Page 24 - link magazine

24
Swir
Shaw Forest Country Park: a disaster waiti-

by Professor Brian loft BA (Hons), Dip Comp Sci (Cantab,) PhD, MlnstD, FIIRSM,
Like many of the inhabitants of West site was to be subject to construc- fan Terry Offen rightly poins out that ment;' and `...the level of scientifl
Swindon I realise that Swindon Town ti on activity then conditions may be the current proposal is ludicrous uncertainty about the consequence
FC needs a new modern home and created that would allow the meth- given there are at least: ...two op- or likelihood of the risk is such th,
that the building of new leisure and ane and the contaminated drainage ti ons, one; a prestigious site next to the best available scientific advic
sports facilities would be advanta- water to affect near-by residential a major trunk road or motorway giv- cannot assess the risk with suff
geous to the people of this town. Fur- properties, their inhabitants and the ing easy access and a good impres- cient confidence to inform decisior
thermore, the support for such an local fauna and flora. sion of the town, or two: a site on an making.'"
initiative by some of Swindon Bor- Perhaps even more worrying is old tip within 'smelling' distance of Such a situation clearly exists wit
ough Councillors is understandable'. the thought that if a pocket of meth- the sewage works only accessible regard to the current proposals fc
However, a brief desktop exercise ane gas were to form in a residence, by local commuter roads. So, they the Shaw Forest Country Park dE
of the risks involved in the proposed the stadium or a leisure park build- [Swindon Borough Council] pick op- velopment and by invoking the pre
development on the Forest Country ing and ignite the results could be tion two.'10 cautionary principle it will shift:'...th
Park reveals that their enthusiasm for catastrophic. burden of proof in demonstratin
the project is not justified. Here is a Managing Harmful Effects presence of risk or degree of safet
summary of just a few of the risks that Conservation and Biodiversity Given the above, Swindon Borough towards the hazard creator. The pre
the proposed project is exposed to. The area is also part of the Great Council should adopt the 'Precau- sumption should be that the hazar
Western Community Forest and dur- ti onary Principle' with regard to the creator should provide, as a min
Contaminated Land ing the past ten years it has been proposed Shaw Forest Country Park mum, the information needed fc
The site has been used for landfill planted with thousands of trees. Not- development. This is the approach decision-making.'t2
since the 1960's and will have re- withstanding the fact that Matt Prior, that the Health and Safety Executive Thus. St. Modwen Properties pl
ceived a variety of wastes. For ex- Conservation Officer. Wiltshire Or- advise should be used when:'...there should have to provide compellin
ample, Mr Kane who was the Super- nithological Society reports: is good reason to believe that harm- evidence that any construction ac
intendent of the Barnfield Road In- 'The River Ray corridor is one of ful effects may occur to human, ani- tivity at Shaw Forest Country Par
cinerator Plant has stated: 'From the few places in Swindon where mal or plant health or to the environ- would not prove to be injurious to th,
1975 —1991 I worked at Barnfield wildlife flourishes... The
Road incinerator plant. During this area in question is the sec- °"
ti me I was responsible for sending and best area in the whole
toxic wastes to Shaw Tip. One of of Wiltshire forthe secretive
these toxic waste materials was large grasshopper warbler. barn '
quantities of blue asbestos from the owls hunt the rough grass-
town's decom-missioned railway land and well over 150 P
s e
works. '2 cies of bird have been re 4
On the other hand Mr Short, Di- corded. It is also crucial to
rector, Swindon Contractors and the survival of the red listed 4
Recreation Services, claims that: 'In reed bunting in north Wilt-
the late seventies the site was filled shire. The area on top of the
with domestic refuse but has since old landfill site supports a i L J
had thorough investigations, bore good number of snipe and L -' - .L
holes and samples taken.'3 in recent years internation- R ^"°° V
Unfortunately there is no docu- ally important numbers of
mentary evidence to support either the scarce jack snipe. , 4, F t
assertion, as the records detailing `I n addition to birds, of ~ I t ^4 Y^ t
the types of waste that were buried :
at the Shaw Forest Country Park
site are missing.° However, as Mr
Kane observes: 'Mr Short can have
no idea of what is on the site be-
cause he wasn't there in my day and
he doesn't have records to prove it—
you can't second guess these
things.'S
It is accepted in academic research
`that people can and do comment on
their experiences, and that these
commentaries are acceptable as sci-
6
entific data.' Thus, it can be argued
that since Mr Kane had practical
experience of working with the waste Traffic
materials that were transported to There are numerous other
the Shaw Forest Country Park site risks that also need to be ^' s
and Mr Short did not, it is Mr Kane's considered with regard to
view that should direct Swindon Bor- the proposed project such
04
ough Council's actions. as other new developments c k*
Furthermore. my understanding that are taking place in West
is that the Shaw Forest Country Park Swindon and the combined
site generates methane gas and impact, for example. on the -.t
water contaminated with the con- road network. Even some
tents of what was originally tipped of the football fans, who so
there. ardently want and deserve
At present these two by-products a new home, do not appear
are closely monitored and the site is to want the solution that has =;
,
deemed to be safe.- However, if the been put before them. One i