On Behalf of Gayle Night

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I think I'd be willing to put up with something somewhere else which would have the advantages of being easily accessible by all and easily visible and reasonably vandal proof and requiring little or no maintenance.

Any chance of something which fits that bill?

On the subject of vandalism again. The most likely cause of vandalism will be via quad bikes or mountain bikes making grooves in the sculpture. Again referring to Rossendale, the additional funding is enabling them to build fences and stiles around the wider area so that bikers simply can't get that high up the hill. This will hopefully be part of the wider scheme.

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

That statement alone shows a total lack of understanding of Lancashire weather.

It will not merely collect rainwater in the winter months. It will not merely collect "small ribbons" of water. What about when it chucks it down for days on end? What about the soggy wet horrible summers like we had last year? Will there be any drainage at all? How deep are these furrows and how deep will the water become? Has the possibility of a child drowning in the stagnant water been considered? The safety aspect alone is one for concern.

And please, please, please not more trees. We've already got trees which make the Coppice look alien to those of us who remember it in pre-tree days.

I would be happy with a refurbishment of the monument and shelter and leave the rest alone.

I agree wholeheartedly on the subject of rainwater collecting and think it will look unsightly and spoil the over all look. I think that drainage should be incorporated and I will suggest it to the artist and the team. So, on that subject I'm afraid that at this point I can't give you a better answer.

I think what has to be remembered is that the design and the project is in its infancy in Hyndburn and it is right to keep bringing up these issues now so that something can be done about it. I would hate for it to be like Diana's memorial fountain when issues were only raised after the thing had been built.

The only tree that is being considered is an oak tree right in the centre of the rings. This would symbolise the oak-ring-town name. I personally agree that the other trees should be thinned out - it's a bit unnerving to go up there as a woman alone, even in broad daylight.

Funding for the refurbishment of the monument and shelter will applied for from English Heritage and it's been intimated that we stand an extremely high chance of getting it.

[park381]

Originally Posted by Gayle Knight

On the subject of vandalism again. The most likely cause of vandalism will be via quad bikes or mountain bikes making grooves in the sculpture. Again referring to Rossendale, the additional funding is enabling them to build fences and stiles around the wider area so that bikers simply can't get that high up the hill. This will hopefully be part of the wider scheme.

Gayle, have you visited the hills around Horton in Ribblesdale, the paths are being destroyed by "scramble bikes", and I am sure if they can get up there, then they will get up on to the coppice, or rossendale for that matter. But again it's this additional funding, should all this not have been thought of in the planning stage of the project. Seems a little like going back with cap in hand saying "please sir we got it wrong, can we have another £20,000"

[chav1]

Originally Posted by Gayle Knight

On the subject of vandalism again. The most likely cause of vandalism will be via quad bikes or mountain bikes making grooves in the sculpture. Again referring to Rossendale, the additional funding is enabling them to build fences and stiles around the wider area so that bikers simply can't get that high up the hill. This will hopefully be part of the wider scheme.

sorry i have to correct you there gayle

the most likely graffiti will be spray paint and fire

both the shelters and the monument are or have been covered in spray paint

the easter cross has been burnt to the ground plenty of times in the past and only last year some kids set fire to the dry grass while i was flying my kite with my son and i had to call the fire brigade to put it out as it was getting bad

all i see it doing is providing a place for kids to meet up and drink booze and leave broken bottles behind and whatever else they choose to do

anyway thats another point but quad bikes etc are the least of the worries regarding vandalism

edit:

i cycle up the coppice on my mointain bike as part of my recovery therapy am i vandal ...?

edit again

sorry gail i thought u meant mountain bikes on the coppice as a whole i just realised you meant riding over the teletubby houses

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

Well there you go:



We'll have a shelter please. A nice big one so when it chucks buckets down up there we'll all be able to keep nice and dry.

When the three designs were exhibited in early January this year, one of them did incoporate a shelter. The design was rejected by the steering group and by the comments forms that we collected at the time. Peter Beard's earth works were unanimously selected.

Again when we're talking about the wider scheme, we are looking at plans to renovate the shelter or replace it.

In Rossendale they've received an additional £300,000 for things like paths, car parking, disabled access, fencing, stiles and bulb planting. They've got this money from REMADE, who have already told us that funding for the Coppice is highly likely should the Panopticon go ahead. We have had the argument levelled at us that this is blackmail - i.e. you'll only get the extra money if you accept the Panopticon. That simply isn't the case, HBC can't afford to do the extra stuff that's needed, the money has been made available for the sculpture and if the sculpture is built that will give REMADE a reason for pitching in with the extra funding the Coppice needs.

[park381]

I agree wholeheartedly on the subject of rainwater collecting and think it will look unsightly and spoil the over all look. I think that drainage should be incorporated and I will suggest it to the artist and the team. So, on that subject I'm afraid that at this point I can't give you a better answer.

Sorry gayle, but there we go again, something that any "architect/designer" worth his salt would have included as a matter of course.

[Busman747]

Gayle, you have painted a pretty picture so far but those that have designs on the coppice (Oops, no pun intended) have NOT taken into consideration the views of the locals that use the coppice, the local population that live around the coppice and the fact that it holds fond memories in the hearts of the many that were brought up in the area and they do not want change!


Also, can I bring to your attention an article in this weeks Accrington Observer in which they quote Peter Britcliffe, spokesman for the HBC (and NOT one of my favourite peope) but for once, he is making good sense!

ACCY OB: "But after weeks of controversy, it has again been met with a firm "NO" from Hyndburn Council leader Peter Britcliffe"

P. BRITCLIFFE: "How many components of the word NO do these people understand and how many parts of the words NO NO NO do they not understand?
I have been hearing how the tide is turning but I have had people contacting me over the weekend saying there were only about 20 people at the public meeting including officers, and even out of those not everbody was in favour.
The council has rejected the idea of a Panopticon and, from the response we have had since, it would seem that there would be a possibility of having something that includes a picnic area and the paths being done up and perhaps some small token monument relating strongly to the features of the borough.

Good on 'yer P.B.


After this press release, can you still hope to make major structural changes to the coppice Gayle? and perhaps Peter Beard could design a nice picnic table for us?

[Bazf]

Originally Posted by Gayle Knight

In Rossendale they've received an additional £300,000 for things like paths, car parking, disabled access, fencing, stiles and bulb planting. They've got this money from REMADE, who have already told us that funding for the Coppice is highly likely should the Panopticon go ahead. We have had the argument levelled at us that this is blackmail - i.e. you'll only get the extra money if you accept the Panopticon. That simply isn't the case, HBC can't afford to do the extra stuff that's needed, the money has been made available for the sculpture and if the sculpture is built that will give REMADE a reason for pitching in with the extra funding the Coppice needs.

Why do we have to start things then hope for extra money? if you build a house would you run to the bank and say or we now need money for the roof, any bank would have asked that question at the time of application.

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

It would be much nicer if we could have something the majority of us could feel happy with and have no need to grumble about afterwards.

I realise that there are a number of people who don't want this sculpture. I'd be foolish to deny that but from all the correspondence and emails that I've received, the objectors are outnumbered by about 3 to 1. That means around 75% are in favour of the scheme.

When we held a public meeting a few weeks ago, I received 22 comments forms from members of the public returned from people who wanted the scheme (we did not accept any from any officers from the council as we already know their views) and only 3 from people who objected (and two of those kept their options open a bit). There have been four meetings and although the turnout for each of them hasn't been overly high - added together the numbers are significant.

[Bazf]

How many have been cancelled for football games?

[Acrylic-bob]

I think Britcliffe's objections have more to do with pandering to public opinion than any real concern for the fate of the Coppice. Though given that, as Gayle has said, the steering group is composed partly of members of HBC, it does seem odd that he should be so strident in his opposition to the proposal.

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by WillowTheWhisp

I'm just wondering to myself now if it might not have been best to get opinions from the inhabitants of Accy (not just people on here but by newspaper polls etc) before anyone was commissioned to come up with any designs at all.

In hindsight it is always easy to suggest a better way of doing things with regards to public consultation. Mid Pennine Arts acted in good faith by consulting with the council and council staff at the time of selecting the site.

The three designers who came up with designs in January were invited by the steering group.

[Gayle]

Originally Posted by Neil

Maybe it would be better if she held an online discussion in AccyChat

It would perhaps have been quicker but in some respects it's probably better if a record is made so that other people can read it at a later date. Also, it might have been a bit confusing for me to have had questions fired at me from all angles. At least this way I can plough through them and ensure I give a full answer to each one. By the way, everyone, I'm on page 3 now.

[Busman747]

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I think Britcliffe's objections have more to do with pandering to public opinion than any real concern for the fate of the Coppice.

My thoughts exactly A-b, It is VERY unusual for Britcliffe to be swayed by public opinion...unless that opinion is so strong as it seems to be on this site and by any of the locals that have given thought to this subject.

[Uncle Mick]

If you are using "Materials on site already" to build this earth work, then arn`t you decimating an awful lot of the top of the Coppice which is extremly enviromentally unfriendly. And where does the money come from to reseed the area from which the materials are taken?