA LORRIES TO POLLUTE TOWN CENTRE

AS CEMEX TO BENEFIT BY £ HUNDREDS THOUSANDS TAX PAYERS MONEY!

AIR QUALITY MANAGEMENT ZONE! NITROGEN DIOXIDE SOARS AS RUGBY POLLUTED BY LORRIES as Borough Council incompetents in the so-called "Environmental Health" Office cause polluting unsheeted coal lorries to jam town roads. Cemex finally admit to 600-800 lorry movements a day, up from a total 270 in 2003.

RAIL STATION TO CEMENT PLANT EWS applied in 1997 for a "permit to pollute Rugby" with a claimed extra 200 lorries a week to transport coal from the station to the Rugby cement plant by road. No BATNEEC assessment, as required by Law, was carried out. No Environmental Assessment as required was carried out. Simple Rugby Council gave Permit 31/EPA/3.4 & without a second thought permitted UNNECCESSARY
* extra 10,000 lorry journeys a year,
* extra 15,000 lorry miles a year in Rugby town centre.

In 2003 RBC EHO gave another permit 31/PPC/3.4 and the lorries had increased by then to a claimed 80 a day, five days a week = 400 a week. No public consultation, no BAT assessment, no consideration for the environment and no consideration for health even though air quality and lorries had become HUGE ISSUE S - RBC permitred the UNNECESSARY
* extra 20,000 lorry journeys a year
* extra 30,000 lorry miles in Rugby town centre.

RUGBY COUNCIL ENCOURAGES LORRIES IN TOWN
At a conservative estimate Rugby Borough Council has unnecessarily, and without any consideration for the environment, air quality, and the health of residents, even when it knew that an AQMA was necessary for heath protection, permitted at least 160,000 extra lorries on our roads for NO REASON AT ALL.

CONSERVATIVE CALCULATION:
1998-2001 10,000 X 4 = 40,000 extra journeys.
2002-2007 20,000 x 6 = 120,000 extra journeys.
TOTAL ten years = 160,000 extra journeys

Rugby Borough Council has always claimed it could do nothing about the cement plant traffic, and has always blamed the Warwickshire County Council Planning department for this environmental LORRY disaster, but now it emerges that the EHO actually DELIBERATELY permitted these unnecessary

240,000 EXTRA MILES run by CEMENT lorries in Rugby Town!

EWS FREIGHT TRAIN GRANTS FOR CEMEX SIDINGS In order to now remove these SLM's
SENSITIVE LORRY MILES off the town centre roads, valued at £1.74 per mile in the Calculation of Environmental Index, EWS have now received grants:
£266,625 EWS REPS B CEMEX
£199,584 EWS REPS B CEMEX
REPS is Environmental Benefit Procurement System. EWS also had cemex related grants of £150,000 in 2006-2007. For further information see Minister Tom Harris and Rail Freight Conference June, and Press release July 2007.

£417, 600 IN ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGE TO RUGBY So how much has Rugby Borough Council cost the long-suffering Rugby Residents and Council Tax payers through its negligence - not to mention Health effects? How much has RBC cost the National Health Service?

240,000 miles at £1.74 = £417,600 calculated as environmental disbenefit for a start!

RUGBY CEMENT COMMUNITY FORUM And now RBC, in conjunction with Cemex and the so-called "Environment" Agency, haveshut down the Forum, after years of withholding information - or as they prefer to say "simply omitting to tell you" which in their book is not one and the same as hiding! As the editor of the Rugby Advertiser said 1 November:
"I THINK that some of the activities being carried out on behalf of CEMEX are taking place with undue speed and lack of decorum."

UNLAWFUL PLANNING AND OPERATING OF CEMENT PLANT It all re-inforces what I have always said, that the planning permission/s given by Warwickshire County Council were unlawful containing NO ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT, and no assessment for the transport to and from the works, and no BAT/BATNEEC assessment and no comparisons, as required by Law, with other possible sites and other modes of transport. A condition could have been applied to insist on the use of rail access, but this was not done, it now turns out deliberately, because the freight/cement plant could not get a GRANT to renew the line IF it was a planning condition to re-instate. Grants had been available all through the 1990's and the money offered was not taken up. Presumably because the Rail Freight Operators did not want the extra inconvenience and cost to them of using the New Bilton sidings?

WARWICKSHIRE CC OBJECTED TO COAL UNLOADING IN RUGBY WCC/Rugby Cement could have had, and probably did have in 1996 a "gentleman's agreement" to re instate rail links, and this might explain why WCC sent a very irate letter of OBJECTION to RBC when the first 1997 application for the unloading of coal at Rugby station , and transport through the town came in. WCC said "it makes no sense to bring all those coal lorries into the town centre and roads of Rugby when you can:
RE-OPEN THE NEW BILTON SIDINGS to get the coal directly into the plant."

RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL IGNORES COUNTY But Rugby rotten Council took no notice of the WCC OBJECTION and although to this day RBC continue to lay ALL the blame for RUGBY'S TRAFFIC and AIR QUALITY problems at the door of WCC, it is now revealed that RBC have DELIBERATELY DONE this to Rugby. No wonder they wanted to shut down the RCCF! SHARPISH!

DISUSED RAILWAY NEW BILTON

OR PUBLIC FOOTPATH?
Local walkers keep on bashing down the fence in order to access Network Rail's disused siding at New Bilton Rugby, where the re-modelling of the Rugby Station has caused the Rugby Cemex cement coal trains to be diverted from December, if permission can be obtained. Local ramblers claim to have been using the path regularly for 20 years, but EWS have advertised a public consultation into the LA-PPC permit to re-open the long disused line, now their access dispute with Network Rail is resolved.

In the meantime Cemex and WCC have attempted to temporarily close the Black Path that runs in parallel with the railway, along the edge of the quarry, with a drop of hundreds of feet, as apparently the quarry edge is subsiding, and walkers are in danger. The quarry path, fenced only with a small wire fence, has officially been cut off for six months, but no solution has been found. Cemex must either shore up and fence the path, or divert , possibly onto Network Rail's land. Seemingly the price tag of the rumoured £100,000 is too much. But several people have already
died in the other old cement plant quarry in Rugby, so the price tag would
surely appear reasonable.

Despite the "supposed" public consultation just starting, with EWS railways and RBC, into the LA-PPC application which has not been properly completed, it seems that Network Rail is already pushing on, clearing the line and cutting down trees in readiness for the 1600 tonne coal trains.
One wonders how safe the quarry path will be when the heavy trains start rumbling alongside there if it is already subsiding under the pressure of footfalls?

The Ordinance Survey map marks the railway as disused, so it seems the row will rumble on for a long time before the coal trains rumble along! What contingency plan do Cemex have if this plan to get 800 tonnes of coal each day into the works gets the thumbs down from Rugby Borough Council and the Rugby residents?

CEMENT FIRM PALTRY CONTRIBUTION £650,000
With the chaos currently being caused by the construction of the Western Relief Road, for which Rugby Cement is paying only a paltry £650,000 towards the construction of a roundabout at its plant, Rugby residents are wondering if Warwickshire County Council has sold out "Rugby town" too cheaply?

RBC TO CAUSE CEMENT PLANT CLOSURE?

AS LOCAL AUTHORITY POTENTIAL REFUSAL OF EWS LA-PPC APPLICATION STARVES CEMENT PLANT OF COAL.


DISUSED RAIL SIDING APPLICATION DISCLOSURE SHOCKS REDROW RESIDENTS! The advert to re-open the disused long-closed railway, described in the Rugby Observer 18/10 page 59 as New Bilton Sidings, off Lawford "Lane", was placed by applicant EWS, and is to request a new LAPPC Permit at a new site to bring in coal and other materials for burning at Rugby Cement. RBC is to consider the application which has arisen because the remodelling of the Rugby railway station HAS effectively cut the Cemex coal supply route!

People living in the new Willans Works Redrow Houses were very surprised to hear about this, as no neighbourhood notices had been sent out, and the Local Authority Searches had not revealed these plans, even though it now seems that they had been discussed frequently with Network Rail and EWS since 2004. It appears RBC had been kept in the dark by all those involved, despite this application having been considered for several years. EWS states that they do not need any planning application, to re-open the disused siding, and RBC officers are now looking into this claim.

ACCESS DISPUTES PANEL ADP13 KINGS CROSS 29 FEBRUARY 2006.
The controversy is set to grow as there is apparently some considerable difficulty about how this rail siding can be accessed, and egressed, by the 1,600 tonne train with 22 wagons. It seems that the train departing from the sidings would have to run for some of its journey in the wrong direction, i.e. down on the "UP TV Fast" line, from Newbold to High Oaks, where it would cross to the "Down TV Slow" line. We understand from the publicly available documents that the margins for these movements have been examined by by NETWORK RAIL, and recorded in an email on Tuesday 10th January 2006 sent to EWS.


NETWORK RAIL SPECIALIST QUOTE:
"I have carefully examined the requirement for a margin for a 1600 tonne freight train starting from Rugby Up Yard in a northerly direction and would advise as follows: The route taken is to depart the Up Yard via RN4179 signal to move onto the UP TV Slow as far as Newbold Junction, thence via RN9187 where the train would run in the wrong direction on the Up TV Fast, and finally via RN9669 at High Oaks where the train would cross to the Down TV Slow.

In my professional opinion the time required for such a move would be Rugby Up Yard xx.00, Newbold Junction xx/05, High Oaks xx/07. When we examine the margins for such a movement we estimate that a 10 minute clear slot will be needed in total on the UP TV Slow to get to Newbold Junction and a separate 7 minute clear slot on the UP TV Fast. We have examined the existing (not ideally flighted) presentation of trains and feel that such a movement can be accommodated in most daylight standards hours when no exceptional trains exist, e.g. not morning or evening peak, or when a fast Glasgow or Holyhead runs."

While Rugby residents concede that Network Rail's business is in running the railways, and not in the politics of it all we wonder if Network Rail should be going to such great lengths to accommodate this unlawful Cement factory, and its supplier, EWS?

This situation has arisen because Warwickshire County Council has unlawfully granted various planning permission/s, and the Environment Agency has granted various unlawful IPC/IPPC Permits, for a cement factory cum co-incinerator, with no Environmental Impact Assessment. The public were never consulted at all on each/every aspect, and there was never any proper study for the rail access of 1,600 tonne trains, or for the road access for the 800-1,000 daily juggernauts (5/6 axils) to this New Rugby Works, which was opened in the 21st century,(February 2000), on the upwind western edge of a densely populated urban area's smokeless zone.

WHAT DOES IT TAKE FOR VOICE OF REASON TO BE HEARD?
Exactly what does it take to show that this huge co-incinerating cement factory is SIMPLY IN THE WRONG PLACE! It presents an ever increasing risk to the residents of Rugby, and now apparently to the travellers on the railway, as the authorities bend over backwards as they try to accommodate Cemex's burning desire for over 7,000 tonnes of raw materials and fuel each, and every, day. Rugby's long-suffering 90,000 residents, battered, pulped, misinformed, mislead, bamboozled, stifled, squeezed, bankrupted, cheated and controlled by the so-called "Authorities", now find themselves totally dominated by Cemex, who have now, in secret consultations, cancelled all the publicly announced meetings of the Rugby Cement Community Forum, in favour of some informal discussions with the Environment Council.

RUGBY BOROUGH COUNCIL NOW HAVE THE BALL, but do they have the balls?
RBC at last have it within their power to halt this madness and blight, and to simply REFUSE the LAPPC application! At a stroke
STARVING the energy-hungry monster of its fuel/s, and forcing its closure! A happy ending as RBC rescues Rugby for its inhabitants!

DUMPING GROUND?

(please click on image to enlarge)

REFUSE DERIVED FUEL OR TRASH BURNING?
The Environment Agency has decided to turn Rugby into a "DUMPING GROUND" for household and commercial waste, as Cemex wins right to burn London's trash. Cemex imports waste from Holland, through the Associated British Ports, on a three years contract, because, as the Agency says in a letter 22 October:
QUOTE:

"It has become clear that the UK waste industry can't reliably produce this material to a standard that can be used to fuel cement kilns. Cemex has taken a commercial decision to obtain this material from overseas. This is a matter for them, and the AGENCY is CONTENT for this material to be imported under the Transfrontier Shipment of Waste controls. The waste is shipped for "energy recovery" and agreed to on the basis that the waste has been produced to a specification and has a positive calorific value."

(The Agency is referring to RDF trials at Cemex South Ferriby and Barrington, where emissions of metals have soared, lumps of metal appeared in the clinker, stops/starts increased, "fuel" feeding mechanisms have broken down, etc as the locals have been experimented on during these "trials")

QUOTE:

"You are unhappy, it seems, that we are not incorporating the TRANSPORT IMPACTS of this operation into our assessment relating to the cement plant in Rugby. You are well aware that this cannot be done within our regulatory regime, and we have discussed this many times already."

But it is not only me, but also the 60,000 RUGBY RESIDENTS who are justifiably MORE than "UNHAPPY" with the 24/7 convoys of hundreds of juggernauts shaking our town, roads, houses to virtual collapse, and polluting our air, as caused by the Environment Agency.

LACK OF JOINED UP THINKING AND FAILURE TO CARRY OUT ANY ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT
Could it possibly be that the Agency ponders "Environmental impact assessment - what is that?
No we see no point in looking at the overall Environmental Impact. It does not suit our overall aim for Rugby. We like to keep all the environmental impacts as separate as possible, and that way we can keep on adding bits, bits bits, with no sum total! We are subjecting Rugby to the boiling the frog treatment! We have got away with it for years because there has been no intelligent opposition. Even is the 90,000 residents of the whole Rugby Borough came and protested we would take no notice of them. We are the Agency, and we are unaccountable, and free to use and abuse the Rugby environment as Rugby Cement sees fit."

THE AGENCY WANTS MORE PEOPLE TO DEBATE as, fresh from working with Cemex and Rugby Council, behind the backs of the Rugby residents, elected councillors, and the whole Rugby Cement Community Forum, it has now featured on Radio Rugby asking for more people to come forward to join the cement factory debate. The Agency is disappointed that more people do not appreciate the "environmental improvements" that have been made by the Agency's turning Rugby into a waste dump? The Agency's survey of April 2006 showed 70% of the people interviewed are concerned about the cement plant and its impacts on our town, loss of amenity, damage to air quality and health etc. Do we hear a round of applause for the Agency in Rugby? I think not!


The Agency letter quoted above neatly sums up the position as the Rugby residents are failed yet again by the authorities, which continue to use and abuse Rugby, its residents, its environment, its roads, its air, its health, its amenities, and its democratic rights, in its bat-and ball game with Warwickshire County Council. But Rugby residents have had enough of being kicked about by these unaccountable bullying quangos. WCC keep on giving planning permissions, and the Agency keeps on giving operating permissions, all with no proper open debate, public access to information, and no environmental impact assessment.

RUGBY RESIDENTS PICK UP THE BALL AND RUN!
The Rugby Advertiser on 18 October did a brilliant article concerning the DRAMA, ANGER , and REBELLION at the Rugby Cement Community Forum, as the Rugby residents fight back in a show of PEOPLE POWER! The ball is rolling - thank you Rugby Advertiser - so we pick up the ball and run. We have scored a "try" for Rugby! Come on - the scrum has begun!

CEMEX WANT CLEAN SHEET

AS WET TORY COUNCILOR KICKED OUT OF BED


"DRAMA, ANGER AND REBELLION" as democracy compromised at the Rugby Cement Community Forum (front page Rugby Advertiser 18 October) which saw County and Borough Councillor Timms sacked, after a vote of no confidence in her as Chair, in the heated forum meeting. As the ring leader of the Conservative Cabinet's unilateral secret decision to cut off the funding for the secretariat of the Forum, leaving Rugby residents high and dry, and at the mercy of Rugby Cement, she was dismissed in a rousing display of "people power!"

As the Editor pointed out:

"This whole episode is not a great advertisement for the Tory-led Council. They need to show more transparency and start taking the public more seriously. RUGBY CEMENT is a BIG ISSUE in Rugby, and not one which should be taken lightly. People power won
the day, as it always should. I think the powers-that-be should heed the warning and start having a change of attitude."

As Rugby Tories face accusations of "selling the public's health to save money", leading long-standing Councillor Ish Mistry commented "The public does not know what the Town Hall's administration is up to!" While Neil Sandison, also long-serving, declared "What the Tory cabinet has done is morally and ethically wrong!"

Cemex claim this turn of events, and change in direction, heralds a new Ground Zero. They are now responsible for the Forum's secretariat and provision of a publicly accessible and neutral meeting place under the auspices of "The Polluter must Pay!" Cemex are consulting the Environment Council as to how the Forum should "move forward and work together". £15,000 funding, is provided to do this, but £7,500 of it is provided by the Rugby Council Tax Payers from the existing Health Protection Budget to choose new forum members who are, apparently, to have "a less confrontational approach"?

AS Cemex have just won the right to burn London TRASH, and to become a DUMPING GROUND, it is not ONLY the saga at the Forum that will leave a BITTER TASTE in the mouth of the Rugby public!

RUGBY TOWN HANDED OVER TO CEMEX

ADVERT
JOIN THE CEMEX CO-INCINERATOR CLUB! WET BEHIND THE EARS AND UNINFORMED MEMBERS NEEDED FOR EXCLUSIVE NEW CLUB

£7.500 from PROTECTIVE HEALTH BUDGET of Rugby Council tax payers funds is being made available to help Cemex and the Environment Agency to select "green" compliant and malleable members for CEMEX'S exciting new venture. We have had the Cemex diversion into horticulture, with Carlos the plant director for Rugby in Bloom, and now they are cultivating mushrooms.

COUNCIL LEADERS SHOW INITIATIVE?
The Council lead Rugby Cement Community Forum is to be abolished as "Community", and "long-standing councillor", members are to be excluded from the Forum. Conservative penny-wise pound-foolish Councillors, advised by officers who have an axe to grind, try to save a few quid by this novel idea of handing over the whole Town of Rugby, - its inhabitants, its environment, its roads, its air - to CEMEX!

Applications for membership of the Cemex Co-incinerator Club are invited from all walks of life, but priority and preference will be given to those who can clearly demonstrate certain attributes : It is absolutely essential that applicants display no prior knowledge of, and no experience of:

* the IPPC Permitting process
* EU and UK Environmental Law
* Public Participation Directive
* Environmental Impact Assessments
* Health Impact Assessments
* cement plants and co-incinerators
* emissions from stacks and low level sources
* health effects of cement plant emissions and carcinogens
* stack testing compliance
* air quality and source apportionment
* history of the unlawful planning decisions at WCC
* history of RBC EHO's continual dereliction of duty
* history of HMIP and the Environment Agency
* history of Rugby Cement Chair's position on Board of Agency
* the Agency's "guidance" such as Substitute Fuels Protocol
* unlawful actions by Agency (Rugby Cement/ RBC?) at IPC in September 1999
* the names of all those involved in this unlawful cement plant's construction
* the names of those involved in its unlawful operation and IPC/IPPC Permits.
* the Agency's Public Register and how information is withheld

Preference will be given to those with sawdust between their ears, and illiteracy, although not a prerequisite, will be an added advantage.


Join the Cemex Co-incinerator Club today and enjoy the many financial benefits that this can bring, with thousands of pounds available for Community projects for those who comply with their rules of their game. Apply today to become a Cemex mushroom - be kept in the dark and have bucket loads of fertiliser (CKD?) tipped over your head at regular intervals!

RUGBY AIR THICKENS AS AIR TURNS BLUE.

The bus stop on Lawford road..

RUGBY TORIES BAN COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT TO SAVE - ONE POUND!

DUST NOT PERMITTED ON TORIES
The Environment Agency sees no dust! and see no cement plant. Unconfirmed reports say Rugby CONSERVATIVES, overheard in Conference, say: "There are no dusts on us! Cement plant dust is not permitted to fall on Conservative voters. We have a different way of life, and breathe different air from ordinary Rugby residents. We are clean." Conservative/ Agency envoys have special top-secret plan, to randomly locate three one metres disks to measure "falling dust" in Rugby. Cement Boundary site monitoring requested for seven years is not permitted as the Agency sees no cement works! Tories see no dust. Bets now being taken on outcome of "random dust survey."

AUTHORITIES CHASING OWN TALES?
The Environment Agency refuses to answer any questions about where similar Frisbee dust gauges have ever been used before. The officer said he had no information about any definition of "nuisance dust"; no data about where the frisbees have been used before; no idea to what effect these have ever been put; Faber Maunsell, the Agency's contractor, would ONLY be allowed to answer ANY questions once they had finished the monitoring in a few months time; RBC said they have no idea, but that "nuisance dust" is merely a matter for "officers' professional judgement", and in unenforceable under any existing Law, and has no definition whatsoever. So what are they trying to catch? FALLING STARS?

RUGBY RESIDENTS RIPPED OFF YET AGAIN!
FABER MAUNSELL, the "unlucky" consultants, who seemed to have learned nothing from the three year fiasco of their/our own £500,000 air quality saga, said that they can answer no questions. "We are contracted to RBC who are our clients." SO THE AGENCY IS NOW NOT THE CLIENT AFTER ALL THE CHARADE!


Faber are not allowed to speak, or to give out any information about the monitors. Rugby residents must "Pay up and shut up!" as the Agency and the Council collude to deliberately waste even more of our cash, and to prevent any PUBLIC CONSULTATION and to prevent any worthwhile information from being given out Meanwhile the Agency pretends that they are funding the latest farce. You be the judge - look at the above photos: Is Rugby dirtier than elsewhere?

RUGBY CEMENT COMMUNITY FORUM UPDATE:
HEATHER TIMMS: (of WCC - a main perpetrator in this "game") SHE SAYS COUNCIL TAX PAYERS AND ALL PARISH COUNCILS HAVE NO RIGHT TO ASK WHERE THEIR MONEY IS SPENT!! Following on from the "Silence of the lambs" we now present WCC CLLR TIMMS' own response telling Rugby people to keep on paying, and to STOP asking where their council taxes are being wasted.

From:
To: "Cllr Chris Holman" "Patricia Wyatt" Cc:
Sent: Tuesday, October 02, 2007 9:26 PM
Subject: Re: Sustainable Environment Panel 27.09.07 Item 10. RCCF.

Dear Pat and Chris
As explained at the meeting, it is for Council to decide how to use rate payers money. And this applies whether it is A POUND or TEN THOUSAND..
It is apparent that officer time used in supporting RCCF runs counter to the principle of the "polluter pays" which I feel none of us would disagree with. Therefore the BREAKDOWN of AMOUNTS etc becomes TOTALLY IMMATERIAL and indeed requires further officer cost for no perceived benefit.

The decision is to facilitate the transfer of the Forum to be fully community owned based on this principle. (????) The expenditure agreed is a maximum figure agreed to facilitate this transfer and is not an annual grant. (NB : This refers to £7,500 from existing Protective Health Budget to appoint new uninformed members for the NEW Cemex controlled forum.)

The questions for the scutiny officers I am not able to respond to and may be areas Chris that you wish to investigate?
With best regards
Heather Timms

IN REPLY TO QUESTIONS FROM RUGBY PARISH COUNCILS' REPRESENTATIVE:
From: Patricia Wyatt Sent: 28 September 2007 20:32
To: Cllr Chris Holman; Cllr Tina Avis; Cllr Ish Mistry; Cllr Neil
Sandison; Cllr Noreen New; Simon Warren
Cc: Cllr Carolyn Robbins; Diane Pask; Lilian Pallikaropoulos
Subject: Sustainable Environment Panel 27.09.07 Item 10. RCCF.

"Dear Councillor Holman, - Chairman of Rugby Borough Council's Sustainable Environment Panel.

LACK OF INFORMATION IN THE REPORT. ITEM 10.

Having attended the Sustainable Environment Panel meeting last evening, the decision taken by members of the ABOVE MENTIONED panel was based and taken on, THE PROPITIOUS reason spoken of by Councillor Robbins, ie "Affecting this Council's, namely Rugby Borough Council's expenditure".

1. Can you explain a breakdown of that supposed Rugby Borough Council's expenditure?
2. Is Rugby Borough Council prepared to make a grant of £7,500 per annum?
3. How much is the cost to HIRE,
a. The Council Chamber,
b. Committee Room 1.
c. Committee Room 2.
for an evening meeting scheduled for two 2 hours?

4. How much money was set aside in the 2007/2008 budget to hold RCCF meetings including refreshments per annum?
5. How much of 2007/2008 budget will this decision have under spent? I wish to record my personal appreciation of the five knowledgeable respresentatives to whom this email is addressed, and their contributions made to the meeting. What happens in the future remains to be seen. Party Politics showed abundantly clear just how undemocratically, decisions are made.

Finally, I point out how inappropriate/inaccurate the last four items on the Agenda Management Sheet (Agenda No. 10 (set on green paper)) are as printed. May I recommend this matter to the scrutiny officers.

1. There are Financial implications - that is what it is all about!!
2. There is a risk of maladministration.
3. There certainly are environmental risks and implications.
4. There could be legal implications from the report... ref. SR letter and other.
5. At 2.1, what is meant by RRCF? (twice is same paragraph overleaf)
Mrs. Patricia Wyatt.

LUNATICS NOW IN CHARGE OF ASYLUM? RBC EHO TALKING HEAD SEAN LAWSON (5.10.07): Email to RCCF members:
"A decision for the Council to hand over the responsibility to Cemex has now been made and approved through the Council's democratic process." (oh???) For "operational reasons" the meeting of 1st October was changed to 16th October - without telling any of those involved. "Your emails were not ignored", but we like to play our cards close to our chest.

"The Council determined to withdraw its secretarial function from the RCCF. Rather than just to cease its support we have decided to hold a final meeting on 16 OCTOBER 5.30 pm TOWN HALL. Any future meetings and arrangements can be discussed then. I look forward to a lively debate and discussion at that time.

I DO NOT EXPECT THAT THIS RESPONSE WILL SATISFY ANY OR ALL OF THE RUGBY RESIDENTS CONCERNS."


BUT TOUGH! RBC CONSERVATIVES AND MEALY MOUTHED EMPLOYEES HAVE ABANDONED ALL AND EVERY DUTY TO THE ELECTORATE, ENVIRONMENT, AIR QUALITY, HEALTH, AND TO THE DEMOCRATIC PROCESS. COMMUNITY INVOLVEMENT WILL NOT BE TOLERATED IN RUGBY!!
RUGBY RESIDENTS ARE NOW: ON THEIR OWN!