Are Go Ape Winning?
Dec 11th, 2008 by David
Is it just me or has the coverage of Lever Park been mainly in favour of Go Ape recently? There have been several largely sympathetic letters and articles in the local media.
So, come on people! Write to the media, remind our local MPs, go and see our local councillors. If you see an article that defends Go Ape, write a letter putting forward our points of view. Put up your ‘No Go Ape’ stickers in your windows and cars. Sign the online petition, comment on the articles and in the forum on this website. Email Donna Hall at Chorley council.
Its Christmas and maybe we’re not concentrating too much on developments in Lever Park. But Go Ape and Chorley council will be moving their plans forward slowly but surely. We were caught napping in the summer – don’t let’s get caught again!
Hi
I really hope you are successful in your campaign. We in Glasgow are involved in a very similar case against Go Ape (in Pollok ParK) They appear to have a habit of selecting unsuitable sites of natural beauty and councils insensitive to the environments’ needs and local wishes. How have this destructive company managed to win some business & environmental awards? There should be some recognition of their exploitative nature & negative impact instead.
Dear Eddie,thankyou for you`re support.The friends of Lever Park are taking a keen interest in you`re plight and hope you are successful in stopping Go Ape in Pollok park.The way these councils have behaved is a complete and utter disgrace.To ruin beautiful woods for the sake of making money is beyond comprehension.These people are supposed to be objective,instead,they seem to be hand in glove with these big companies,who don`t care about local communities,or wildlife.All they care about is making huge sums of money by exploiting the countryside.Those trees do not belong to them,they have no moral right to nail things to them.All the wildlife which is “so called”protected will be prevented from nesting,as will the bats and other wildlife,Go Ape have chopped trees down illegally.Why have Chorley council not prosecuted them? The people who go up Rivington regular to enjoy what Rivington has to offer,will be driven away.This scheme is not for the local community,those who think it is need to wake up before its to late.Rivington as we know it will be gone forever if this appalling scheme goes ahead.
Yeah but what Eddie fails to say is that the Glasgow campaign has got so nasty – criminal damage and threats to individuals – anyone associated with them is now tarred forever. From what I have read in the news reports online the police are still investigating but they have said that there is definately a link to anti go ape groups. The campaign has been ailienated by everyone – and they are fighting between themselves and have lost most of their supporters.
Most people I know here wouldn’t want to be associated with individuals that put people’s lives in danger and target people at their homes.
Maybe we should be careful who we associate our selves with
Yes, you are right about associating with people who cause criminal damage.Go Ape are guilty of that.Thats why the vast mjority of people do not want them in Lever Park.As i said before,all they care about is making money,they don`t care how they do it.As for threats to individials someone on this site was verbely abused when she challenged Go Ape about the dangerous state of some branches they had left on the public footpath.Why is it ok for them to do illegal things?but when other people who may or not be associated with Pollok Park its suddenly wrong.At least they are doing it for the right reasons,to save pollok park,unlike Go Ape who are in it for profit.
Hi Jayne,
I wonder if you could post a link to the information you have about the trouble in Pollok Park? I’m sure that if it’s as bad as you say it’ll be in the Glasgow newspapers but I’m unable to find it. No one seems to be ‘tarred forever’, either.
Back in October Go Ape accused the Pollok Park campaigners of vandalising the Aberfoyle course, but they produced no evidence and police have not pressed any charges, so it seems that Go Ape were mistaken.
Following a letter in the Chorley Guardian from Go Ape I responded to Chris Maguire, Editor, and emailed him a response. I also emailed photos of the areas of the wood where Go Ape have already started and areas that were still unspoiled. Even an unbiased person would have to admit that the impact on the wood is potentially disastrous. Chris Maguire telephoned me and gave the impression that he’d had good talks with Bob Dootson and seemed surprised that there was so much opposition. I made the point that I had objected to the siting of Go Ape long before I had heard of Friends of Lever Park. I think the “before” and “after” photos also made a point to him. Hopefully this will result in some positive publicity for all those against the approval of Go Apel
Why is no one putting our side across to the Bolton Evening News, who seem to be revelling in the support of Go Ape at the moment. Having written to put my case across recently i can’t believe that more of us are not writing in with our reasons for not wanting the development! Come on people…make your feelings known and show Go Ape and the council that the majority DO NOT want Rivington spoilt in this way.
I have had an email reply from Donna hall at Chorley council and all it said was it was referred to the Ombudsman.Nothing more or less.
What is happening with the Parliamentary questions that Lindsey Hoyle was supposed to be raising?
My local councillors whilst being against the Go-Ape development have all said it is down to Chorley it seems that everyone is passing the buck and no-one is taking responsibility or indeed behind us.
Is there anything else we can do to highlight the breaking of the 1902 Liverpool Corporation Act?
I will confirm that myself and Phil Johnson had what we thought was a productive meeting with Chris Maguire, we were given the impression that he would run a full story on the events to-date, and that would be after he had asked Donna Hall for her response to documentary evidence we had provided him with.
The fact that no story has been run, can be put down to one or two things, 1.. he as not followed it through or 2.. Donna Hall as not responded.
Regarding the Parliamentary questions, I was informed yesterday that they were re-presented last Friday because the original questions were not worded correctly.
Forgive my silence of late, but I have just been in hospital for major surgery. I won’t be climbing trees for a while, but i’ll be keeping beedy eye on those that are.
I have found alot of reports on the Glasgow situation and the vandalism just by a simple google search. Here is a link to a local TV report
http://www.stv.tv/info/news/20080908/Go_Ape_vandalism_attack_condemned_080908185501387
It is chilling. There does appear to be evidence that this was linked to pollok park. I certainly would not want to be put in the same category as those who choose to take any kind of direct action.
David are you sure that you can vouch 100% for those protesters in Glasgow? Also, reading your post, it also looks like you have alot of ‘inside’ information about it as you say that you cannot find any news reports online.
I think organisers here need to be upfront with us all about the links they have – if any – with the Glasgow lot who do seem to have been tainted by the criminal action. Also reading the other reports there is some acknowledgement that the police are investigating all threats. I also don’t think it is the place of Friends of Lever Park to get involved with the Glasgow protesters or to defend them or anyone else.
If Friends of Lever Park are going to support people that have been linked to hiddeous and potentially life threatening criminal damage – as it shows clearly in the local TV report then I for one do not want to be associated with it – I’m sure many other people probably will feel the same. It appears to be a very dangerous place to be in for anyone wanting to make their point in a democratic society.
It is one thing feeling strongly about something and objecting peacefully and a completely different matter to act violently or in a criminal way to get our own way – or even being associated with others who may have links to a ‘lunatic fringe’ as the protest representative calls it in the video – he even says that ‘there must be a lunatic fringe in every campaign’.
I think people on here are becoming too aggressive in their posts – it will just put other people off and it does seem that anyone who has a comment that is not extreme gets a barage of venemous abuse from others – not all of us who are opposed to the go ape course in Lever Park are of the feeling that is the right way to go. Some of us are peaceful people.
Hello Brian,
I have no inside knowledge about Go Ape and I wouldn’t be so foolish as to vouch 100% for anyone I don’t know.
The link you provide is back to the original story in September. My point is that there seems to have been no new developments since, and police have not pressed any charges.
There is no link (formal or informal) between the Friends of Lever Park and the Pollok Park campaign. They sent us a ‘best wishes’ email and we sent one back.
If you see any ‘venomous abuse’ on this site, please report and we will remove it.
Sorry to dissappoint, but I’ve no ‘inside knowledge’ about Go Ape at Pollok Park either! The point of my comment was to remind people that there’s no evidence that the Pollok Park campaign was involved in the vandalism. Conspiracy theories are very attractive, but the reality is often more mundane.
Regards,
David.
from the protest and numerous meetings i have been to, i have not met a single person who wanted anything other than a peaceful protest and the situation sorting out quietly. I am sure that Bob and David will agree and make sure the site and any further protests stay that way. Glasgow is a huge city, Rivington isn’t so won’t attract the same level of protesters.
David, how do you know there is no evidence linking the Glasgow campaign to the vandalism if you have no connection with them and if you, as you said earlier have not seen any news reports? I don’t mean to be picky or argumentative, but it seems that someone just pointing out a simple opinion and their concerns are met with negativity. How do you know that the Go Ape people didn’t provide evidence to the police or others?
I am simply just pointing out that we all need to be very sure that what is said about issues that do not concern us directly are actually fact. The same needs to be applied to associations formed.
Do we also know for sure that charges have not been laid?
Is it not more sensible to err on the side of caution?
I think your sarcastic tone in response to my comment highlights my very point about some people being met with negativity when they make a comment or suggestion.
Hello Brian,
First of all, apologies if I sounded sarcastic in my replies to your post or Jayne’s original post.
I felt the need to remind people that no evidence or prosecutions are being brought to any member of the Pollok Park campaign.
I can only refer you back to my original comments and retire gracefully from this discussion.
Regards,
David.
As one of the organisers of the SavePollokPark campaign, let me try to draw a line under the discussion about our campaign in Glasgow.
We have always promptly condemned the vandalism that has occurred at GoApe sites in statements to the media and directly to GoApe themselves. This sort of action does no service to a democratically conducted campaign, as is yours. On the morning of our last public meeting in October (we’re sure the timing was purely coincidental!), GoApe released a statement to the press implying that our organisation was linked to the vandals. We challenged their assertion and pledged co-operation with any police investigation; six weeks later we have had no reply. With the greatest respect to your correspondent Brian Henderson he is adding 2+2 and coming up with the wrong answer. If he cares to get in touch with me personally I will be happy to provide any evidence he requires. I am that ‘representative’ in the STV news report.
To those who ask if your campaign and ours have ‘links’, the answer is – no. Of course we read your website and smile wryly at the tactics GoApe use in Chorley; why, even the letters to newspapers from GoApe supporters have a familiar ring to them…
Thanks Bill for those comments, especially your last comment regarding a “FAMILIAR RING”.
Its important that we remain focused on what we believe, and not fall into the trap of being enticed into a P R trap.
I myself have been approached by political groups offering their support, this is not political and I have made that perfectly clear to them.
Going back to the P R propaganda, I’ve had remarks directed towards me in the press, its all a way of shifting the attention away from the real issue. What’s the saying “every dog as its day”.
We wish you well in your cause North of the Border, and wish you and your friends a merry xmas and a very happy New Year