5 December 2002
Fylingdales Star Peace Camp removal 
 
8, Somerville Terrace,
East Busk Lane,
Otley.
LS21 1HS

5th December 2002

Mrs V Dilcock,
Chief Planning Officer,
North York Moors National Park Authority,
The Old Vicarage,
Helmsley.
YO62 5BP

Dear Mrs Dilcock,

Re: Development sub-Committee Meeting, December 12th:
Agenda Item: Fylingdales Star Peace Camp removal: Enforcement Notice:

As far as I am aware the camp has now been removed in compliance with the  Repossession Order for the land and the Notice to Quit issued by the Yorkshire Wildlife Trust. No confrontation was sought with the landowners, because environmentalists support the work of the YWT and the NYMNPA.

Great care has been taken to ensure that the land is undamaged and unpolluted.

I should be grateful if you would draw the following points of concern to the attention of the Committee Members:

a) There is unrestricted public access to this site. There are no notices, which constrain any use of the site; i.e. information that it is designated a Site of Special Scientific Interest. We have prevented visitors picking and digging up wild flowers.

b) We have cleared litter left by visitors.

c) We have collected litter from the YWT site, originating from the US Space Command Station, Fylingdales. There remains still a considerable quantity of rubbish in the ditches alongside the A169, on the Fylingdales' Base side of the road, but the peace campers have not deposited this.

d) The YWT land has been contaminated by the North Yorkshire County Council Highways' Authority, which is responsible for depositing rock salt on the highways' verge. The rainwater has washed the salt downhill from the road verge and deposited it on land immediately adjacent to that occupied by the peace camp. Ellerbeck is also polluted as a consequence of this practice.

e) The land has been contaminated by the sewage outflow from the Fylingdales US Base. In times of heavy rainfall, I have observed that untreated sewage overflows from the processing plant and enters Ellerbeck. You may have received some representation about this matter from the Goathland Parish Council, which discussed our concerns at their August Meeting.

Visitors to the YWT site take their children to play in the beck. They paddle in the sewage outflow from the base, where it is conduited into the beck on the YWT side of Ellerbeck Bridge. There are no warning notices, although it stinks considerably in warm weather.

I have read the letter written by Ulla Roder and endorse its content. It is not necessary to repeat the statements she has submitted about the purpose of the camp and its justification under the Human Rights' Act 1998.

Relevant to the consideration of an Enforcement Order, which would prevent peace protesters camping outside Fylingdales, is the Judgment of Mr Justice Hooper, High Court, 14th June 1999, in the case of North Yorkshire County Council v Anne Lee, Helen John and Persons Unknown.

The court action to enforce the closure of the WoMenwith Hill Women's Peace Camp, located outside the US National Security Agency base at Menwith Hill, was initiated by the US NSA authorities, who applied to NYCC to evict the peace camp. Hooper J found in favour of the Plaintiff, but also ruled that the WoMenwith Hill Peacewomen have the right, enshrined in the Human Rights' Act, to protest against the base, with a trailer similar to a mobile snack stall, provided it is removed between the hours 11pm to 7am. I enclose a copy of this Judgment and have highlighted/flagged the relevant passages.

Should the NYMNPA decide to apply an Enforcement Order, then peace protesters assert their right to maintain a protest presence, such as that permitted by Hooper J.  For preference the location for such a presence should be on the wide highway verge, directly opposite the Main Access Road into the US Space Command Fylingdales Station.

The vehicle we propose to use is a camper van, or similar, to which posters may be attached. It would be less visibly intrusive than the permanent MoD Police Post located on the Access Road, approved by the sub-Committee in May.
For safety reasons, to enable us to park well away from the edge of the road, in order facilitate exercise of our right to protest, we should appreciate the provision of hard standing.

Yours sincerely, Anne Lee

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