Just received the following message off Ffred Clegg who has been fighting
for Ffynnon Pant yr Arian in South Wales. Application for planning
permission to build was not for the well but for the area presumed to feed
it. I think Ffed put up quite a fight and came across a lack of concern and
a lot of apathy in official quarter. It is a worry when Welsh Water and
other water companies do not take wells, their sites and sources seriously.
At least the old water boards were working with other government agancies
even if they did cap many and make others inaccessible to the public.
Welsh Water seems to use springs and wells when and where it can as water
sources. But what is happening to the others? Out of sight, out of mind.
Even those one thinks are being "cared" for could be under threat. Once the
public are locked out there is no tradition of caring whether a well is
there or not. And once that happens a site just becomes a statistic to a
private company. Certainly of no historical or archaeological interest to
them!
I am really quite worried about this trend and wonder what subscribers to
"wells and spas" as a group could do about reversing the trend? It is all
very well being able to look up books and manuscripts, quoting chapter and
verse from authors and academia, but what about the very important welly
work on the ground? Not least followed by the all-important paper chase
through councils via local archives to make sure these sites are preserved
in a suitable way for future generations and not become mere resources for
private companies.
Each time a well comes under threat, a local group of objectors has to
reinvent the wheel and find ways of fighting officialdom. What about a
central resource listing ways and means of not only saving the site for the
short term, but for establishing a long-term preservation plan?
Your thoughts and ideas would be appreciated.
Janet Kaiser
Criccieth LL52 0EA, GB-Wales
TEL: (01766) 523570
WEB: http://www.the-coa.org.uk
EMAIL: [log in to unmask]
----- Original Message -----
I heard today that the planning committee met yesterday
and decided to _refuse_ the planning application that could
have damaged the sacred well.
Thank you all for your help and support to keep
Pant-yr-Arian a sacred place - the White Lady's blessings to
you all.
It gives me great joy to know that this has come about
because so many of us have worked in a common cause for
the sake of the Earth - please feel free to forward this
message to anyone else who saw the original and who may
have helped.
Let's just hope that the guy doesn't appeal... But for now we
all deserve to feel good about this.
gwyn eich byd
Ffred Clegg
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