A 10-page expert’s report that devastates plans to create a 34.5 acre Country Park at Rabley Wood View, Marlborough, in a bid to build 50 houses on a 4.2 acre adjacent site will be presented to Marlborough town councillors tomorrow night (Monday).
It has left members of the council’s Planning Committee wondering whether accepting the land will result in it becoming a financial burden in the future or a true asset.
They will be deliberating on the plans proposed by the sons of the late multi-millionaire Robert Sangster, to create the park in his memory, a move which are opposed by up to 30 local residents.
Residents’ representatives will seek permission to speak at the committee meeting. Meanwhile, they have called in Paul Horsnall, who holds a BSc in agriculture and has five years of practical experience of managing land adjacent to rivers and ownership of a part–time small holding, some 15 years of providing advice to farmers on farm management, and a further 18 years responsibility for providing various farm management services.
He has been a resident of Marlborough since 2000, living for most of that time in Baywater, overlooking the Og valley.
And his comprehensive, detailed report declares: “I have read the pre-application statement of the development proposal for the residential development on the Rabley Wood recreation area. I have walked the 14 hectare field which Manton estates is prepared to ‘gift’ to Marlborough.
“My concern is that there has not been any evaluation of the suitability of the area proposed as a replacement for either the existing Rabley Wood recreational area, or the work load and costs involved in the development of the proposed country park area.
“I believe it is most important that councillors in discussing the matter should be fully aware of the facts involved in this as no mention is made of them in the pre- application statement.”
Mr Horsnall points out that the field, which it is proposed would make a superior alternative to the existing Rabley Wood recreational ground, is the old bed of the lake which existed in the Middle Ages.
“The land is low lying, with much of it being poorly drained low quality rough grazing,” the report declares. “The best and driest area is that furthest from the river, alongside the A346, which is also the furthest from the proposed access point, approximately 800 metres away.
“From a farm management perspective it is difficult to manage as it:
- Is isolated from the rest of the estate by the busy A346 highway and has no access to any adjoining fields.
- Has no water supply for livestock other than the river. This is a problem if one wishes to graze cattle in the field as they would pollute the river at drinking points increasing the eutrophication potential of both the Og and Kennet. Permitting livestock to have access to watercourses whether for drinking or as fords is actively discouraged by all environmental agencies to prevent bankside erosion and water contamination with faeces. It would be no surprise if such access were legally banned in the near future.
- Has only one, difficult access point off the A346. This makes it difficult to get livestock vehicles and farm machinery in and out of the field.
- Has poor quality livestock handling facilities to gather stock and where livestock in need of veterinary attention can be held.
- Has three fords as the only means of getting from one side of the river to the other. This creates problems in that sheep are reluctant to walk across such fords and it is not good environmental practice to permit livestock access to river beds.
The report before councillors from Shelley Parker, the town clerk, recommends that the expert views and those of residents be passed on to Wiltshire Council, the planning authority.
And it adds that because of the limited information provided about the proposed Country Park the Town Council should ask “that there is enough of a commuted sum to satisfy the Town Council that its management will not be a burden on the local taxpayer in the long run” so that an informed decision can be made.
If carried, the recommendation will go to the next full meeting of the Town Council on January 28.
The housing proposals for high quality two and three-bedroom properties includes meeting Wiltshire Council’s housing needs by 40 per cent of them being classed as affordable homes to meet local needs.
However, there are no clues as to what any of the houses will be priced at.
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