News Oakhill rampage has got to stop
Conservationists have called on the powers-that-be to put a stop to youngsters going on the rampage at one of Goole's best-known beauty spots.
Oakhill, the 150-acre nature reserve which is home to rare birds and protected species, has become the new playground for drunken hordes and drug-addled youngsters. Now the Friends of Oakhill want the East Riding of Yorkshire Council - which owns the land - to put a stop to it.
This week Glenn Widdowson, of the Friends of Oakhill, vented his anger about the large-scale abuse of one of the most beautiful spots in the East Riding. He said Oakhill was becoming a "free-for-all" and was devoid of any security to deter wrong-doers.
"There doesn't seem to be any security or policing at all," he said. "There have been people down there shooting. Two swans were shot and killed last year."
Mr Widdowson added that drug addicts and young drinkers were littering the place with needles and beer bottles, tearing around on quad bikes, scooters and mini-motorbikes, and firing guns at birds.
On Monday he spoke passionately on the subject from the public gallery while addressing the Annual General Meeting of Goole Town Council.
Mr Widdowson said he could not understand why the East Riding Council had not erected 'Keep Out' signs, banning people with motorbikes or guns, and called on the town council to put pressure on their counterparts in Beverley.
"It's a shame it's been allowed to deteriorate the way it has," he added. "We have had no real help from the East Riding in trying to protect it. We're getting all and sundry down there; the Oakhill group is trying to do its best to remind people it's a nature reserve and that they shouldn't be down there with guns and bikes, but we've got no back-up. There's vandalism and there's been somebody down there with an axe chopping trees down."
The Oakhill nature reserve grew around the old railway tracks where trees have flourished and provided a natural habitat to wildlife including deer, hares and a variety of birds. The reserve also plays host to regular 'fungi forays', bat-and-moth nights and pond-dipping events hosted by the Friends group, but these activities, according to Mr Widdowson, have in some ways been superseded by more loutish pursuits.
"This is one of the best-attended sites in the East Riding for the activities we host," he added. "On the other hand, there are others going down there on quad bikes and with guns, disturbing the wildlife."
Councillors were clearly taken by the impassioned nature of Mr Widdowson's grievances and agreed that something should be done about the situation.
Cllr Malcolm Boatman said "A lot of people between 14 and 18 years seem to be going down there. They used to go to West Park but now they go down there drinking. If young people are meeting down at Oakhill with bags of drinks I've just got a concern that something will happen down there one of these days, and it will be very awkward for the emergency services to get down to them."
Cllr Shirley Marshall said there had been reports of used needles on the path between Dunhill Road and Oakhill. She added that there were "six or seven burned-out cars at a time" in the area and that a girl was once shot in the leg in an incident.
Cllr Keith Moore called on the town council to hold a meeting with East Riding Council officers. He said councillors should recommend that signs be put up at Oakhill warning people not to go in with guns and motorbikes, and ask for a report on what had been done to keep wrong-doers out of Oakhill. The town council went along with this recommendation.
Councillors were also told that a man was living in a caravan in Oakhill after buying a plot of land there. The man, who is originally from Bridlington, is said to be running a scrap business on the site and is understood to be legally entitled to live there. The meeting heard that the man had surrounded his property with 8ft corrugated sheets.
A police spokeswoman said this week: "We work closely with the Friends of Oakhill and the police to monitor the site. All incidents are reported to the police and we meet regularly wit local police at the site to work to address any problems."
She added that a planning contravention notice had been served on the man living in the caravan. She said the authority was still awaiting a response from him.
Published on 22nd May 2008 in News.
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