Alan Melton - whose bunny hugger comment had archaeologists hopping mad.
Fenland council leader set for ‘bunny huggers’ debate with the Time Team’s Tony Robinson
Chris Bishop
Monday, July 18, 2011
8:08 AM
He had archaeologists hopping mad - no pun intended - when he suggested they were ‘bunny huggers’. But now outspoken council leader Alan Melton has been invited to debate the wider issues with none other than the Time Team’s Tony Robinson.
Back at Trench Two, they weren’t happy bunnies. When Alan Melton used a keynote speech to call for the rules to be relaxed on archaeological surveys, to encourage developers, he warned: “The bunny huggers won’t like it.”
Anger erupted from learned debating forums to the trenches at Norfolk’s long-running Sedgeford dig, where Bunny Hugger T-shirts became this year’s must-wear accessory for those excavating a Saxon settlement.
“I don’t tweet, but what a wonderful day,” Mr Melton said as the row erupted. “To be attacked by bunny huggers historic lefties and the vested interested professional classes. Eric Pickles will be extremely proud of me.”
Mr Melton and officials at Fenland District Council later issued a statement to clarify his comments.
"There are plenty of builders out there on the dole when they could be in work and that’s why I’m saying we need to look at this. All I wanted to do was get a proper debate going and if I have achieved that with my comments then I think that’s a good thing."
Now the council leader has been invited to take part in a live debate, as part of this year’s Festival of British Archaeology.
Does growing the economy mean cutting back on developer-funded archaeology is the topic for discussion at London’s Waterloo Centre, on July 29.
Other speakers include the Time Team’s Tony Robinson and leading archaeologist Andrew Selkirk.
Mr Melton suggested the rules requiring developers to carry out archaeological surveys should be relaxed at last month’s Fenland Building Design Awards, in Wisbech.
“The bunny huggers won’t like this but if they wish to inspect a site, they can do it when the footings are being dug out,” he said.
Mr Melton - a former builder - said tens of thousands of pounds had been wasted on a dig at the Neale Wade College site, in March, Cambs.
Turning to climate change, he added: “I don’t believe the Polar Bears will be floating down the Nene in my life time or indeed my children’s.”
As archaeologists launched a counter attack, Mr Melton issued a statement clarifying his remarks.
“The thrust of the overall announcement was to highlight that the council wish to pursue a pro active approach to housing growth, economic development and infrastructure provision with a specific focus on sustainability and quality design,” he said.
“Specific issues related to archaeology and conservation has raised significant debate both locally and nationally.
“My previous announcement sought, and has certainly succeeded, in prompting debate to further enhance understanding and co-operation on these important subjects.”
Archaeological groups welcomed the statement.
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5 comments
I agree with the comments posted here, but would add that the costs of digs are not borne by developers,they are borne by the end user,the purchasers of the houses built buy developers. I'd also add that if Melton really wanted to help developers, instead of running off at the mouth about what cannot be achieve, he should set about doing the doable - shaking up the woefully inept planning dept at Fenland Hall.
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Fritz Bosch
Monday, July 18, 2011
It is to be debated whether this is easing of development red tape or wether it is incitement to wanton destruction of Britains historical, yet undiscovered, heritage and past. The costs involved are not very high and are, so I'm informed, in many cases they are reclaimed from taxes paid. I find it odd that developers should not be interested as to the historic remnances and past underneath their shiny new ventures, it seems somewhat detached, ignorant of one's forfathers values and life's, whatever it may be. Mr. Melton does not deserve the publicity his uneducated comments have raised, it is not championing cohesion between business and locality, but the opposite. He has made a laughing stock of himself.
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ingo wagenknecht
Monday, July 18, 2011
Well said Daisy. Whatever the merits or otherwise of his argument, the way Mr Melton has gone about stating his case reflects poorly on both him and Fenland Council
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robotsthatcare
Monday, July 18, 2011
Daisy Roots has got it right again. To deny future generations access to their past would be to repeat the mistakes of the Victorians in covering the countryside in structures - mills, docks, railways, housing - all good things, but with no regard for history.
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JCW
Monday, July 18, 2011
There really isn't anything to debate.At the moment we have a situation where if a developer wants to ripup a site and destroy any possible archeaological evidence or remains, the developer pays to have the site checked and what is found recorded. The costs can be passed on and it is no different to passing on any landfill tax for taking away material dug from site levelling or passing on the cost of sand and gravel quarrying environmental taxes.This is an invented debate, dreamt up by Mr Melton, who seems to think that developers should be able to do what they want where they want. The findings of the Fenland Project can be borrowed from libraries and make fascinating reading- anyone who thinks the Fens are empty of archaeology would get a surprise. And wouldn't we be tiny minded people if we were not prepared to record for future generations the history of our region before we destroy it to build houses? The cost of the surveys surely won't worry most of the big developers and isn't it a good thing if they are prevented from destroying something ancient before anyone knows about it?
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Daisy Roots
Monday, July 18, 2011