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'Leave our lakes alone'

From the archive, first published Wednesday 31st Aug 2005.

Campaigners fighting plans to dump ash in Radley Lakes near Abingdon have handed over a document outlining their fears to Oxfordshire County Council.

The deadline for complaints passed yesterday and chairman of Save Radley Lakes, Basil Crowley, pictured with a another protester dressed as a vole, delivered the extensive document to County Hall.

Opposition to the plans to fill Thrupp Lake and Bullfield Lake -- the last two remaining old gravel pits in the area -- with ash from Didcot power station is mounting and has been joined by David Bellamy, one of Britain's leading wildlife campaigners.

The group's document included four separate reports on ecological, pollution, flooding and legal issues. The council will discuss the application in October.

RWE npower says that once the lakes have been drained and filled with ash a new nature reserve and conservation area would be created but Save Radley Lakes argues the process will ruin two valuable wildlife areas containing many protected species.

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