see also  http://indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/11/300484.html

News release

Director of Britain's longest bridge resigns after local protest
Morecambe  Bay Bridge Co "shocked by resignation of key director"

Thursday 4th November 2004
for immediate use


* Live reports from Manchester: 0787 633 0256
* Background information on Morecambe Bay bridge scheme: 01524  383012


Julian Carter, director of the company wanting to build Britain's longest
bridge has resigned after today's protests by local people at Lancaster
University and Renewables Northwest in Manchester.

Local people with banners and drums stopped work at Renewables Northwest and
Lancaster University Environment Centre today (04.11.04) in protest at their
participation in Britain's longest bridge (the Morecambe Bay Bridge project
(2)). The bridge is set to go through the most protected wildlife area in the
whole of the UK, but is nevertheless being spun as a 'green bridge' because
of wave turbines that may be built at the same time.

30 local people joined by other concerned renewable energy advocates from
throughout the North of England and stopped work at two of the sites where
the Bridge Across the Bay Co.'s directors work.

The protesters accused Julian Carter (General Manager of the NWDA's Renewables
Northwest)(3) of wilful mismanagement: "Mr Carter is also using his position
in a publicly funded body to support a company in which he is involved."

Mr Carter responded that he is resigning from the Bridge Across the Bay
company with immediate affect.

The bridge has caused controversy, because it endangers the most significant
wildlife reserve in the UK, but is nevertheless being hailed as a green
bridge due to a minor renewable energy component: Local renewable energy
expert Harry Windham agrees with the RSPB (4) that neither the bridge nor the
turbines can ever be economically viable: "The figures for electricity
generation that Brockbank and the Bridge Across the Bay Co. are talking about
just don't add up. Over the last few months he has been asked several times
by different groups to publish the figures, but so far he has refused. My
calculations, and those of the scientist engaged to do research for this
project show that turbines in the bay bridge would only generate about 10% of
Brockbank's much publicised figure of 515MW."

Morecambe Bay is the most protected wildlife site in the UK - legislation
prohibiting development comes from the national government, the EU and the
UN. (5) According to ABPMer - the Bridge Across the Bay Co.'s own consultants
- the bridge will inevitably endanger the habitat of over ¼ million
overwintering birds (6), while English Nature has concluded that the Bridge
is "likely to fail" (7) to get government permission to be built - in the
meantime, taxpayers' money is being wasted.

Notes to Editors:

1) Live reports from Renewables Northwest site in Manchester: 0787 633 0256

2)The Morecambe Bay Bridge, which, if built, will be Britain's longest bridge
at 12 miles. It is planned to link Heysham, near Lancaster, and
Barrow-in-Furness.

3)Paul Julian Carter is General Manager of Renewables Northwest, a joint
venture between the North West Development Agency and United Utilities. The
publicly funded body has limited funds to advocate the development of
Renewable Energy projects in the region.

4)Dr. Tim Melling from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds stated at
a public seminar in June 2004 that: "A bridge on its own would not be
economically viable, nor would a tidal energy scheme in Morecambe Bay. One of
the most specially protected areas in Europe is not the place to play Russian
Roulette with experimental renewable energy schemes."

5)Morecambe Bay is the most protected wildlife site in the UK - it is classed
as SPA (internationally important bird site), SAC (habitat of European
importance) and Ramsar (site of international importance) sites. The bridge
scheme further threatens two AONBs (Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty) and a
National Park.

6)ABPMer have conducted an initial Environmental Impact Assessment on behalf
of the Bridge Across the Bay Co. Colin Scott from ABPMer publicly concluded
in June 2004 that the scheme will result in an "unavoidable loss of
intertidal and subtidal habitats."
The RSPB estimates that 262,000 birds overwinter in Morecambe Bay.

7)English Nature are the government's statutory advisors on nature
conservation. They  have expressed their opposition to the Bay Bridge scheme,
concluding that the scheme is "likely to fail integrity test [and there are]
likely to be alternative options. If either of these are the case development
plans are invariably turned down.