Conservationists and the ordinary people of Milton on the outskirts of Dumbarton are enraged with the operators of Dumbuck Quarry for adopting a “blast as you please” attitude to rules and regulations governing explosions there.
Category: investigations
MOST PEOPLE WOULD LIKE SANTA TO STAY JUST AS HE IS NOW
Santa Claus, or Father Christmas, has a long association with the festive season. The original inspiration was a monk named St Nicholas, who was born in 280AD. The monk’s fabled generosity led to more modern characterisation, popularised in Victorian times. It is often falsely claimed that his famous red suit was down to Coca-Cola advertising, but in fact depictions of a red-suited Santa were seen in the late 19th century. Coca-Cola only started using the character in the 1930s.
FERRET INVESTIGATION INTO SCALLOP FISHING
Scallop dredgers accused of sabotaging creel fishing gear Shellfish is popular with visitors to places like Oban and as a special treat on Christmas and
BUILDERS GIVEN PRIVILEGED ACCESS TO TOP CIVIL SERVANTS
Lobbyists acting for the housing industry have demanded continued Help to Buy (HTB) subsidies from the Scottish Government, despite criticism that the cash simply inflates house prices and benefits large house builders, The Ferret can reveal.
INVESTIGATION: NICK KEMPE ASKS VITAL QUESTIONS
While I am still generally sceptical about what the LLTNPA Board does because of its terrible record of taking decisions in secret (13 meetings about the camping byelaws before they were approved) these emails do appear to reflect levels of Board involvement. I have heard elsewhere a Board Member say they were NOT allowed to say anything about the Flamingo Land Planning Application in case this prejudiced the decision. Effectively staff have told them to be silent – the emails which tell Board Members to refer any enquiries about the Application to staff re-inforce this. This perhaps explain why Board Members never raised any of the obvious public interest questions about the inclusion of the Park’s own land in the Planning Application.
JOURNALISTIC INVESTIGATION BY THE FERRET
A Scottish Government programme envisaging trials for seaweed dredging around the coast of Scotland has re-awakened fears for the future of “precious” underwater kelp forests. A work plan released by the government’s Marine Scotland says that “field trials” assessing the “sustainability of mechanical harvest of seaweed” are scheduled to begin in July 2020. Campaigners have reacted with alarm, claiming that kelp – a kind of seaweed – is threatened with “environmental destruction”. Kelp is vital to help cut climate pollution, prevent coastal erosion and protect marine wildlife, they say.