Composting ~ green dilemma

When is doing the right thing, potentially not so good? Perhaps when it adversely affects others? Ponder this, composting is good and so is recycling but what about the adverse effects when its location and or scale is inappropriate? There is a planning application in to expand the composting site at Mopes Lane....

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Bradley’s Meadow ~ stay of execution

Last night the Northern Planning Committee, after representations at the meeting from myself, the Parish Council and our unitary councillor Jacqui Lay, agreed with its officer’s recommendation to refuse the application for 50 houses on Bradley’s Meadow in our parish.

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Mud Lane ~ temporarily closed

Not surprisingly, there are several rights of way that are somewhat wet in our parish. What is surprising, though, is that Mud Lane has been officially “temporarily closed” with a Wiltshire Council sign yet several others remain “open”, despite being impassable e.g. the right of way between Bentham Lane and West Marsh Farm. Now why is that? Mud Lane is the right of way that Wiltshire Council had refused to clear for several years and then tried to divert last year. Wiltshire Council lost the appeal and was instructed by […]

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Bradley’s Meadow ~ time to speak

The planning inspector who approved the 200-house development at Moredon Bridge in the parish of Purton said that the adjacent Site of Nature Conservation Interest called Bradley’s Meadow must be excluded from development.  Instead, the developer (Wainhomes, who recently lost the Widham Farm appeal) has come back with an application for 50 houses (Application No: N/11/02763/FUL). The application is being heard at the Northern Area Planning Committee on Wednesday, 8 January, 2014.   The meeting starts at 6 pm and is being held at Chippenham Town Hall. To register to speak […]

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When is composting not always a good thing?

There is a new application at Mopes Lane (technically at Parkgate Farm) to increase the composting tonnage to 50,000 tonnes per year. This comes at a cost: there will be additional Heavy Goods Vehicle movements. This relentless increase in HGV movements is battering the local road feeding Mopes Lane, and carving up the verges.

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Yet more houses?

The planning inspector who is reviewing the emerging Wiltshire Core Strategy is arguing for increasing the number of houses to be built in Wiltshire and also is suggesting an early review of the settlement boundaries (which restricts building in open countryside outside villages) and not wait for the outcomes of the neighbourhood planning process. These two aspects could have profound implications for the future shape and size of Purton and we need to remain vigiliant...

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