Printable Version of Topic

Posted by: Sherlock Dec 9 2012, 10:45 PM

He's an environment minister. Do you think he's misunderstood the job description? You're not supposed to be trashing the environment, Richard. You couldn't make it up.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/9732709/Environment-Minister-Richard-Benyons-family-estate-to-destroy-218-acres-of-woodland.html

Posted by: Penelope Dec 9 2012, 11:34 PM

Tell me please, when did you not expect him to do this? He's a buzzard killing, hosepipe wasting maniac Tory landowner of the very worst kind. Minister of destruction is more like it. Shame on him.

Posted by: motormad Dec 10 2012, 09:41 AM

Is it his land?
If so he's entitled to do what he likes whether it appeases you or not.
I'm not saying I agree or disagree with what he's doing but sometimes I do feel sorry for politicians who have every aspect of their life examined, questioned, with angry, livid and ill informed cake-bakers commenting on their everyone move.

Posted by: Newbelly Dec 10 2012, 11:03 AM

By "hosepipe wasting" you are referring to the story in The People by a left-wing hack claiming he found a hosepipe running at the Minister's home just after the ban had come in..... and you believe this?

Posted by: blackdog Dec 10 2012, 11:06 AM

Can't say that I am a fan of gravel extraction sites - but I look out of my window and see a gravel covered area of my garden - it has to come from somewhere.

The protesters in this case, as in many others, massively overstate their case. The magnificent pine forest they are so upset at losing is a mature plantation that would have been cropped around this time anyway. The wetlands are in Benyon's Enclosure and are some distance from the quarry site.

I also not that the paper has pointedly put "who moved to Hampshire 7 months ago" alongside the name of the quoted protester. The gravel extraction plans have been around longer than him.

Posted by: JeffG Dec 10 2012, 11:14 AM

According to this, it's not under his control:

Posted by: Adrian Hollister Dec 10 2012, 11:17 AM

The tax avoiding family trust fund eh. Not under his or his families control - my ar se.

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 12:02 PM

One man made landscape replaced by another, which in turn will be replaced by another. So what.

Posted by: Richard Garvie Dec 10 2012, 12:40 PM

The new Lib Dem PPC Judy Bunting was jumping on this bandwagon too, shame she wasn't around to fight the proposal with everyone else before it's approval 14 months ago. I think the worrying thing for Benyon is that the national media keep recycling stories about him, he's obviously done something to upset them!! Add in badgers and buzzards, he's not the ideal person for a DEFRA portfolio, is he??

Talking of our environmentally friendly Tory friends, it would appear that West Berkshire is under attack from "super rats" : http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-berkshire-20664037 - I'd say that before any permission is even thought about being given to use stronger rat poison, there must be significant checks and research to see what damage it could cause to other wildlife etc.

Posted by: Richard Garvie Dec 10 2012, 12:42 PM

Just out of interest, any news on the outcome of the complaint Mr Benyon made to the authorities against "The People"?

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 12:42 PM

he's obviously done something to upset them!!


he is too squeaky clean, came out of the expenses scandal with a glowing reputation.....

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 12:44 PM

Add in badgers and buzzards, he's not the ideal person for a DEFRA portfolio, is he??


I'd suggest you find out what DEFRA is supposed to be the department for.....it certainly isn't wildlife conservation. The clue is in 'Farming'.

Posted by: Richard Garvie Dec 10 2012, 12:52 PM

Not a reason to go after him though, is it? Let's face it, this whole quarry thing was decided over 14 months ago. Why are the Lib Dems making it sound like it's a new issue? Judy Bunting was certain that this was not the same quarry, and posted a link to a previous story from April I believe. If she knew the area, and had been around at the time, she would realise that it is in fact the same and that many people had tried to fight it at the time. Just not the Lib Dems.

Let's face it. Richard will do whatever is in the interest of landowners. BUT, there has to be a safety catch for wildlife and anything else that he wishes to destroy that may stand in his path.

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 01:08 PM

Standard political tit for tat.





he is a farmer. it is what they do.

Posted by: Andy Capp Dec 10 2012, 01:13 PM

I'd suggest you find out what DEFRA is supposed to be the department for, too:

http://www.defra.gov.uk/wildlife-pets/protecting-wildlife/

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 01:17 PM

the main point of DEFRA is Farming.

'Conservation' may be part of the remit, but it is a long, long long way down the list. It is one of those 'it has to go somewhere, so lets stick it here' portfolios. Talk about clash of interests.

It would be better if wildlife conservation was kept with the heritage stuff.

Posted by: Andy Capp Dec 10 2012, 01:22 PM

What ever you think it should be is besides the point. Richard Garvie's point that you tried to mock was legitimate.

The Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (Defra) is a government department in the UK.

We cover – we make policy and legislation, and work with others to deliver our policies in - areas such as:

the natural environment, biodiversity, plants and animals
sustainable development and the green economy
food, farming and fisheries
animal health and welfare
environmental protection and pollution control
rural communities and issues.

Posted by: Sherlock Dec 10 2012, 01:24 PM

You're right, it's a fuss about nothing. Looking at his job description I'm sure that the Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs will ensure all the right boxes are ticked.

http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/ministers/benyon/


Parliamentary Under-Secretary for Natural Environment, Water and Rural Affairs
Richard Benyon MP was appointed as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State on 14 May 2010.

Portfolio

Natural Environment

Biodiversity (domestic and international, including international forestry)
Land management and soil (including commons and contaminated land)
National parks and areas of outstanding natural beauty
Ecosystem services
Joint Nature Conservation Committee
Wildlife management

Water and Marine

Flooding and coastal erosion
Inland waterways
Water resource management and quality (including Ofwat)
Fisheries, including Common Fisheries Policy and EU Fisheries Council
Marine Environment (including Marine and Coastal Access Act implementation and Marine Management Organisation)

Rural Affairs

Economic development (including broadband and mobile technologies)
Skills and apprenticeships
Countryside and rights of way including coastal and wider access
Rural Development Programme for England (joint with David Heath)

Departmental administration

Commons handling of Lords portfolio

Air quality, noise and litter
Climate change adaptation and mitigation (including biofuels)
Environmental regulation
Environmental Science
Localism and civil society
Waste and management

You have to hand it to Mr Garvie, whoever he is. **** will have frozen over before, thawn out again and have been redeveloped as a new Disney theme park before Labour stand the slightest chance of being elected in this constitutency and even then they wouldn't get elected. Yet still he batters on. Any Labour supporter (I think he supports Labour) who had any real ambition for political office would move somewhere where he might stand some chance of being taken seriously. But no, sticks with his utterly pointless mission. Well done that man!

Anyway, interesting that the piece about Sir Richard was in the Torygraph. Why was that?

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 01:28 PM

Yes I know, but to even think for a moment, that conservation & wildlife is going to take preceedence over the main purpose of the department is foolish. The above cut & paste is very carefully worded......

Posted by: Sherlock Dec 10 2012, 01:40 PM

This does seem rather an extreme case, though. Mr Benyon was recently quoted as saying he 'loved trees'. Cutting down 218 acres of them to make yet more money seems a little at odds with this, doesn't it? But I suppose the fact his department ignored all the warnings about ash dieback until it was far too late to do anything about it told us that the 'loving trees' line was slightly disingenuous. The following springs to mind:

"I weep for you," the Walrus said:
"I deeply sympathize."
With sobs and tears he sorted out
Those of the largest size,
Holding his pocket-handkerchief
Before his streaming eyes.

"O Oysters," said the Carpenter,
"You've had a pleasant run!
Shall we be trotting home again?'
But answer came there none--
And this was scarcely odd, because
They'd eaten every one.

Posted by: Andy Capp Dec 10 2012, 01:42 PM

This I think is Garvie's point, that his department are biased where they perhaps shouldn't be. There is nothing in the description that says 'we mainly support farming, but also the rest when we can'.

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 01:43 PM

Methinks he may have been harking on about indigenous oak forests & not fir plantations......

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 01:46 PM

No, RG was claiming that RB was a poor candidate for being head of DEFRA because DEFRA was supporting culling badgers & buzzards.

Both are directly linked to farming, so it could be said he was a poor head of DEFRA for not supporting culling badgers & buzzards.

Now, if wildlife was part of the Heritage secretary's mandate.....

Posted by: Richard Garvie Dec 10 2012, 02:07 PM

I did not suggest, and he most certainly isn't, the "head of DEFRA". http://www.defra.gov.uk/corporate/about/who/ministers/

Posted by: Richard Garvie Dec 10 2012, 02:19 PM

Interesting thought, but you would have to say that if anyone can beat the Tories in West Berkshire, Labour is the only real threat now. Two years of solid growth in support, well beyond the national average, has seen Labour come second in a district wide election for the first time in the history of West Berkshire Council. The Lib Dem vote has collapsed, leaving them in fourth place after losing around two thirds of their total vote share.

As somebody who isn't in politics for a career, I'm glad that you recognise what I do to stick up for local residents. If I ever got elected, brilliant, I'd love to be a constituency MP standing up for local people. But being elected should only be the recognition of the hard work that has gone on for the years before the election. Too often candidates take a short term interest in the constituency before an election and then go off to Parliament to concentrate on their own political career and forgetting those who elected them.

Posted by: motormad Dec 10 2012, 02:35 PM

Bit early for an election pitch isn't it?
I fear if elected, just as per your forum persona, you will be there abouts for a while, then disappear off for months at end, possibly on a bicycle, and return with more talk.

Posted by: Sherlock Dec 10 2012, 03:07 PM

Well, you're certainly a good deal more active than many of the district councillors I'll give you that. Have they agreed to cut their £1/2 million in allowances and expenses yet, or are they immune from austerity?

If Labour get in here in 2015 the swing would have to be so huge that tories will end up with fewer seats nationally than Libdems. This is solid Conservative heartland and the ever growing numbers of unaffordable homes being built will ensure that it becomes even more of a dead cert.

Mr Benyon can cut down all the woodland he wants and he knows it, he's guaranteed to be returned in 2015.

Posted by: Andy Capp Dec 10 2012, 03:25 PM

Only if your assertion is true about Defra being mainly a farming ministry.

Posted by: dannyboy Dec 10 2012, 05:13 PM

he's not the ideal person for a DEFRA portfolio, is he??

Posted by: NWNREADER Dec 11 2012, 06:24 AM

The aggregate has been there for millions(?) of years. Long before the Benton dynasty stepped out of the ponds....
The aggregate is needed for building etc 'we' will benefit from...
After works are completed the restoration will return the land to the same or better condition.....
The 'destroyed' trees are a planned plantation, not a natural forest of rare hardwoods.

I struggle to see a problem. The name of the owner of the land does not seem relevant - to me.

Posted by: On the edge Dec 11 2012, 08:26 AM

[quote name='NWNREADER' date='Dec 11 2012, 06:24 AM' post='75150']
.......I struggle to see a problem. ......

That's because you aren't a minority political party, devoid of any ideas of your own and desperate for votes!

Posted by: Newbelly Dec 11 2012, 08:37 AM

Nor me.

I used to live very close to a former gravel extraction area - used to build nearby roads and motorway in the 1970s. The pits were then flooded, the area landscaped and it is now an important area for wildlife and has lovely walks and recreational areas.

Posted by: motormad Dec 11 2012, 09:23 AM

People like to complain and moan about anything that goes against their personal views, whether they are justified or not.

Posted by: Darren Dec 11 2012, 12:40 PM

Is it an ancient woodland or as I suspect from the Telegraph article (conifer forest) a plantation.

If the trees are all in nice neat rows, they were planted expressly for the purpose of cutting down and turning into furniture, logs for burning, toothpicks etc. and not the same as chopping down 218 acres of oak tree.

Posted by: Andy Capp Dec 11 2012, 01:38 PM

Then there are the people who like to complain about the people who complain!

Posted by: blackdog Dec 11 2012, 02:07 PM

That's not what he said - its not under his control, he said nothing about others from his family. I'm sure several members of his family will feature in the estate's management and that there will be a place on the board awaiting his retirement from politics.

Posted by: Biker1 Dec 11 2012, 03:41 PM

In a free vote, Benyon has made it quite clear that he would vote in favour of a repeal of the Hunting With Dogs Act.
Tally Ho folks.....................!!