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HALLOWE'EN WAR PROTEST
31/10/02: Groups of Anti-War campaigners assembled all around Lancaster's town centre on hallowe'en to comemorate the death of democracy and anticipate the loss of lives if war against Iraq cannot be averted. Teachers dressed as witches at Skerton Bridge and students in a remarkable assortment of fantasy fashion at the Pointer roundabout drew a surprising volume of supportive hoots from passing motorists. A third contingent in Dalton Square created a cemetery for democracy. The groups united in Market Square to carry the corpse of peace in a torchlit procession around the centre.
More pictures


CARILLION RECRUITMENT PROTEST
30/10/02: Not content with a trip to Bristol to push their message of protest about Chelverton's plans for Lancaster, the Stop Chelverton group were back in action on the university campus earlier today. This time it was the turn of Chelverton's partner Carillion to receive short shrift about their plans for a new supermarket, link road and "big box" retail units in Lancaster.

Local residents visit the Carillion stand at Lancaster University's recruitment fair. You can't help but notice all their promo material features pictures of wide open green spaces -- presumably all ready to build roads and retail parks on.

Campaigners made their protest at the University's careers fair today to tell them what many local people think of their proposed canal side development.
Leaflets were handed out, and students interested in careers at Carillion were told about the company's controversial schemes - including the Newbury Bypass, Manchester Airport and the Birmingham Toll Motorway. "We wanted to let students know about Carillion's dark side," said a spokesperson. "Carillion used to be known as Tarmac, and changed their name because their image after Newbury was just too negative.
"Now they want to trash Lancaster - they're part of the joint venture with CR Chelverton." The Stop Chelverton group also claims Carillion are looking at building the proposed Western Bypass, which would cut through several Sites of Scientific Special Interest, as a toll road.
Carillion, along with Richardsons are part of the joint venture that is CR Chelverton who announced development plans for Lancaster earlier this year.

¥ Readers of this story were quick to remind us of another private company with money problems past Councils struck deals with -- Africar
QUALITY BUS AT LANCASTER UNIVERSITY
30/10/02: Lancashire County Council, Stagecoach and Lancaster University have announced the latest improvements to the Heysham to Lancaster University Quality Bus Route.
New low-floor easy-access quality buses have taken to the road on services 3 and 4 to serve the northern and southern perimeter roads around the University. Four new bus stops have also been created to serve the colleges around the perimeter road.
The four new stops have been paid for by the County Council and the University and will feature bus timetable information, as well as raised platforms at each stop, to improve access to buses. Minor improvements have also been made in the underpass, to enhance the waiting and boarding area.
The Chaplaincy Centre features the first bus shelter on the campus provided by the University to Quality Bus standards. Further enhancement to the stops will be provided when building works around the site are completed.
Service numbers 3 and 4 now stop at the underpass. The buses then continue along the Southern and Northern perimeter roads before returning to the underpass to commence the journey to Heysham.
Commenting on the improvements, local Green Party County Councillor Jonathan Sear said "I welcome these improvements. However it is important that Stagecoach continue to take steps to increase the number of buses available so that passengers can be confident that they will not be crammed in like sardines, or worse still, left waiting at the stop."
More people travel by bus than trains but deregulation has resulted, for the most part, in an ever-worsening service. Since 1986 bus use has fallen by about a quarter - by about one billion fewer journeys a year; in contrast with London, within a regulated market, where use has held up. Quality Partnerships between local councils and bus companies have seen some improvements in bus use.
Research caried out by the UK Commission for Integrated Transport indicates that over last 20 years, coach and bus use grew by up to 80 per cent in most of Europe aside from a few countries, including the UK, where use declined. However, bus use has started to grow in the UK (up 0.9 per cent in 2000), though largely driven by London.
Findings by the Department of Transport confirm passenger suspicions that the Tories' deregulation of the local bus market, outside London, caused substantial upheaval because of 'bus wars' and confusion over changing service patterns. There have been some good examples of innovation but frequent changes to bus services, poor connections and the reluctance of some bus operators to participate in information schemes or through-ticketing undermined bus services.

Related Web Links
• The Environmental Tranpsort Association
ETA recognises we will never be without cars but we can use them more sensibly as part of a sustainable transport system for Britain, something we can all be a part of.
• Increasing Bus Use for Journeys to School
A Department of Transport Guide to Best Practice within Existing Legislation

SURPRISE PROTEST OUTSIDE CHELVERTON OFFICES
29/10/02: Lancaster Residents and the Stop Chelverton group voiced their opposition to Chelverton's plans for Lancaster in a surprise protest outside the company's Bristol offices on Monday. After the director responsible for the Lancaster proposals, Simon Morgan, refused yet again to talk to the group a doorstep conference was held with his Personal Assistant.
The half dozen protestors were caught up in the rail chaos following last weekend's storm, and decided to pay Mr Morgan a visit at his offices in the upmarket Bristol area of Clifton. After a friendly and informative discussion with office staff, employees were treated to a musical interlude and a statement was read out which outlined residents' opposition to the canal road, superstore and big box retail units.
"We decided to visit Simon in Bristol," says Carol Moor, who went to the Chelverton offices, "he's been in Lancaster several times, working out how to make money out of our city, so we thought we'd visit him to let him know what we think. The whole thing was very cordial, and we sung a few songs for them - it was rather churlish of Simon not to receive us after we'd come all that way."
Although Morgan wouldn't receive his guests, his PA did confirm that "If a new development is going to happen then there's going to have to be a new road.", and that the negotiations with the mystery supermarket chain for the site on Back Caton Rd are proving difficult: "It's all in negotiation," she said "It's all up in the air!"
Simon Morgan's PA also told protesters that both she and Morgan are unemployed now their employers, Chelverton Group, have gone into receivership. Chelverton Group is legally seperate from CR Chelverton, but both companies have close links, sharing some directors and staff, including the Managing Director Matthew Cartisser and also Simon Morgan.
Chelverton Group went into liquidation with accounts showing a loss of £13, 337, 776 last year.
Sources close to Chelverton say that this was after Polish projects, similar to the one proposed for Lancaster, failed to meet profit targets.
"Not only will this development be damaging for Lancaster, we have to ask questions about CR Chelverton's ability to do this project" said Max Hessler, of Stop Chelverton. "It looks like CR Chelverton have the same people in the driving seat as the company that's gone bankrupt.
"This is the company that has already lost the contract for the Kingsway development. The area doesn't need yet another company making a complete pig's ear of their development, leaving the mess for us to deal with. We have to learn from what's happened to the Cityplex cinema and the Midland hotel."

AIREY TRIES FOR PARLIAMENT
29/10/02: Councillor James Airey has been selected as prospective Conservative candidate for the Morecambe and Lunesdale constituency. Coun Airey is already the local party's parliamentary spokesperson.
Despite holding the Lancaster City Council Cabinet post with responsibility for Regeneration, it was Airey who reluctantly raised the spectre of demolishing the Midland Hotel after the Kaliber develiopment deal failed earlier this year, in the hope of galvanising some action.
"Demolition is an option that we might have to seriously consider," he told the Daily Telegraph. "It is a fantastic building but it is in a shocking state. It is a premium site on the seafront that, at the moment, is a disgrace," he said.
At the last election Geraldine Smith won the seat for Labour with nearly 50 per cent of the vote. Even if the Tories were able to take every Liberal vote in the constituency from the last election, it would still be hard pushed defeat her.

SELL OUT JAZZ NIGHT BOOSTS CO-OP FUNDS

Back Row left - right, Sue Parish, Bob Moffat Alan Duckles and Tom Myall look on as Music Coop worker David Blackwell receives the £415 from Peter Eddowes.

A sell-out benefit gig at Lancaster's Gregson Centre has raised £415 for the cityÕs Music Co-op.
Three local jazz bands took to the stage on Wednesday night 23 October. They raised the rafters for an audience of over 100 people as well as raising loads of money.
Music fans of all ages from teenagers to pensioners turned out to support the Co-op and see performances by the Bob Moffatt Quartet, the New Riverside Jazz Band and the Sue Parish Allstars.
"The atmosphere was amazing" said a spokesperson. "We were really thrilled to get such a big enthusiastic turnout. And it shows how many people support live music, which is why the Co-op is so valuable. It allows the next generation of musicians to learn their craft, and we were delighted to be able to support it in this way.
"We're really grateful to everyone who came along and made the event such an enjoyable success. Thanks also to the Virtual-Lancaster for their help in publicising the gig, to the Gregson Centre for hosting it, and to the Waggon and Horses and John O' Gaunt pubs for selling tickets. Not to mention the musicians, who came along and played their hearts out for a good cause."
• Local Musicians Directory: Go

REAL FUNDS FOR REAL PLANNING
28/10/02: A well-attended Real Planning for Lancaster on Saturday (26th) saw the launch of a fund-raising bid to push forward an alternative development plan for the town.
Attendees agreed to submit a residents' planning proposal for the Canal Corridor site from Kingsway to Quarry Road. The plan will bring together many community-inspired ideas, based on a continuing public consultation which so far includes affordable, sustainable housing, multi-purpose outdoor and indoor recreational facilities -- and workshop/outlets for small businesses.
An appeal for funds was launched at the meeting, since the cost of submitting this residents planning proposal to council will be high. A basic outline submission of the resident's plan will cost at least £5,500.
"We are asking the public and business community of Lancaster to support our plan," commented campaigner and Ridge resident Sue Paylor. "What we need in effect is 100 donations of £50 to prevent people being excluded from the planning process."

• The next public meeting to discuss the hopes and fears for the Canal Corridor development is at the Gregson Centre on 12 November at 8.00pm. For more details about how to join Real Planning for Lancaster call Sue Paylor on 01524 65167 or Paul Speight (01524 65173) or Alistair Kirkbride (01524 847938).

NUFFIELD THEATRE PRODUCTIONS - HIDDEN TREASURE?
26/10/02: ATC presented comedy partnership Susan Earle & Janice Phayre in 'Out of Our Heads' at the Nuffield Theatre last night. 'This was the first Nuffield show I've been to since I was a student (and there are students at the uni now who weren't even born then). I laughed my socks off along with all the rest of the audience and there was no doubt that at £7 (£4.50 concessions) a ticket they thought they'd got their money's worth. I felt I'd discovered a hidden treasure - Nuffield events aren't much heard about in town but if this is a typical example of the quality then I want to hear a lot more.' Read the Review...

ANTI-WAR DEMONSTRATORS PLAN DAY OF ACTION +
TORCHLIT PROCESSION ON HALLOWE'EN
25/10/02 Following their successful rally / march on 19 October when Lancaster & District Coalition Against the War led around 150 people in a march/rally around Lancaster City centre, organisers plan further action around the town centre on hallowe'en (Thurs October 31) as well as a torchlit procession. Participants are invited to wear hallowe'en costume - the theme is death (optional). more about this

THE STINK CONTINUES
24/10/02: Environmental health officers have revealed there has been an increase in complaints of smell nuisance from Fats and Proteins at Lancaster's Nightingale Farm in recent weeks -- to the continued dismay of Freehold residents who have endured the emissions for years.
"It's quite clear that we have had a further bout of smells in recent months," comments City Councillor Ian Barker. "I have rung up [the council] several times to complain. I'd urge everyone to do the same whenever there is a smell nuisance.
"It's disheartening to keep complaining because progress is so slow, but if no one complains then there will be no progress at all."
Despite the continued stink, the council has told ward councillors that a further adjournment is to be agreed in the prosecution against the company after the smells that hung over the Freehold area in May 2001. "It's utterly frustrating that the results of the planning inquiry and of the prosecution have been delayed so long," comments Councillor Barker. He says the delay are "entirely due to the obstructive tactics of the renderers national association who have put every legal obstacle in the way of councils who wish take action against their members. I am glad to see that the courts have finally thrown out their legal challenges."
But the end to the obnoxious smells from Nightingale Farm may finally be in sight, after years of emissions from the plant. The Government has now indicated that it is about to issue a decision as a result of the public inquiry into the "no smell beyond the process boundary" condition placed on the company by the council.
"The way is now clear for a decision on the planning inquiry," says Coun Barker. "I hope we get a favourable outcome and that the Government will back residents and the council."

• Ring the Council to complain about the Nightingale stink on 01524 582000. The United Kingdom Renderers' Association Ltd telephone number in Guildford is 01237 422218.
 
SCOTS ROCKERS
Scottish Rockers Opiate are set to take The Dome by storm on Friday 1st November to celebrate the release of their debut album 'Distinctive Smile' As part of More Music in Morecambe's Stage One gigs and to coincide with their winter tour, Opiate are set to land at Morecambe's Dome to bring their own brand of metal Old Skool. The bands debut album 'Distinctive Smile' was released throughout the UK through Visible Noise on 14th October and has already had rave reviews in the British music press. Their unique blend of dark rock, tinged with grunge is unlike any other band in the UK and is set to take the metal world by by the throatÉso don't miss out on this chance to see them up close before they become rock giants. The event kicks off at 7.30pm. Tickets cost £2 / £1

LIGHTFOOT CANCELS
The appearance by Terry Lightfoot's jazzmen at the Platform in Morecambe which was scheduled for 9 November, will unfortunately not take place. Terry will be admitted that week to a London hospital for heart surgery. His bypass operation will be carried out at St Mary's and he is advised that touring should not recommence until the New Year following a full recovery. The concert has been re-scheduled for Friday 21 March 2003.

PUNKS GEAR UP
24/10/02: Bands so far confirmed for Morecambe's Punk Festival in June are already being lined up thick and fast. Among the acts already are signed are 1970s heroes The Damned and 999 along with The Crack, Cock Sparrer -- their only gig anywhere in 2003 -- and Stuntface. Many more to be added, say the organisers. tickets on sale now £50 before end of November. Credit card call DATA 024 76 559 992

GOOD NEWS Ð BUTÉ
24/10/02: Cancer causing chemical pollution from Britain's biggest factories fell by a fifth last year, according to the first analysis of official pollution data published by Friends of the Earth this week. But sadly the 2001 league table of carcinogen releases reveals that local company Acordis appears to be bucking the trend - showing the biggest increase (of the top 10 offenders) over the last three years.

• Full Friends of the Earth press release: Go

REAL PLANNING FOR LANCASTER
23/10/02: Not a meeting - but a day of doing! ThatÕs the message organisers of Real Planning want to get across on Saturday (26th October) when they meet again to discuss ideas aimed at creating a positive alternative to big developers such as Chelverton.
"We will aim to have, by the end of the day, a basic outline for a planning proposal," say the organisers, "Which will need further but limited refinement."
• The meeting takes place at Kings Centre, corner of St. Leonards Gate/Phoenix St. between 10.00 am to 4.00 pm.

SINGERS WIN LOTTERY
23/10/02: The Lancaster Singers have received high acclaim for their performances in recent years, and this has been acknowledged in a very positive way with a lottery grant under the Awards for All scheme. The Lancaster Singers are well known for their concerts with professional orchestras and soloists and this award will enable them to continue with this work into the future.
"It's a great boost to the choir and will allow us to plan some exciting programmes over the next few years." said Professor Denis McCaldin, the choir's musical director.
The first concert to benefit under the scheme will be at the Great Hall, Lancaster University with the region's foremost chamber orchestra, the Manchester Camerata, on November 16th at 7.30pm. The programme will include Mozart's Symphony No 39 and Haydn's Harmoniemesse, first performed in 1802. Tickets in advance from Lancaster Concerts' Box Office 01524 593729.

NOT JUST A LOAD OF OLD RUBBISH
A brand new recycling group whose aim is to reduce the amount of rubbish going to landfill is urging local people with recycling ideas to get in touch.
The Local Agenda 21 Recycling Group, which includes local residents, charities and voluntary groups, social enterprises and businesses, colleges and agencies all working together, is being co-ordinated by Lancaster City Council as part of the Local Agenda 21 process.
The two main concerns of the group are that we leave enough resources for future generations and that we make sure that our waste does not pollute the land, water or air.
The group is producing a local recycling directory to help and encourage everyone in the Lancaster District to reduce, reuse and recycle more of their unwanted goods, materials and other resources that would otherwise go to landfill. This local 'hands on' guide will put local people and organisations with unwanted items in contact with others that collect them for re-use or recycling!
"We want to know if anyone in this area collects things like mobile phones, wine corks, fabrics or milk bottle tops for recycling and wants to be included in the booklet," says Alison Page, Project Director of Furniture Matters and chairperson of the Local Agenda 21 Recycling Group. "Our aim is to help make recycling so easy and automatic that it blends into the flow of everyday life. After all if someone else out there wants it then it is not really waste!"
So, if you collect and recycle any waste materials or second hand items and want to be included in the recycling directory, please contact either Ruth Edwards, Lancaster City Council's Recycling Officer on 01524 582468 or Joy Grayson, Environmental Co-ordinator for Lancaster City Council on 01524 582061.

A JOB IN THE COUNTRY
23/10/02: The Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) has commissioned consultants Rural Innovation Ltd and FPD Savills to undertake an audit of rural workspace in the North West. The audit, which is due for completion in March 2003, aims to improve access to information on properties and sites for rural businesses in the region. It will also establish base-line information on the impact of NWDA rural regeneration programmes and examine the demand for, and supply of, workspace in rural areas. It is anticipated that the database will form the basis for a web portal from 2003 - for use by local authorities, rural agencies and businesses. This will be updated on a regular basis.

WHINNEY CARR: INQUIRY RE-OPENS SOON
22/10/02: The debate about the council-supported Whinney Carr estate -- a massive incursion into South Lancaster's green belt -- will stir up in the next couple of weeks when the public inquiry re-opens on 4-5 November.
This time around the Planning Inspector will be only be considering how Whinney Carr fits into the County -- and Regional -- planning picture.
Local campaigners feel they have a strong case against the proposed development, as housing targets for Lancashire and North West have been massively reduced since Whinney Carr was first thought to be "necessary".
The public can observe the inquiry but not participate unless they've already applied to.
More information on Whinney Carr: Go

FUNDING PACKAGE BOOST FOR NORTH WEST
22/10/02: The Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) has announce it has received Government approval for a funding package of £100 million to regenerate the rural areas of EnglandÕs Northwest. Cumbria is set to receive £42.25 million for its Rural Action Zone (RAZ), a five-year strategy aimed at rebuilding the economy of CumbriaÕs rural areas.
NWDA says the money, which added to existing funds makes a total of £56.94 million, represents a three-fold increase in previous funding levels and will support rural regeneration programmes in Cheshire and Lancashire as well as in Cumbria. This is the largest investment in rural areas by any Regional Development Agency.
The funding is not town-specific and
will be allocated for certain projects, rather than geographically. and aims to directlly create 5200 new jobs and safeguard 6200, will be used renew and strengthen sustainable recreation and tourism, help with agriculture restructuring, develop rural skills and promote countryside products.
Agricultural restructuring basically means moving money about within agriculture in terms of moving farmers away from intensive farming into other areas. This could be from anything as simple as changing from battery hens to free range or on a larger scale, such as redeveloping old farm buildings for commercial use.
NWDA could not specify what kind fo jobs would be created as a resulyt of the funding opportunities"It obviously depends on which companies are set up from this," a spokesperson told Virtual-Lancaster, "but just to make clear that this amount of jobs created will come from not only our funding but from the total funding package (both public and private sector)."
The new funding will complement a range of existing NWDA grant programmes Ð namely rural workspace, the Market Towns initiative and the Broadband Initiative.
The NWDAÕs funding package will be matched by a further £274 million from other public and private sources over the five years.

INDYMEDIA LANCASTER LAUNCHES
22/10/02: The next, and first real meeting of Lancaster independent media centre, will take place on Wednesday 23 October at 7.00pm in The Basement, beneath Single Step on Penny Street. The meeting will seek to create a mission statement -- required as part of the IMC creation process (more info on that here) -- and discuss possibilities for media projects in the Lancaster and Morecambe area.
Indymedia is a collective of independent media organisations and hundreds of journalists offering grassroots, non-corporate coverage. Indymedia is a democratic media outlet for the creation of radical, accurate, and passionate tellings of truth.
ShiftingGround has already offered the nascent group video editing facilities and, possibly, funds for minor acquirements; the Basement a meeting space, Virtual-Lancaster its co-operation, and the Folly gallery, the linux user grooup and various individuals their participation and support.

DISTRICT TO HOST PUBLIC ART CONFERENCE
21/10/02: Public art has played a major role in altering the image and public perception of the Lancaster district - from the Millennium Park to the imaginative Tern Project that has played a significant role in increasing visitor numbers to Morecambe.
Now Lancaster City Council is to join with the English Historic Towns Forum to host a national conference highlighting the role of public art in the regeneration of historic towns and cities. The district's leading role in this area of regeneration has won much admiration and is why the English Historic Towns Forum have chosen to hold their conference in the locality.
The two-day event, being held at Lancaster Castle and Town Hall on 20 and 21 November, will welcome authority planners, conservation officers, tourism and economic development chiefs as well as members from other authorities, regional organisations and professionals involved in the field of regeneration.
It will be officially launched by the Mayor of Lancaster, Coun Eileen Blamire, at a Civic Reception at Lancaster Castle on 20 November and the following day Lancaster City Council officers will be amongst the speakers, detailing successes including the Tern Project and the River Lune Millennium Park.
Delegates will also have the opportunity to sample the district's public art for themselves via a variety of tours including one of the Castle, the Millennium Park, St Georges Quay, Morecambe and Lancaster Town hall. "We're honoured to be hosting such a prestigious event and warmly welcome the delegates to our district," said Lancaster City Council's Cabinet member for Regeneration Coun James Airey, commenting on the Forum's decision to base the event in the district. It's also recognition of the important role public art has played and will continue to play in the regeneration of this area. We do have much to be proud of. However, there is still more we can do and I am also delighted that the conference will be working collectively to discuss issues which affect all areas such as the economic use of historic redundant buildings."
At the recent Annual Conference, EHTF Chair, Sam Howes said the Forum's aim for the coming year would be "to champion the public realm issues which were at the heart of national and local government agendas." He added: "The Conference in Lancaster will provide the opportunity to look at a very important element of this."

KHAN STORMS THE NUFFIELD
21/10/02: Originally scheduled for May 2002, Akram Khan and his company are at Lancaster University's Nuffield Theatre tonight with the much anticipated 'Kaash' (taken from the Hindu word for 'What If). 'Kaash' continues Akram's ongoing exploration into the fusion of Kathak and modern dance and the development of his own unique movement language which he calls 'Contemporary Kathak'.

• Box Office tel: 0800 028 3042. More info on Akram Khan here from dansoffice

WITHER THE WESTERN?
18/10/02: In late 2001, the County Council decided to spend another £700,000 on a comparative environmental impact assessment of both the proposed northern and western bypass routes for Lancaster, including an analysis of impacts on the Lune estuary. This week, people wrapped in their warmest coats were busy using video recorders to analyse traffic movement through Lancaster. But this doesn't mean a road-based solution to Lancaster's traffic problems will happen anytime soon, as Emily Heath reports...

WRITE ON!
18/10/02: The Lancaster Literature Festival rounds off its 25th anniversary week with a host of events, including the launch of its competition-based annual poetry anthology. Poets Carol Rumens, Liz Lochhead and Liz Almond are at the Dukes tonight and the anthology will be launched at the same venue at 2.00pm tomorrow with readings from many of the winning poets. Kate O'Brien, manager of Lancaster Hammicks, will also announce the winner of the Hammicks Prize chosen by the store's staff from the thirty winning poems. Who knows - next year it could be you!
The week culminates on Sunday with an appearance by Tony Harrison, author of more than 15 books of poetry, noted translator, dramatist, and librettist with works performed by the National Theatre and the New York Met. Alternative Literature Festival events also continue in Market Square and Atticus. See Events Listing for details.

DEVIL IN THE DETAIL?
18/10/02: Lancaster City Council Planning Committee will be discussing details of the University's controversial development plans on Monday (21st), which have alarmed Galgate and Ellel residents. Outline planning permission for major expansion was granted in August.
The plans include 520 new rooms built in Graduate College during 2002-2003, and the formation of two new undergraduate colleges (an extra 1840 rooms) by 2004. Grizedale and Fylde old blocks will be demolished and rebuilt in 2004-2005 and County and Cartmel and Furness old blocks will be demolished 2005-2006.
All new rooms will be ensuite, but there will be a variety of styles of rooms, to suit individual needs.

• Read the SCAN report on the University's "Master Plan": Go

FESTIVALS GALORE
18/10/02: Morecambe's festival of Comedy kicks off on Thursday. Look out for fringe comedy events at the Morecambe Hotel, including comedy vocalist Chris Britten and Adolf Chip-Pan as well as impressionist Pete Thompson. It's also the folk-filled Clocks Back Festival next weekend, with masses of music at the Gregson Cenntre in Lancaster.

BUS MISERY FOR LOCALS AND STUDENTS
18/10/02: The new University term has seen the shortage of campus rooms put a strain on Stagecoach bus services to the university Ð- causing problems for students and locals who use the buses.
More third year students now live in Lancaster because of an accommodation shortage. It's claimed Stagecoach are not running enough buses to accommodate both locals and students using the service to get to campus. Student newspaper SCAN reports that Student Union President Liam Danby says Stagecoach has apparently reneged on a deal which he had brokered over the summer in anticipation of the increased number of student passengers. This arrangement was to see numbers of buses doubled and even tripled during peak times, which would be identified by surveys undertaken by the company.

LUNESIDE DEVELOPMENT COULD CAUSE TRAFFIC CHAOS
16/10/02: Castle Ward Green Party Councillor Jon Barry is calling on the Council's planning committee to make sure that transfer of polluted material from the Luneside East site is by barge rather than lorry. This issue is one of those being raised at next Monday's planning meeting (21st) when the application for Luneside East comes before the planning committee.
"The feasibility study showed that transport of material by boat is viable. There is already a lot of traffic going along the Quay and it is unacceptable for local residents to have a further 10,000 lorries containing polluted material going past their windows."
"Luneside East is supposed to be a flagship environmental project. I think that the planning committee should reflect this and make it quite clear that the developers should opt for the more environmentally friendly boat option."
The feasibility study by environmental consultants. ENTEC investigated three options: lorry, barge and a third option of transporting the material over the river to the Morecambe road. However, this third option was ruled out by the consultants. The road option is estimated to cost £774,000. It is predicted that for large 44 tonne lorries, it will result in a 100 per cent increase in traffic volume along St George's Quay.
The study also predicts that the Quay will have to be totally resurfaced at the end of the project, because of the wear and tear damage so many lorry movements would cause.
The boat option would either involve transporting material to Bromborough on the Mersey Wharf or to Arpley Meadows on the Manchester Ship Canal. The Bromborough option is estimated to cost £1021,000. However, it would involve only 122 barge trips as opposed to 10,000 lorry trips.
The Luneside East project would involve transporting 91,500 tonnes of polluted material away from the site to special landfill sites and then bringing in a further 50,000 tonnes of clean material.

TELL CHELVERTON WEEK
16/10/02: Residents of Lancaster are writing to CR Chelverton's directors this week to tell them what they think of their plans as part of TELL CHELVERTON WEEK. The week has been called by local people concerned about Chelverton's plans for Lancaster to put the spotlight on the directors behind Chelverton and ask them as people to withdraw their plans for our area.
Georgena McPhee of the group Parents Have A Voice, who wrote an open letter to Simon Morgan, director of Chelverton, said: "I wrote to Simon as a person - asking him to see our city through the eyes of someone who knows and loves Lancaster. Multi-national Corporations are seen as faceless, but behind that there are real people. We have to reach those people, and talk to their hearts, and not just their minds. Inside every suit there's a family man."
"I moved to Lancaster because it's a place where there's still a thriving community, vibrant city centre and local shops" said resident Ms Westphal. "I moved here to get away from exactly the kind of development that Chelverton specialises in. I want to live in a city with a heart and a soul. That's what I'll be saying to Chelverton's directors next week, and I urge everyone to join me!"
Chelverton's proposals have been discussed at several meetings over the last few weeks, and have met with unanimous condemnation from locals.
At the meeting on 14 October at the King's Centre - right next to the area threatened by Chelverton's plans, people who live in the immediate area met to discuss plans. There was a strong feeling that the community has to act to save the area, and this is a chance for that local community to be involved in positive regeneration.
Chelverton's proposals include a road along the canalside to feed a new superstore on Back Caton Rd, and Big Box retail units near the Grand and Dukes Theatres. Similar developments in other towns have caused local retailers to close down, creating a dead town centre. Ian Barker, Labour councillor for Bulk Ward believes that the scale of the development in Lancaster will cause Morecambe retailers to close down too.

• Contact details for all CR Chelverton directors are available on the Stop Chelverton website: www.nephridium.org/lancaster

SIX TERMS A YEAR?
16/10/02: The Independent Commission on the Organisation of the School Year published a report called 'The Rhythms of Schooling' in December 2001. This report recommended the national implementation of an academic year consisting of six terms, a concept that has since become known as The Standard School Year.
Lancashire Local Education Authority (LEA) will need to make a decision about the six term year and before doing so they are seeking your views if you are a teacher, parent or pupil. To make sure your opinion counts, please fill in the form on the county council web site (consultation ends Friday 6 December 2002).

WAR OF WORDS ON WASTE ISSUES
16/10/02: Labour councillor Ian Barker has called for an urgent review of Lancaster City Council's new waste collection scheme, even though the new pilot scheme will be reviewed anyway at the end of November -- and Labour voted for its implementation.
Mr. Barker's call for a review came after it was revealed that some householders in the Silverdale trial are having to store rubbish in bin bags for a fortnight because they cannot use wheely bins.
"I agree that people on black bags should not have a fortnightly collection of residual waste," responded Councillor Jon Barry, who was one of the key figures in setting up the pilot scheme. "However, there are ways of sorting this out. These include providing people with a sealed container so that black bags are not open to dogs, cats etc. Also, it may be possible to provide more assistance so that, for example, bins can be taken down short flights of steps."
"Councillor Roger Sherlock and I have been warning of this problem for months," claims Mr. Barker in a press statement. "Under the new system some householders will get a worse refuse collection service. They would get their residual waste collected fortnightly instead of weekly and they would not be able to use wheely bins. What may be a limited problem in Silverdale is bound to be much more serious if the system is rolled out unchanged in the inner urban areas. There are many more terraced properties with difficulties of access in Lancaster. There are HMOs in Morecambe where it is acknowledged that wheely bins may not be possible."
"In the initial round, most of the problems have been experienced in Silverdale rather than Carnforth with its terraced houses and flats above shops," counters John Barry. "The system was always going to be reviewed and this is nothing to do with Cllr Barker demanding it. A date at the end of November had been set for the recycling task group to consider all the lessons and problems from the first month of the system's operation.
John also points out that for all Labour's criticisms, "the original proposals were agreed by all parties, including Labour.
"There are always going to be teething problems with any new system," added John. "However, what is important is that the Council drastically improves its recycling rates. In the first week of the new system, 137 tonnes of green waste and recyclables were diverted from landfill. This is in just week in one seventh of the district. So this seems like a pretty good start."

RADIATION PILLS STORY UNFOUNDED
15/10/02: A story in yesterday's Sunday Times suggesting Heysham residents would be issued with anti-radiaition pills because of fears of terrorist attack has proven unfounded.
A spokesperson for Heysham Nuclear Power Station told Virtual-Lancaster that while it was true Suffolk Health Authority had decided to issue pills to residents around the Sizewell power station there had been no change in Morecambe Bay Health Authority's emergency plans, which are reviewed every six months.
Earlier this year the Independent reported that anti-radiation pills are being stockpiled at secret government sites throughout Britain because of fears that terrorists could target a nuclear power station. Some US states have issued potassium iodate pills to people living near nuclear power stations after the 11 September atacks last year.
Anti-radiation tablets contain potassium iodate to protect the thyroid gland, which is vulnerable to nuclear radiation.
The spokesperson also told Virtual-Lancaster that Heysham's security was much tighter than that at Sizewell, which was entered by 150 Greenpeace campaigners yesterday, in peaceful protest against Government's secret nuclear program.

• Radiation pills stockpiled across Britain (Independent, 3 August 2002)
• Surry plant's neighbors get radiation pills (The Virginian-Pilot, 19 September 2002)
• West Cape May decides to buy anti-radiation pills (The press of Atlantic City, 3 October 2002)
• Nuclear antidote to be kept in homes (East Anglian Daily Times News, 11 October 2002)

SEAGULL CAFE LAUNCHES
15/10/02: Last Thursday saw the successful launch of More Music in Morecambe's latest project The Seagull Cafe, an afternoon of music, variety, fun and entertainment for the over 55s. The weekly session runs every Thursday from 2.00 pm -4.00 pm at The Hothouse on Devonshire Road Morecambe.
Each week the trio is joined by a local guest speaker or performer. This Thursday Iris Rose from the RSPB will be talking about the bird life of Morecambe Bay so if you don't know your cormorant from your oyster catcher get to the Hothouse to find out more!
Forthcoming visitors include Mary Lucas talking about her life in the circus, Frank Ledward on complementary health, and The Melody Singers performing songs from their latest show with others still to be confirmed. All this and tea and cakes too!

• For more information please contact MMM on 01524 831997.

ALF IS HERE!
11/10/02: With the Literature Festival in full swing in Lancaster this week don't forget there are various madcap Alternative Literature Festival events happening around town too. Events, which are all free, take place at either Market Square, outside The Dukes or in Atticus bookshop.
"You can drop in for 10 minutes, watch a while, then nip off," says one of the ALF team, local musician and writer Mollie Baxter.

CINEMA BIDS REFUSED
11/10/02: The Lancaster Guardian (11/10/02) reports that at least two cinema operators have expressed interest in renting Lancaster's empty Church Street complex Ð but both bids have been turned down flat. Australian cinema chain Village Cinemas International, already in legal dispute with Altrincham-based property owners Lancaster Properties Limited, have apparently suggested a huge fee in response to one bid to run the cinema.
Village Cinemas have previously courted controversy in their UK cinema plans. In March 2000 the multiplex operator, announcing that there had been a downturn in the commercial leisure industry, demanded a reverse premium of £1.2m to open a cinema in the controversial Walkergate development in Durham. Although the Council agreed to the fee, the operator withdrew entirely from the project in December 2000.

• Full story on the Durham cinema debacle here from the Durham City Trust: Go

ARTS REVAMP AT THE UNI
11/10/02: Lancaster University's Lancaster International Concerts Series has a new name to reflect the talent appearing from Britain and abroad. The Great Hall venue on campus has also undergone changes, with improvements to both sound and lighting thanks to funding from Lancaster University.
This Thursday sees the appearance of celebrated pianists Kathryn Stott and Noriko Ogawa, joining forces to present an evening of French music for piano duet. Both established international soloists, Stott and Ogawa have given individual concerto and recital performances to outstanding critical acclaim at the world's most prestigious venues, matching each other perfectly for concerts full of individual character, style, verve and vivacity. The programme features music from Ravel, Debussy, Faure and Chabrier.
The Nuffield Theatre, who play host to the stunning theatre company Forced Entertainment this week, also has a packed line-up of professional theatre companies, student productions, plus dance and comedy events.
If you want to be kept informed about events at the venue then get on their email list by contacting or visit their web sites at The Nuffield or Lancaster Concerts
You can also call the Box Office on 0800 028 3042 for a FREE brochure and events wallplanner.