Letters: Beyond belief

It is time to get the facts straight, although this letter could be costing me £1m per word! These are some of the facts:-

The statements "we are a highly respected firm," coupled with Stewart Grant's words to Mr Preece "you are being belligerent," seem to be contradictory.

For a company such as this to appeal for "a fair hearing" is beyond belief and sufferance. The company played its part in more than 90 completely unfair hearings - all devoid of natural justice - which compelled the landowners to have this obnoxious overhead powerline on their land. The kangaroo itself would have had a fairer hearing.

The company totally undermined the democratic process of the public inquiry by submitting defective applications.

On February 13, two officers of this "highly respected firm", two officers of Balfour Beatty, and two police officers climbed over a locked farm gate against the express wishes of the two farmers concerned.

The company's firm of solicitors subsequently "imprisoned" these two farmers in their own solicitor's office and "forced" them to sign an undertaking surrendering four of their fundamental constitutional rights. The rights they had to surrender were these: the right to property; the right to free speech; the right to assemble with others; and the right to protest peacefully. These farmers and all the farmers have been as good as declared trespassers on their own land.

This "highly respected firm" threatened these two farmers with millions of pounds in costs.

As a direct result, all of the farmers have been deprived, in a democratic country, of the right to speak out because by doing so they might incur millions of pounds in costs. Mr Preece and other residents of Picton have the luxury and freedom to speak out where we cannot.

This "highly respected firm" can climb over locked gates accompanied by policemen, because the Government has given them the power to use "reasonable force" and has given them the power to decide what is "reasonable force".

The National Grid has the power to be its own police force. We are all familiar with such a legal term as "reasonable force" these days: Tony Martin used "unreasonable force" because he shot his burglar in the back. Two weeks ago, a householder was legally justified in stabbing his burglar to death because he used "reasonable force" in the process of defending his wife and property.

Anywhere in the democratic world, the mere act of climbing over a locked gate accompanied by two police officers, threatening two landowners with millions of pounds of costs, seizing their land and forcing them to surrender four of the most fundamental constitutional democratic rights we possess as citizens of this country, would rightly meet every political requirement which satisfies these two terms: (a) the use of "terror tactics" and (b) "fascism."

The residents of Picton and North Yorkshire have not quite realised that we are living in a police state along this 50-mile stretch of line.

I believe that I am the first landowner, the first widow and old age pensioner for that matter, up for the injunction and the millions of pounds costs.

That is why these few words could end up costing me a million pounds each. In for a penny, in for a pound.

I might as well go down shouting. I think it will be millions of pounds of costs plus crucifixion when I ask you all to think again when this "highly respected company" appeals for such a thing as "a fair hearing".

I think I could, according to the law, possibly have just signed my own death warrant although I don't think they can shoot me in the back!

ROSALIND CRAVEN

Tollerton Road,

Huby Burn,

Huby.

Sir, - The article headlined "Tempers fray as angry Picton villagers challenge National Grid" (D&S, July 5) was and wasn't a surprise.

It was a surprise in that Revolt knew nothing of it, arising spontaneuosly and independently as it did.

It wasn't a surprise in that people along the 50 miles of the powerlines have shown similar reactions and objections, belying the claims that "crews had worked well elsewhere" and, amazingly, "we are a highly respected firm". The project engineer who said that couldn't be further out of touch.

The road works in particular, while necessary and overdue, have been shoddy. Only short patches of edgeing have been done, leaving long sections still with pot-holes. For example, the Tilesheds road at Welbury remains in a poor and unsafe state. The opportunity was there to do a decent job.

The project engineer said the existing line was 200 metres from Picton but the new one would be 500 metres away. That sounds like the old line will be removed, as some Picton residents had thought. It won't. The paths of old and new lines cross at Picton, though the old line will be cut and the ends joined up with the new lines, to avoid a cross. In the end there will be four lines leading out of Picton: one to the North-West, one North-East and two South.

MIKE O'CARROLL

Chairman of Revolt (Rural England Versus Overland Transmission)

Welbury,

Northallerton.

Floral dance

Sir, - So Richmondshire District Council, technically insolvent at the start of this financial year and forced to increase council tax over the odds to balance the books, has decided that it cannot afford an annual outlay of £2,500 for upkeep of roundabout flower beds and are seeking sponsorship.

I wonder why the council didn't adopt the same philosophy when arranging its motivational weekend for selected executives a few months ago? After all, one weekend of 'bonding' does cost rather more than nine months of colour! And, who knows, it might even have been worth it - but, if they can't manage the flower beds, then perhaps not.

MICHAEL J SHARPE

Sleegill,

Richmond.