Campaigners for the closure of RAF Menwith Hill will resume their weekly protests this evening.
The protest first took place in 2000 but was halted in March last year due to the covid pandemic.
Supporters of the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign will stand outside the main gates of the base from 6.00pm to 7.30pm.
Campaigner Sarah Swift said:
“This regular peaceful protest was started by the Campaign for the Accountability of American Bases in 2000. As has been said before, ‘It’s time they went!'”.
Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or ‘golf balls’, are a distinctive feature of the site.
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Meanwhile, Harrogate Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the latest expansion at the base soon.
The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has submitted plans to add a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.
However, the application has proved controversial because it would involve felling a memorial tree planted in memory of the late Bob Cryer MP in 1994.
Mr Cryer campaigned for transparency at Menwith Hill and secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died in 1994. He claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.
Mr Cryer’s widow, the former Keighley MP Ann Cryer, told the Stray Ferret she was “very upset” at the proposals.
RAF Menwith Hill protest to take place tomorrowA protest will take place at RAF Menwith Hill tomorrow as part of the International Day of Action Against Foreign Military Bases.
Campaigners say the day will “show solidarity and opposition” to over 1,000 overseas military bases that exist around the world.
The socially distanced protest is being organised by Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and Yorkshire CND.
Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or ‘golf balls’, are a distinctive feature of the site.
Read more:
Meanwhile, Harrogate Borough Council is expected to make a decision on the latest expansion at the base soon.
The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has submitted plans to add a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.
However, the application has proved controversial because it would involve felling a memorial tree planted in memory of the late Bob Cryer MP in 1994.
Mr Cryer campaigned for transparency at Menwith Hill and secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died in 1994. He claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.
Mr Cryer’s widow, the former Keighley MP Ann Cryer, told the Stray Ferret she was “very upset” at the proposals.
Mr and Miss Harrogate cancelled due to low competitor numbersBodybuilding barber David Steca has cancelled plans to stage a Mr and Miss Harrogate competition on August 1.
Mr Steca, who is a multi-titled bodybuilder, intended to stage the event in a in a marquee near his home in Menwith Hill.
But he announced on social media the event will not take place. He said:
“After much deliberation, I am sad to announce the cancellation of the show. Competitor numbers are very low, which would not make for an entertaining day.
“It’s a shame but it needed to be entertaining and the numbers need to work.
“Thank you to all the generous sponsors who came forward to support the day.”
Mr Steca, 61, owns Steca No6 in Harrogate and another salon in Leeds.
Besides being a barber, he also trains physique athletes for competitions.
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Upset and anger at plans to remove MP’s memorial tree at Menwith Hill
Former Labour MP Ann Cryer has said she is “very upset” at plans to remove a memorial tree dedicated to her late husband at an entrance of RAF Menwith Hill in Nidderdale.
Bob Cryer, who was the Labour MP for Bradford South, died in a car accident in 1994.
He campaigned for transparency at Menwith Hill and secured a debate in parliament a few months before he died when he claimed the aim of the base was to “assert and retain United States supremacy”.
The Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, has submitted plans to Harrogate Borough Council to add a new visitor centre, vehicle canopy and changes to the road junction on Menwith Hill Road.
However, this would involve removing the alder tree planted and dedicated to Mr Cryer in 1994. The tree is planted alongside the public highway and is not owned by the MOD.
Ms Cryer, who was MP for Keighley from 1997 until 2010, told the Stray Ferret the plans to remove the tree were “very worrying”.
Former MP Ann Cryer. Credit: the BBC
She said:
“I feel quite hurt that they would disregard something like this. If they are removing the tree you would think someone would contact me. I am very upset and would like a response and an apology from the people at the base.
“It’s not just about the tree, it’s about the people that lie behind it.”
Originally positioned to the east of the entrance, the tree was dug up when new slip roads were incorporated. It was replanted and rededicated by Ms Cryer in October 2002.
‘A mockery of defence’
There are now at least 38 ‘golf balls’ at the site.
Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or ‘golf balls’, are a distinctive feature of the site.
There have been several applications in recent years to expand the base and add more golf balls. Each time, the MOD says expansion is needed for security and defence reasons, which Ms Cryer questioned.
She said:
“Menwith Hill makes a mockery of defence and is an appalling breach of our democracy.
“It’s always been the source of anxiety for myself and others. Why do they need to expand?”
“Bob was so cross that a beautiful part of England has been used in this way.”
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Sarah Swift, from the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign group, has objected to Harrogate Borough Council about the plans to remove the tree.
As part of the planning application, the MOD commissioned a tree survey that did not recognise the significance of the memorial tree and placed it in the ‘C category’, which it described as being of ‘low quality and value’.
Ms Swift also told the Stray Ferret that several plaques that were attached to the tree have been mysteriously removed in recent years.
She added:
“Bob Cryer was tireless in his efforts to bring public and parliamentary scrutiny to the activities of Menwith Hill.”
When the tree was replanted in 2002, and an image of the now missing plaque. Credit: Alastair Hurley
A Harrogate Borough Council spokesman said:
“We are working with our colleagues in the arboriculture team, and applicant, to find a solution for the memorial tree at Menwith Hill.”
An MOD spokesperson said:
Bodybuilding barber David Steca to stage Mr Harrogate“Planning matters are a matter for the local authority who will make a decision on the Menwith Hill application in due course.
“Nevertheless, the MOD have been made aware of some concerns raised by a member of the public and as a matter of course will be looking into them, however, it would be inappropriate to comment further at this time.”
Bodybuilding barber David Steca is to stage a Mr Harrogate competition this summer to showcase the area’s finest physiques.
Mr Steca, who owns Steca No6 in Harrogate and another salon in Leeds, is one of the most experienced and successful bodybuilders in the north of England, with a string of titles to his name.
He has won numerous British and international trophies and continues to compete at the age of 61 as well as train clients.
He plans to stage the event on August 1 in a marquee with seating for up to 200 people near his home in Menwith Hill. He said:
“The aim is to inspire and give local physique and fitness enthusiasts a goal coming out of covid.
“I want to give something back and provide a local platform to enthusiasts.”
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There will be a wide range of male and female categories catering for the toned beach body look through to hardcore bodybuilding.
Mr Steca added there will be British and world champion judges, along with food, nutrition and clothing stalls.
There will be HG postcode classes and open classes. Entry fee is £20 and spectator tickets are £20 and £10 for under-12s.
The event will also be a qualifying competition for the IBFA British Championships.
Mr Steca added:
“We already have prizes from local business for class winners. We look forward to an exciting day of muscle and fitness!”
Menwith Hill to expand with new ‘golf ball’
Harrogate Borough Council has granted the Ministry of Defence planning permission to build a new 30-metre high radome and electrical substation at RAF Menwith Hill.
It follows an application last year from the MoD to build three more radomes at the site, which was also passed.
There are now over 30 distinctive radomes, or “golf balls”, at the secretive site. The radomes are believed to house satellites and transmitters.
Washburn Parish Council said it was concerned by the expansion, as well as the detrimental visual impact created by the new radome.
However, it said it “recognises the important security roll” that Menwith Hill plays.
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In granting the application, council case officer Mike Parkes said the national security benefits of the radome outweighed its “harmful effects” on the Nidderdale landscape.
Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base.
Since 2000, protestors have taken part in a weekly demonstration outside Menwith Hill, which has been halted due to lockdown.
Sarah Swift, from the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign group, said:
Menwith Hill protest to take place tomorrow“We find the expansion of the site and of the base’s operations very worrying indeed.
“We believe that the activities of the base do not enhance the security of our area, our country or our world.”
A protest will take place tomorrow both online and outside Menwith Hill against what campaigners say is the increasing “militarisation of space”.
It’s been organised by the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign (MHAC) and the Yorkshire branch of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament (YCND). The event will include speakers, film, and an online link with protesters at the base.
The event forms part of “Keep Space for Peace Week”, which aims to highlight concerns about the US Space Force, a new branch of the US Armed Forces.
One of the speakers, Will Griffin, will be showing extracts from his recent film about the role of Menwith Hill.
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Built in the 1950s on the edge of Nidderdale, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or “golf balls”, are a distinctive feature of the site.
Since 2000, protestors have taken part in a weekly demonstration outside Menwith Hill, which has been halted due to lockdown.
In February this year, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission for the Ministry of Defence to build three new radomes at the site.
Campaigners to protest against Menwith Hill on Independence DayCampaigners will meet outside Menwith Hill on American Independence Day, July 4, to protest against the secretive surveillance base.
The event is being organised by the Menwith Hill Accountability Campaign and a letter will be handed to the site’s US Chief of Station. A webinar for people protesting at home will also take place and will include speeches from experts in the field of surveillance.
Sarah Swift from MHAC told the Stray Ferret they want to raise awareness about what goes on at the site, which she called a “great spider’s web underground”.
She said:
“They are collecting so much information and we need to question what the base is doing here.
“Some people see the radomes as beautiful artefacts but I find them very sinister.”
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Ms Swift also said that President Donald Trump’s unique foreign policy style could leave the area exposed to a military attack.
She said:
“I do feel very worried. The first thing in any major conflict is the enemies target communication centres first.”
The Stray Ferret has asked the Ministry of Defence, which owns the site, for a response to the protests. It has not responded at the time of publication.
Built in the 1950s, Menwith Hill is the United States’ largest overseas surveillance base. Giant radomes, or “golf balls”, are a distinctive feature of the site. A 2016 investigation published by The Intercept that included documents from whistleblower Edward Snowden found Menwith Hill has been involved in controversial drone bombing campaigns in Yemen.
Since 2000, protestors have taken part in a weekly demonstration outside Menwith Hill which has been halted due to lockdown.
In February this year, Harrogate Borough Council granted planning permission for the Ministry of Defence to build three new radomes at the site.