Councillor expresses concern over defence college noise levels

Councillor expresses concern over defence college noise levels

Friday, 26 June 2009

A FLEMINGSTON councillor is questioning the small print of plans for the military training complex at St Athan – and says that noise levels could be a major problem.
The Vale Council is currently considering the extensive planning application for the Defence Training College (DTC), and the public are being invited to express their views.
Coun Roger Eustace told The GEM: “There has been much local support for the DTC, but the previous public consultations and exhibitions made little mention of the type of military training – which was always presented as low level.
“The goalposts have now changed.”

Coun Eustace can see problems ahead from a number of areas, with noise a major concern.
He said: “There will be a significant adverse impact upon the local communities from military activities, which include engine running, tank pad and road from 2014, flightline with up to three military jet aircraft training on northern cross runway for up to four hours per day (Monday to Friday), Picketston firing range and Picketston field training area.”
He said: “Section 16.15 of the application confirms that the significant detrimental noise levels from the engine running will affect properties to the south of Boverton; and ground noise sources from core activities will affect properties to the west of Llantwit Road (Briarbank) and Boverton Mill Farm in 2014 and 2020.
“There will be a significant increase in road traffic noise due to additional development-related traffic on existing and new roads, and the cumulative effect of ambient noise levels due to change in airfield uses, field training and road traffic will affect Broadway Nursing Home and other areas.”
Coun Eustace is concerned that Picketston Firing Range (document 16, pages 93 – 96) will be in use most of day from 8.30am – 4.30pm, with eight lanes that could be in use at any one time, with 40-minute sessions using 40 rounds on each lane.
There is an existing firing range, but at present it is used quite sparingly. However, when the defence college is running to capacity, there will be a big increase. The nearest properties are in the New Barn Road area.
He said: “There will also be firing during the hours of darkness, but sessions will be less frequent and involve 10 rounds on each lane. Where possible, firing will cease before 11pm.

“The range will also be used for armament testing, including 5.56mm minigun and the larger calibre general purpose machine gun. These will be used two or three times a month for half a day, and would typically comprise four or five bursts per weapon”
He continued: “A typical training day at Picketston Field Training Area (document 16, pages 96-97) will be 8.30am – 5.30pm, but blank firing of weapons will also arise outside these hours, and would be undertaken before 11pm, where possible.
“The area will mainly be used for ambush training comprising noisy initial demonstrations followed by a few hours of dry drills. Typically, there will be eight demonstrations per day consisting of two Land Rovers being ambushed by one or two thunder flashes, with possibly blank small arms fire from SA80 rifles up to 30 rounds
“Acoustic fencing and bunding will be installed, but there will still be a medium to high magnitude effect on neighbouring properties.”
Coun Eustace concluded: “This extension of activities must be resisted for the sake of the local communities. The public consultation ends soon and I urge residents to register their views with the Vale Council through community or town councils.”

Minigun - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Source TAKE ACTION! Crucial to write to the papers so email for example Shropshire Star covers Cosford StarMail – Letters to the Editor: starmail@shropshirestar.co.uk Express and Star Letters to the Editor for publication: letters@expressandstar.co.uk Western Mail max 150 words readers@walesonliine.co.uk NEW ACTION WEBSITE Sain Tathan Action Group (S.T.A.G.) In Planet magazine there is an email exchange between Stephen Thomas (Director of the Welsh Centre for International Affairs) and Sara Koopman, an academic who is an activist with the School of the Americas Watch, they exchange their experiences of campaigning against St Athan and School of the Amer...icas. Campaign Objections to defence technical college here State underwrites UK defence’s PFI project By Alex Barker, Political Correspondent Published: February 25 2009 02:19 | Last updated: February 25 2009 02:19 Ministers have quietly offered contractors bigger state guarantees as a means of rescuing the £12bn ($17bn) private finance project to centralise the military’s training, the Financial Times has learnt. Under the deal, taxpayers will underwrite a further £32m of risk in order to push through the Defence Training Review, the UK’s biggest private finance initiative. http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/774cdea6-02ca-11de-b58b-000077b07658.html?nclick_check=1 credit crisis derails 12bn mod project How much will the academy cost? Credit crisis squeezes defence training Potential risk to front line here Private armies will train at St Athan do you want Blackwater here Stuart Tannock discusses the disturbing implications of theMinistry of Defence's new multi-billion pound training academy. Private Armies whatdotheyknow for freedom of Information information Campaign goes to Open University @ Milton Keynes here See the Private Eye articles ...AMs in danger of making total fools of themselves! here. The price is frightful here. Metrix reloaded how PFI deals such as the DTR used to hide roughly £200bn of future spending in order to balance the books. here. Top brassed off Minstry of Defence’s concerns over it’s own plans to privatise defence training at an academy in South Wales Potential Risk to the Front Line miscalulation Defence Training Review Over Budget Potential Risk to the Front Line miscalulation Defence Training Review Over Budget See OU society matters article here Metrix shambles and OU here Should the OU be involved in the ARMS TRADE? here OU OU partnerships with armed forces? here Daily Mail - controversial £11bn contract to provide training to Britain's armed forces is in danger of collapsing as a result of the credit crunch.here Plaid chief opposes St Athan Academy 6-Sep-08 here Wales must not be a cog in the war machine - Daily Post..here ‘St Athan jobs dwindle while the costs rise’ here Propaganda The new Defence Technical Academy Building the Defence Technical Academy pdf or here WAG and Metrix sham consultation here PFI The crunch has come, credibility has gone and the cupboard is bare guardian - 26 Jul 2008 Raytheon want to use training as a means of expansion and arms sales. here Ban cluster bombs here Close the US Army School of the Americas MORE about the campaign facebook or www.cynefinywerin.org.uk and see also instructional officers website No2military academy No2 O.U. workng with arms companies Open University loves Arms Dealers The Fellowship of Reconciliation in Wales, War is Just a Racket: Take a Stand; Dismantle the War Machine; Demilitarize the World! here EDO's Campaign - EDO have contracts with the UK Ministry of 'Defence' and US arms giant Raytheon relating to the release mechanisms of the Paveway bomb system Lobbying transparency Fit watch Give evidence on lack of human rights & OTT policing here WAR PROFITEERS The Five Secret Billion-Dollar Companies Sucking Obscene Amounts of Taxpayer Money By Nick Turse, Tomdispatch.com Meet the mystery defense contractors that are raking in billions in taxpayer dollars without notice. Read more » "We recommend that people throughout the world launch nonviolent actions against US and UK corporations that directly profit from this war” - 7th Recommendation of the World Tribunal on Iraq, June 2005; http://www.worldtribunal.org/ Action Pictures Crocodyl Talk about it! No to St Athan Military Academy on Facebook Join a forum at Cynefin Y Werin website Sign up to keep in touch here blogs on qinetiq Is Raytheon a good employer? Read Qinetiq War Profiteers The Pentagon's Revolving Door The privatisation of the UK's QinetiQ was undermined by "profiteering" on the part of its management…Parliamentary committee censures QinetiQ privatisation Jane's - QinetiQ deal 'lost taxpayer £90m' The Press Association Qinetiq and MoD hit back at MP's dishonesty claims on 2003 ... Independent MPs attack QinetiQ chiefs Telegraph.co.uk Big risks, big rewards http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2008/jun/10/qinetiqgroup.labour guardian.co.uk – BBC News MPs slate Qinetiq privatisation The Ministry of Defence behaved like "an innocent at a table of card-sharps" when it arranged the sale of its QinetiQ research arm, a committee of MPs has said. Epolitix News - http://www.ePolitix.com Points of disorder No risk, big rewards The Observer – UK Defence company's privatisation attacked by MPs Portsmouth News QinetiQ refutes accusations made in Public Accounts Committee report...Taxpayer "lost" £90m on QinetiQ sell-off Qinetiq privatisation slammed Public Private Finance - London,UK QinetiQ: Sold down the river by incompetent agents By Mark Wallace MoD slammed over QinetiQ sale join my Notify List and get email when I update my site: email: Powered by NotifyList.com What are the 'benefits' to the MOD of transferring risk to the private sector? Derek Twigg MP, Under Secretary of State for Defence, talks to PSCA International's Matthew D'Arcy about what lies ahead in bringing a new flexible approach to learning through the Defence Training Review. “Partnership with the private sector does give us flexibility, and this is the key point here, to decrease or increase student throughput. The partner will be able to generate third party income from spare capacity and also dispose of surplus capacity. It also allows for a very important part of the role for industry to bring private sector management expertise and the ability to include significant capital investment at this stage. It is really about delivering a modern and flexible learning environment that will be fit for our service personnel of the future.” Facilities key to defence trainingThe PPP Journal Issue 56 - Thursday, April 12, 2007 Raytheon News Raytheon Raytheon Tucson is a pretty awful place to work. If you're thinking about working there, you should think long and hard before you accept the offer. ... Raytheon Says 12 Private Wells Are Polluted Raytheon: Plume Is No ThreatTampa Tribune - USA.. environmental experts from Raytheon told a crowd of about 700 people in St. Petersburg on Friday that a toxic plume of chemicals that ... Rhodri Morgan should be ashamed of himself for supporting raytheon with no supporting evidence What is Metrix? News Metrix Consortium - arms dealers - unethical - unenvironmentral - Metrix is a consortium provided by a private consortium of arms companies and educational bodies is made up of AgustaWestland, City andGuilds, Dalkia, EDS, Laing O'Rourke, Land Securities Trillium, Nord Anglia Education, The Open University, QinetiQ, Raytheon, Serco & Sodexho. Metrix chief exec says: ‘Please be patient about defence academy details’ Cowbridge Today Metrix spin May 2008 EDS coporate incompetance EDS contract slammed by union chief Mark Serwotka PCS Land Securities Tech Info on Lockheed-Martin's Cluster Bombs Raytheon in Derry Support the Raytheon 9 Raytheon by Corp WatchThe threat of private military companies...Raytheon Raytheon Raytheon Warrior Training Alliance Raytheon: http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.search.output/index.html?entry=en.news.06fd93b824420000 Military contractor Raytheon deleting information on them spying on their competitors and the U.S. Air Force; Serco & Labour Lord Filkin, labour Baroness Margaret FordSerco can't even run a play scheme Sodexho = Low Paid Low Skill Jobs QinetiQ Expenses serve up QinetiQ row Qinetiq PPP & Cluster bombs Qinetiq US Businesses Rivals slam £16bn Qinetiq contract This is Money QinetiQ, the War Profiteer Welsh Politicians Love to Love Campaign against Cluster Bombs http://www.landmine.de/en.titel/en.search.output/index.html?entry=en.news.0c661a5b539a0000General Dynamics, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman and Raytheon all produce cluster munitions or their components, according to Human Rights Watch.Download Corporate Mercenaries [pdf]: War on Want's report on PMSCs - Private Military and Security Companies - Corporate Mercenaries: The threat of private military and security companies…..Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are major arms contractors also selling PMSC services. Dirty Dozen Cluster Munitions Tech Info on Lockheed-Martin's Cluster Bombs Windfalls of war Corporate Mercenaries Amnesty International, Private Military and Security Contractors. Ending Contractor Impunity see here The Center for Public Integrity, The Windfalls of War. Global Policy Forum. “State Sovereignty and Private Security Companies” webpage with documents, analyses, articles and links. Available here Human Rights Watch, Private Military Contractors and the Law. See here International Committee of the Red Cross, Privatisation of War section. See here Private Military Companies. See here War on Want, Getting Away with Murder. See here Sourcewatch. See here UN Working Group on the Use of Mercenaries as a Means of Violating Human Rights and Impeding the Exercise of the Right of Peoples to Self-determination. See here Top Pentagon Contractors, FY 2006:Major Beneficiaries of the Bush Administration’s Military Buildup BBC News 24 - Part of Base Training Bid Dropped BBC News 24 Video Clip - Part of Base Training Bid Axed BBC News 24 Video Clip - Bases Take Over from Deepcut Metrix News 20th June Military transfer 'delay' worry 20/06/08 St Athan move ‘may take eight years’ 21/06/08 Metrix spokesman says that St Athan training regi 30/-5/08 Soldier Deaths DEATH IN UNITED KINGDOM SUICIDE AND OPEN VERDICT DEATHS IN THE UK REGULAR ARMED FORCES (PDF) MoD criticised for soldier deaths British NATO soldier killed in Afghanistan British Soldiers Killed in Afghanistan Metrix spin to Staff who may lose their jobs DTR Metrix Roadshow Presentation DTR Metrix Roadshow Presentations to personnel at DTR affected Training Sites. Introduction to DTR PDF [2.9 MB] The Metrix Consortium PDF [1.9 MB] DTR - The People PDF [3.3 MB] Package 1 PDF [5.9 MB] Package 2 PDF [2.3 MB] Centres of Excellence PDF [5.9 MB] Who will do what? PDF [1.6 MB] Campaign Against St Athan Our politicans on St Athan McMercenaries -The truth about the Metrix Consortium Murder Academy Cynefin Y Werin No2 the Open University working with arms dealers Other orgs Mc Military Globalisation of war CAAT Raytheon 9 McMilitary Corporate Mercenaries Corporations and Conflict Public not Private Factsheet Defence Training Review – Breakdown of sites - what is proposed tomove to St Athan No2 Ratheon Training our Kids Why we oppose the St Athan Defence Training Academy Statement of Opposition to the St Athan Defence Training Academy Datganiad o wrthwynebiad i Academi Welsh affairs committee welcomes St Athans fiasco! http://apps.valeofglamorgan.gov.uk/councillorSearch/membersByParty.aspx?id=All Vale of Glamorgan cllrs The Welsh Affairs Committee Members are: Dr Hywel Francis MP, (Chairman) Labour, Aberavon Mr Stephen Crabb MP, Conservative, Preseli Pembrokeshire David T. C. Davies MP, Conservative, Monmouth Nia Griffith MP, Labour, Llanelli Mrs Siân C. James MP, Labour, Swansea East Mr David Jones MP, Conservative, Clwyd West Mr Martyn Jones MP, Labour, Clwyd South Jessica Morden MP, Labour, Newport East Albert Owen MP, Labour, Ynys Môn Mark Williams MP, Liberal Democrat, Ceredigion Hywel Williams MP, Plaid, Caernarfon Saturday, February 10, 2007 Welsh affairs committee welcomes St Athans fiasco! AMs on St Athan Enterprise, Innovation and Networks Committee June 2006 Report from the Minister for Enterprise, Innovation and Networks - St Athan Cluster Bombs and Raytheon News: Officials: Hundreds of Iraqis Killed By Faulty Grenades ..failure rates as high as 40 percent. Hundreds and possibly thousands of Iraqi civilians have been killed or maimed by outdated, defective U.S. cluster weapons that lack a safety feature other countries have added, according to observers, news reports and officials……… Britain, which joined the USA in the fight to oust Saddam Hussein, fired 2,000 artillery cluster weapons in the war. All were equipped with Israeli-made grenades with secondary fuses and a 2 percent dud rate, the British Defense Ministry said…….. "The funding for R and D [research and development] in the Army was minimal, and fusing was the last on the list," said Bruce Mueller, a former Army lieutenant colonel who managed the fuse program for defense contractor Raytheon. "They develop weapons, then they develop munitions, and after they develop munitions, the last thing they worry about is how to fuse them." Raytheon. The company makes the guidance systems for many of the missiles that are sold to Israel and that caused so much civilian death in the conflict, including the 51 people crushed to death in a bunker in Qana. Cluster Munition Coalition News Bulletin 48 Nations Gather to Fight Cluster Bombs Explosive Investments Financial Institutions and Cluster Munitions Briefing Paper by Netwerk Vlaanderen February 2007 “Explosive Investments” by Belgian advocacy group Netwerk Vlaanderen 'Circle of impact', report on cluster submunitions New report calls for ban on cluster munitions and for assistance to civilians May 2007 Cluster Bombs, Landmines,Nuclear Weapons and Depleted Uranium WeaponsA report on the financial links between banks and the producers of controversial weapon systems april 2004 The Cluster bomb feeling documentary on investment of Dutch pension fund in arms industry Banking Secretsdocumentary on investments of Dutch banks in arms industry and other dodgy projects. Cluster bombs – Skeet warhead - The BLU-108 is capable of integration into a number of weapon systems: BQM-109 Tomahawk, Raytheon Systems SM-2 Land Attack STANDARD Missile, Raytheon Systems MGM-140 Army Tactical Missile System (ATACMS). Lockheed Martin AGM-84H Standoff Land Attack Missile - Expanded Response (SLAMER), Boeing AGM-158 Joint Air-to-Surface Standoff Missile (JASSM), Lockheed Martin The mysterious case of the disappearing cluster bombs (News/Arms Industry) ...t Industries, MBDA, Rhienmetall, RUAG, SAAB, Denel, General Dynamics, L-3 Communications, Northrop Grumman, Raytheon and Textron) to discreetly flog you the whole thing. Who calls the shots? Download Corporate Mercenaries [pdf]: War on Want's report on PMSCs - Private Military and Security Companies - Corporate Mercenaries: The threat of private military and security companies…..Northrop Grumman and Raytheon are major arms contractors also selling PMSC services. Clusterbombs - On April 1st an undetermined number of BLU-97/B submunitions hit Hilla, with reports claiming that at least 33 civilians were dead and around 300 injured. America Cluster Bombs Iraq - UN Security Council - Global Policy Forum The missile is described by the Navy, its primary developer, and Raytheon Systems, its manufacturer, as a long-range glide bomb. Acting Pentagon spokesman ... www.globalpolicy.org/security/issues/iraq/2001/0226cstr.htm - 14k - Dozens of Iraqi dead after cluster bomb attack in Hilla Amnesty International has condemned the Hilla bombing and the US use of cluster bombs, saying that the use of cluster bombs against a civilian area of Hilla ... www.ccmep.org/2003_articles/Iraq/040403_dozens_of_iraqi_dead_after_clust.htm - 14k - Cluster bombs liberate Iraqi children - World Notes - civilian .. AMMAN, Jordan -- The Asia Times reported the first description of the cluster bomb attack in the Iraq town of Hilla on April 2 and 3, but as the Times ... findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0MKY/is_7_27/ai_111026129 - 27k -. The use of cluster bombs Human Rights Watch "U.S. Use of Clusters in Baghdad Condemned" 16 April 2003) The cluster bombs that were used in Hilla were identified by Landmine Action, ... www.informationclearinghouse.info/article3463.htm - 31k - Hilla Cluster Bombs Other sites to visit Campaign against the Arms Trade Ex-Defence Chiefs paid by arms industry Global policy Global policy Hands off Iraq Oil Justice not Vengence Media Lens Support the Raytheon 9 Voices in the Wilderness UK Women's action for Iraq Thinking of Signing Up? Don't Join the military video Informed choice They told us they are going to pay us a month in advance & that’s about £750 for recruits but there will be some deductions. First accommodation, food, tax, national insurance & some other bits & pieces after which you will have £250. ..have to buy our regimental tracksuits £50, have to pay for laundry & recreational facilities for the entire 6 month training period £170. Leaving us with £70. Wooo! Britain allows the lowest recruitment and deployment age in Europe, critics say Soldier's family: 'Our son died in a pointless war' Britain’s frontline soldiers have 1 in 36 chance of dying on Afghan battlefield Veterans In Prison (V.I.P) was founded by ex-soldiers because of the shockingly high numbers of veteran soldiers in the prison population Daniel's Trust & Armed Forces Families Justice Campaign Daniel’s Trust started in 2005 in response to requests for help from soldiers who were being bullied whilst serving in the British Army People considering joining the Armed Forces for the sake of gaining vocational qualifications be aware that the qualification-holders will not be free to take up civilian employment. If you want to join the Army make sure you know ALL the facts before you sign up. Don’t find out the hard way! Military Cases Blog Archive ►  2016 (1) ►  February (1) ►  2013 (1) ►  December (1) ►  2011 (4) ►  September (1) ►  July (1) ►  January (2) ►  2010 (51) ►  December (2) ►  November (2) ►  October (9) ►  September (4) ►  August (6) ►  July (9) ►  June (1) ►  May (2) ►  April (6) ►  March (4) ►  January (6) ▼  2009 (70) ►  November (1) ►  October (2) ►  September (6) ►  August (6) ▼  July (6) Huge interchange at Weycocks Cross Airport Road bad news for Metrix Road to METRIX PFI military camp scrapped John Smith MP dodgy poll on airport road Metrix money pit - WAG find £12.5M Councillor expresses concern over defence college ... ►  June (4) ►  May (3) ►  April (7) ►  March (10) ►  February (13) ►  January (12) ►  2008 (189) ►  December (16) ►  November (9) ►  October (25) ►  September (12) ►  August (6) ►  July (9) ►  June (11) ►  May (14) ►  April (8) ►  March (15) ►  February (28) ►  January (36) ►  2007 (106) ►  December (20) ►  November (35) ►  October (46) ►  September (5) Cost of the War in Iraq (JavaScript Error) To see more details, click here. British Blog Directory Snap Shots