Beaminster Rebellion over Parnham Planning (Dec25)
There was shouting.There were walkouts.There were calls for councillors to resign.Placards were waved reading “Represent Us – Reject Parnham.” Feelings were running high at Beaminster’s extraordinary planning meeting on Parnham – and understandably so. But this was not an angry mob lacking substance. The people who spoke were measured, articulate and deeply informed. Many had […]
All Pain, No Gain for Beaminster
All Pain, No Gain for Beaminster Parnham House – the striking Elizabethan mansion just outside Beaminster – is once again in the spotlight. In 2017 a catastrophic fire gutted the building, leaving behind a shell of what had been one of Dorset’s finest homes. The circumstances were unsettling – and are still mysterious – but […]
Stop Destroying Bembridge (Jul24)
Is all housing good housing? I think not. Look what’s happening in Bembridge on the Isle of Wight. Building has already started on 58 new homes on green field sites and another 130 are waiting for approval. Will the old oaks be chopped? Will the hedges be obliterated? It seems likely. But the issues relating […]
To burn or not to burn (Mar24)
Are fires the best way of getting rid of garden waste or clearing landscapes? I believe that the answer is generally ‘no’! But garden bonfires are ubiquitous and even conservation bodies are using burning as part of their land management plans – for example burning the brash from hedge-laying or trimming and site clearance of […]
Why is our MP not supporting the Dorset National Park? (May21)
Why hasn’t Chris Loder, Dorset MP, talked to the Dorset National Park supporters? Chris Loder contacted our Parish meeting in Hooke saying that he had significant reservations about a Dorset National Park, but without explaining why. He appeared to be soliciting opinion but failed to give any details of the pros and cons. I’ve now […]