Lottery beauty comp results

[Nemesis]

Strange way to fund important projects, but there you go. Just like Restoration, but with vastly more cash.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7140621.stm

The Sustrans: Connect2 project, which will improve travel in 79 communities, beat three other environmental groups with 42% of all ballots cast.

The People's £50 Million Lottery is the largest ever publicly-decided award.

Sustrans CEO and founder John Grimshaw said: "The hard work starts now to build those bridges, tunnels, crossings and networks of paths."

Sustainable transport

He added: "There are 79 towns and settlements which are just going to be changed, I think, out of all recognition.

Mr Grimshaw said 6m people live within a mile of the scheme's new routes.

I live within yards of a Sustrans route, can't say it's changed my life, apart from a proliferation of new blue signs.

I wonder if people want their towns changed out of all recognition?

Sustrans has asked for funding for 79 schemes across the UK to create footpaths and cycle paths which link up previously severed communities.

The Eden Project in Cornwall wants to create a project called the Edge, which would explore the problem of climate change and examine how plants have coped with change in the past.

Tim Smit of the Eden Project said: "If the public don't vote for any of us we deserve what we get. I think it's rather a nice test of our times to see whether the country gives a damn."

The Black Country Urban Park aims to improve the lives of one million people by reviving canals and developing a 12-mile corridor linking Walsall with West Bromwich.

Finally, Sherwood: The Living Legend Project, hopes to protect what is reputed to be Europe's oldest collection of oak trees.

It would plant 250,000 trees over 350 acres to fill the gaps created through neglect, and also build a visitors' centre.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7057299.stm (video link)

The winner, the losers.


(How much is the Olympics costing now?)

http://news.scotsman.com/latest_uk.cfm?id=1925772007

 

[biffvernon]

Hoooraaayyy

(I voted for Sustrans.)

 

[Nemesis]

Well I do wonder what sort of life changes they are intending?

 

[biffvernon]

The sort of life changes that will be needed when petrol is too expensive to put into cars.

 

[Nemesis]

But I can't ride a bike...

 

[Nemesis]

Anyhow - here's more info about the projects, which were all worthy contenders.

http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/home


http://www.thepeoples50million.org.uk/projects/connect2



[Open Image] [Hosted by PhotoGalaxy.com]


A small plug for this too - note the views of Dunstan Staiths (North Eastern Railway II*) and the gap is where there was a dreadful fire a couple of years' ago... Baltic pine to repair is hard to come by.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lHokbFBFgL0

http://quickrelease.tv/?p=163