What should have happened here?
Building on the meadow was financed partly by the Heritage Lottery Fund. The loss of green space and trees here are odds with the edicts of the fund which:
“gives grants to ‘sustain and transform our heritage’ and this includes funding for our ‘..parks and historic places….natural environment and cultural traditions…’
‘Ninesprings ‘ was formerly part of the Aldon Estate which was taken into the borough in 1928. This land was eventually acquired by the District Council who today are South Somerset District Council. As such, this beauty spot, enjoyed by Her Majesty The Queen during her Jubilee visit in May 2012, is the peoples’ heritage. Ironic then that a Heritage Fund should take away ‘our’ heritage.
There is no excuse for this. When planning was approved, the applicant’s preferred location had been turned down by the council on spurious grounds. False information was used by the council to support the change of location. The council’s own documents, contained in this website, attest to this.
What might have been:
- Allow the building to be erected where the applicant originally wanted it about 50 metres to the west;
- Save the “Queen’s Meadow” from building and mark this spot with a Royal plaque. N.B. The council’s plaque was erected on a bank well away from Queen’s Meadow!
- Keep the flat meadow intact for all posterity
- Maintain the status quo allowing the land to be used for social events as currently enjoyed
- Maintain the peaceful ambience seasonally enjoyed
Winning picture for 2013:
Geograph of Britain and Ireland
In this picture the three mature maple trees, to the left of the family in the picture, have been axed as well as three silver birches to the right of them. Ironic that this picture was voted best ‘Geograph’ picture for 2013 in Britain and Ireland. Within months they were cut down.
