The promised consultation on the future of Marlborough’s Stonebridge Meadow began with an event on Saturday morning (June 21) at the Town Hall.
Stonebridge is the 15 acre meadow to the east of the town and beside the River Kennet. It was bought in 2011 as a joint enterprise of the Town Council and Action for the River Kennet (ARK.)
It is managed for the benefit of the people of Marlborough and the wildlife of the meadow and river. Its management has aroused some controversy in the town – it is difficult to find two people who have the same views of what the meadow should be like and should be used for.
The consultation which runs the standard six weeks through to August 2, is about the meadow’s future. As ARK’s director, Charlotte Hitchmough told Marlborough News Online: “It’s about looking ahead – because we need to review the management plan. We want to find out what people like and what they don’t like about the meadow – so we can build in new elements into the management plan.”
The star attraction at the event was ARK’s new ‘table top river’. It arrived last Monday from the United States and has already had two full days’ use by primary school children.
The model can demonstrate basic principles of river behaviour, subtle channel movements and how sediment is transported. It will be a great help to primary, GCSE and A level students who all have some level of river geography in their syllabuses.
Called the ‘emriver’ it uses three sizes of specially coated granules which imitate the different ways sediment is moved by water. You can alter the amount of water running down the ‘river’ and show how bridges, pipes, rocks and plants can change the flow and effect flooding. You can even simulate dredging and show how river banks are eroded.
ARK has bought this ‘geomodel’ with grants from the Marlborough Area Board and the Hilldrop Foundation. It will be used without charge by schools in the Marlborough area and be hired out as available to other schools.
ARK also plan to use it to show farmers how the Kennet can be altered: “If you do something up here, it will have an effect downstream.”
Councillor Bryan Castle, former Chair and now Vice Chairman of the Town Council’s Amenities and Open Spaces Committee, was on hand persuading people to fill in the consultation questionnaire. This is a survey of people’s use of the meadow, their views about what makes it special and about its future.
As we have reported, there is a controversial move to make part of the meadow into football pitches. And views are canvassed on this and on other possible future uses such as mountain biking, limited catch and release fly fishing, picnicking and nature conservation with no public access.
There is also a section asking whether people oppose or support a list of seven developments which have taken place over the two years of the existing management plan.
A steady flow of people left their Saturday shopping to come to the Town Hall and ask about the consultation – some with well known opinions and even some gripes and others with plans of their own. One woman said she wanted the river damned downstream of the meadow so it would flood across the meadow – “Flooding it like water meadows should.”
The consultation form is available online at the Town Council website and copies can be obtained from ARK and the Town Council offices. Below is the front page of the consultation document:
A peaceful solstice was had by all at Avebury as crowds watched the midsummer sunrise
