The site of Newland Estate, at Normanton, West Yorkshire, houses an ancient monument which indicates its huge historical importance. Unfortunately, a large amount of the site was ransacked in the time leading up to the public inquiry.
RATS were successful in preventing the owner, Robert Horrocks, from opening the site. We then fought an unprecedented second public inquiry and once again, justice prevailed.
Unbelievably, RATS then had to start to fight the local council, because their plans for a disused colliery slag heap next to Newland (on a site called "Welbeck") were much, much worse, The Welbeck Toxic Tip is 2 miles long by 3/4 mile wide (Thats approx 960 acres) and 62 metres in height or 240,868,195 cubic metres ( and they have applied for planning permission to make it even higher ).
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