Scientology's new plan for Saint Hill's newts: If they die, they die
Alex Barnes-Ross has been keeping a close eye on Scientology’s ongoing attempts to get local officials to sign off on changes at its UK headquarters, Saint Hill Manor in East Grinstead, England. The church has amended its application with planners, and Alex breaks it down for us.
Following a series of setbacks from various government bodies, Scientology has amended its application for a major redevelopment of the Saint Hill compound to accommodate its annual IAS gathering. The church had originally sought permission to convert a large field into a car park and install infrastructure for a 45,000-square-foot marquee, but stopped short of requesting approval for the tent itself.
Among the 38 new documents uploaded this week to the Mid Sussex District Council planning portal is an amended Planning Statement, which now includes a formal request to erect the marquee, despite local residents’ objections over the disruption caused by October’s event in East Grinstead.
Saint Hill sits within an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, where development is tightly restricted to protect the rural landscape. Scientology’s plans cover more than a quarter of a million square feet of land, which their architects describe as “low-key” and “would be barely perceptible.” The updated application concedes that “there would be some loss of intrinsic naturalness, sense of rurality and tranquility to the local landscape context,” while simultaneously describing the development as “only a small part of the local landscape context.”
In the new planning statement, Scientology argues that the project is justified because it will provide “long-term facilities that will benefit a wide range of community and cultural activities,” though it does not mention its intention to consolidate international events at the new L. Ron Hubbard Hall in Clearwater, Florida.
The statement claims that “the scheme has been shaped by community engagement,” yet recent press coverage suggests otherwise, with local residents expressing anger at the “chaos” and “disruption” caused by the event.
Regarding our good friend the Great Crested Newt, the Ecological Appraisal submitted by Scientology notes: “Direct impacts on suitable waterbodies for breeding GCN [Great Crested Newts] are not anticipated. However, the proposed development could result in adverse direct and indirect impacts on GCN, resulting in the death or injury, or disturbance to GCN during their terrestrial phase or result in the damage or destruction of a GCN resting place such as a hibernation site.”
In terms of next steps, a Planning Officer tells me “The applicant is in the process of providing additional information which is being uploaded to the council web site before further consultation takes place. All parties who were consulted on the original application or have made comments will be reconsulted once the final information is uploaded.”
— Alex Barnes-Ross
Bonus items from our tipsters
From Tampa org…
Please welcome Jaxon, our newest Patron [$50,000] of the International Association of Scientologists!
As members of the IAS, we are here to forward the aims of Scientology as stated by L. Ron Hubbard:
“A civilization without insanity, without criminals and without war, where the able can prosper and honest beings can have rights and where Man is free to rise to greater heights are the aims of Scientology.”
Congratulations to Jaxon, and thank you to his family for their support!
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Newts be damned, build structures that will be unused in 5 years. Maybe 10 years, fund raising for the Lroon Hall of Ridiculousness could easily take 10 years. It all depends on how low Miscavige's Scotch fund goes.
The parents of Jaxon are the ones who need the blame for that 'donation'. I hope when Jaxon gets older he doesn't resent his parents too much for that.
So which UK environmental advocacy/activist group does one need to tell about this?