Latest News of Local Interest

Removal of overhead power lines [2]

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Eyesore on the ridge above Fulking
The South Downs National Park Authority has another relevant press release on this topic:

UK Power Networks, which delivers electricity supplies in the South East, has just completed a project to remove 1.4 miles of power lines, poles and equipment at the Rathfinny Wine Estate. .. The £426,513 improvements were funded by the electricity distributor’s £6.6 million initiative to enhance nationally-protected landscapes. New underground cables have been laid to replace the power lines on the wine estate and National Trust’s Frog Firle Estate.

Pete Currell, from the South Downs National Park Authority, said: “This underground cabling is just one of three schemes happening in the National Park over the next two years and we hope that we’ll be able to announce two more in the very near future.”

The projects are chosen by a regional steering group of environment experts, including the South Downs National Park, and chaired by Natural England. UK Power Networks provides technical support and guidance and carries out the projects. Between 2010 and 2015 UK Power Networks has £6.6million to invest in projects to replace overhead lines with underground cables in AONBs and National Parks in the South East. Since 2005 the company has removed 86km of power lines to enhance some of Britain’s most important landscapes.

Earlier post here.

SDNPA issues first article 4 direction

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Soberton view
The Hampshire Chronicle reports:

For the first time, the national park authority has removed planning rights for a field at Bere Farm, Soberton, following concerns that the owner was preparing to subdivide it with fences. .. The 20-hectare field has been recognised for its contribution to local views by the Soberton and Newtown Village Design Statement. The article 4 direction removes ‘permitted development’ rights for fences and gates to help protect the panorama. It does not prohibit their erection but means that planning permission is needed beforehand.

The full report is here and the SDNPA press release is here.

Wildlife walk

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Woods Mill summer morning
An afternoon walk on 16th July to celebrate National Countryside Week at Woods Mill Nature Reserve. See the newly restored pond, woodland and meadows. The walk will be led by Steve Tillman, Reserves Manager and Rachel Knott, Volunteer Assistant Reserves Officer, whose training is funded by The Prince’s Countryside Fund. The walk is free but booking is essential (places are limited). Call Georgie on 01273 497507 to book and to discover the start time, assembly point, etc.

In A Gadda Da Vida [update]

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Shoreham Cement Works interior by Darren Nisbett
The West Sussex County Times has been hearing the views of Hargreaves Group, the owner of the mooted iron butterfly sanctuary:

Some references in the media weren’t entirely true. We can’t agree with the SDNPA about what the proposed development will be. They want nice green fields and we don’t want a development unless it’s commercially feasible for us and that there’s some housing developments. The site currently has a B2 General Industrial use, which allows businesses to use the site within designated hours. We have tenants on the West of the site and we get a good return. We could sit on it for the next 20 years and not develop, but we want to work with the parish council and everyone to develop a worthwhile site. It’s a bit of a blight on the landscape and we want to develop it but we are looking at tens of millions of pounds. We’re willing to put in nice walkways and grass land, but we don’t want a butterfly sanctuary.

Read the rest of the report here. Our earlier post is here.

Update 23rd July: Hargreaves have more to say here.

Ash to ashes [update 2]

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Leaves on infected ash
The Midhurst and Petworth Observer reports:

In a report to an [SDNP] authority meeting, chief executive Trevor Beattie told members three cases of ash dieback (Chalara Fraxinea) had been confirmed inside the park. In addition, four cases had been reported just outside the boundaries near Chichester, Horsham and Eastbourne which, he said, risked spreading the disease into the national park. ..

Mr Beattie said: “There is no cure for ash dieback, the disease is here to stay and is expected to spread through the ash population from east to west .. evidence from the past two seasons suggests the spread is slower than expected and spores are moving at a rate of about 10km a year.”

Read the full story here.

A barren, flat land

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SDNPA Discovery Map filtered by viewpoints
If you click the image above you will be taken to the SDNPA’s “Discovery Map” of the National Park set to display all the viewpoints. As you will immediately discover, there are no viewpoints in the National Park. Obviously, that’s because the South Downs, like the Netherlands, is completely flat. Apart from the hyperbolically named Alice Holt Forest, there are no woods either. There are no art galleries, no gardens and no vineyards. If you are consulting this map in order to “Find out what the National Park has to offer!”, the answer from the Midhurst box-tickers is clear: very little.

GJMG

What are the roots that clutch, what branches grow out of this stony rubbish?