Did you know that limestone is an important ingredient in toothpaste, face powder, and bread? Or that one of the finest porcelain clays in the world comes from a small open pit on the Isle of Purbeck? These and other fascinating facts were revealed to our Sixpenny Handley schoolchildren during their visit (on 19th March) to Swanworth Quarry near Worth Matravers and the ECC Ball Clay Pit near Wareham. The field trip received the excellent support of the Dorset Education and Business Partnership, a programme which, by involving business and industry in a variety of school activities, aims to develop in the students a better economic understanding of the real world of business and industry, and in return gives business some insight into the interests and educational experience of the coming generation. This skilful liaison work between firms and schools is carried out by Joanna Watkins, whose energy and organisation again resulted in a day to remember for the Handley 7-9 year olds.
At Tarmac's site at Swanworth, the children were made most welcome and given an excellent tour of the quarry by manager Derek Haden and his team, who explained in simple terms the whole industrial process from customer order and extraction to processing and delivery. The stone is used in a variety of manufacturing processes but chiefly as aggregates in the building and road-making industries. The limestone quarry itself was an impressive site, the rock face towering above the group of tiny, helmeted children. Exploring the huge diggers with the help of their friendly drivers was a special experience for many, and the piles of stone of graded size emerging from a star of conveyor belts at the central crusher made a lasting impression. The highlight of the day for all, however, was the ‘blast’; the controlled explosion carried out only about once a week, which produces the stone rubble to be processed. The Handley visit was fortunate enough to coincide with this event. To the delight of the privileged onlookers (and from the safety of the far side of the quarry), the whole quarry face appeared to bulge out in slow motion, before descending to a huge rock pile at the base - unforgettable!
The party then moved on to the ECC Ball Clay pit near Wareham, where Development Manager Andy Hill showed the children how the fine dark blue clay (which fires to a superior whiteness) is extracted, and explained how it was laid down in an ancient lake under unusually still conditions.
In addition to learning about the economic aspects of the quarrying, the children were surprised by the extent to which the industries involved now go to reduce the environmental impact of the extraction processes. This was seen most clearly in the huge and costly restoration work undertaken by both companies. At the ECC Ball Clay pit the children walked to the site of a former open pit which has now been sympathetically converted to a lake with reed-beds and island, not for human leisure activities, but purely as a protected nature reserve. At the much bigger Swanworth site, which closes in 10 years, work has already begun on an ambitious project to convert the whole quarry into a wildlife park with lakes and woods where one day Handley children may picnic with their children! As if to symbolise its intention to repossess the site, a huge buzzard accompanied the children at the quarry, circling overhead in the sunshine.
During the next days back at school, with the impressions of this memorable day fresh in their minds, the children wrote poems and painted a huge mural of Swanworth Quarry, which was sent to Mr Haden and his team, with many charming and grateful comments on a splendid day.
At an impassioned Annual Parish Assembly, moved to the Village Hall because the Pavillion was unable to cope with numbers, over 150 people – 10% of the village population met to hear the views of the Parish, District and County Councils on the proposed village envelope developments.
Maps were circulated to the audience showing exactly where the proposed developments were to be. It was then announced by the Chairman, Patrick Chick that eleventh hour negotiations had been sought with the main planning applicators – Messrs Savilles on behalf of Rushmore Estate – and that they were not progressing at this time with their applications for the two sites. The third site owned by Mr S Judd was not an application for development but submitted on his behalf for clarification of demarcation lines around his farm buildings.
There were many in the audience who voiced an opinion of non-information and that rumours had grown. It was generally felt that not all those who should have been informed were. One gentlemen attempting to find further information on the proposed planning change was told by EDDC that plans were held in the Verwood library! The Parish Council agreed to support the argument that we, the people of Sixpenny Handley, are not properly informed of such applications.
Although the applications are not being progressed at this time the inspector will still conduct an enquiry and therefore every one attending the meeting were urged to express their objections to the proposed changes in the village envelope, in writing.
It was agreed that to establish a common theme all letters should be headed
"VILLAGE ENVELOPE WILL NOT BE BREACHED"
The audience was reminded that 100 letters of objection to the District Council carry far more weight than a single petition signed by 100 people and that all letters should be with EDDC by 19th June.
Alan Humphries, our District Councillor, who is now on the EDDC planning committee, emphasises the need for action in a subsequent note to the Editor of this magazine:-
"A number of people have been wrongly informed that the District Council are to allow building development outside of the Village Envelope. This is NOT SO.
Planning officers and members agree that Sixpenny Handley has taken its share of new development in recent years, and must now be protected from further Rural Sprawl, hence the placement of the envelope.
The three areas shaded on the recently published map are sites, the owners of which, have indeed raised objections to the Council’s Policy as detailed in the District Wide Local Plan.
I urge all residents who support the Council's policy in maintaining the Village Envelope, to write now, in order that the inspector when he conducts his inquiry, (starting in a few weeks time), is fully aware of local feeling."
I learn from one of the residents of The Orchard in Sixpenny Handley that the District Council have written to him regarding the Local District Plan, specifically about objections to the line of the Village Envelope. This Plan had been "deposited" in June last year with a request for final objections to be submitted by the 10th of August 1997. It seems strange for the Council to only now be seeking the views of "nearby residents" regarding objections made, presumably, before that final deadline. Surely, the consultation process should have given all interested parties the time to make objections known at the proper time.
Having already spent a small fortune of taxpayer's money on the whole procedure, it is extravagantly foolish of the District Council to re-open the consultation process now just when the public inquiry is about to begin.
The real debate about village envelopes centres, of course, around the desire of local landowners to sell land for development purposes and the concerns of the community to protect the integrity of the village. The purpose of the village envelope is to contain development within its boundary so that the spread of the village does not continue ad infinittum. It is therefore understandable for Sixpenny Handley landowners like, for example, the Rushmore Estate to argue for a change to the boundary line. It is also equally understandable for those directly affected by future development to be concerned about the changes to their lives, something that landowners and developers sometimes fail to appreciate. At a recent meeting of parish councillors with the builder and architect currently developing the land between the school and the church, I was staggered to learn that they equate one bedroom with one car. This means that a small estate of ten three-bedroomed houses will be expected to contain upto if not more than thirty cars. If, for argument's sake, the five sites currently expected to be developed each contain an estate of ten three-bedroomed houses, then Sixpenny Handley can expect an influx of 150 more cars on its already congested roads. This is something the community needs to seriously consider as it moves into the new millennium. Incidentally, the first item of the Parish Council's list of objections to the Local District Plan reads "Village Envelope - Is taken as an objection to the published plan ... in that the village envelope should be returned to its original position".
The deadline for the Downsman just gives me time to report on the Spring Open Day, Sunday 17th May, when once again we were able to provide guides for walks around the woods. About 100 adults and children took up the offer on a gloriously sunny day but a fresh breeze early on, kept some of the birds out of sight and sound until late afternoon. This year the TurtleDoves have arrived on time and are moving around the top of the wood. It seems that we have four calling in all, but so far they have been noted in eight different locations so we could have more than last year. Numbers of common migrants are about normal, with 9 Blackcaps and Chiffchaffs, three Willow and Garden Warblers and a Cuckoo heard most days. Since the last Downsman, a Goshawk has visited, this being the third year running that we have had spring sightings of this rarity. Song Thrushes are doing well with about 9 singing males.
Sadly for the visitors on Open Day the very warm spell had ruined the Bluebells and Ramsons but about 50 species of plant were easily identifiable, including one each of Butterfly and Common Spotted Orchids in flower, with a truly amazing display of both Early Purple and Twayblade Orchids. The heavy rain of the early spring has had a quite remarkable effect on the plants with very luxuriant growth everywhere: Even the Dog’s Mercury is up to 25cms in height.
As the temperature improved so seven different types of butterfly eventually appeared on the day and it could have been eight: Sadly the very early Painted Lady I saw on my way to the woods was just ten feet outside the boundary in a field and does not count. Shame for such an unusual sighting.
Of the other conservation groups there is little to report. A few Long Eared Bats have been monitored but there is little activity yet. Three Dormice appeared for the first check but, as usual, many of the 127 boxes are filled with young birds at this time.
A new Dorset Dormouse Group has been set up in conjunction with the Dorset Wildlife Trust. The aim of the group is to monitor Dormice in the county, share information and contribute to the National Species Recovery programme. The first meeting of the group was held at Garston in May and was attended by the head of the programme, Pat Morris and his wife, who came down from Royal Holloway College.
Mr Morris is an international expert on small mammals, particularly the hedgehog, Dormouse and Edible Dormouse. He was particularly impressed with the woods, this being his first visit.
Regrettably, I have to report yet another pointless theft, this time of a Dormouse box clearly marked in white paint G3. If any one knows the whereabouts, please return it. From another incident, the Police are investigating an individual regarding interference with nest boxes.
Would any locals who are dumping their grass cuttings and garden waste in the woods please desist!
Lastly, an apology to a few local dog walkers if we are changing your routine. Some of the deer and mammal paths have become so large that people are now attempting to use them regularly, particularly along the western edge of the woods. In summer, we frequently have to rescue visitors from thick hazel where they have strayed off the designated paths. That section of the wood is being conserved for migrant warblers and Dormice by letting the scrub reform over a period of time. It is necessary therefore, for us to build temporary fences to restrict access to walkers (and the odd motorbike!), we hope you will understand.