Apart from anything else where were the children of sixty to eighty new houses to go to school, as seemingly the Nadder Middle School Premises may no longer be available for such use? This proposed Development is one contrary to the better interest of Tisbury as a Village, and for its future as a mixed Community. Station Works is needed as a workplace for local people. If it is to be otherwise redeveloped it could be used for affordable housing maybe a Village Hall, a better-sited Garage and fuel pumps, even a relocated mini- market.

Between the lodging of this Application in December 2003 and the 12th August 2004. Planning Officers spent Eight months negotiating with the Applicant’s Agent. Much of the cost of this application, and of the preceding one will have been borne by all those who are Community Charge Payers. The matter of Station Works is the most important Planning Issue that Tisbury has had to deal with for maybe a quarter of a Century. It is far more significant than the proposed redevelopment at Hindon Lane, because not only would it lose us jobs, but it would infringe the village envelope so recently determined by District Councillors. An adjoining owner advises that if permission is granted to build housing at Station Works, he too will consider seeking such permission on his land.

Apart from the logistical implications of building sixty to eighty houses in the village, there was a financial implication. If in the course of the Western Area soiree at Dinton Village Hall, these plans had been approved, the Station Works currently valued at £800,000 would have risen in value to between £ 3-4,000,000. The day might easily have gone down in history as the Glorious 12th.

What you may wonder did the Ten Councillors on the Western Area Planning Committee do about this multi- million pound project when the matter was to be decided? Well the usual Chair of the Committee, Councillor Mrs Willin; and Councillors Brown-Holvoet, and Morgan had presented their apologies for absence. One is given to understand that they were away on their annual holiday. Councillors’ Jeremy Hooper (Tisbury) and T.F.Couper (Knoyle) proposed and seconded support for the redevelopment. Councillors Mrs Jose Green (Tisbury) and G.E.Jeans abstained from voting on the issue, so it was left to Councillors E.R.Draper, P.D.Edge, and the acting Chair Mrs Spencer to vote against the Development. Thus

The Noes had it, by just one vote. 2 votes for, 3 against.

Five District Councillors spoke against the Development. Western Area did not hold the final decision on this matter which still has to go before the Regulatory Committee of the full Council. Undoubtedly all Councillors will attend that meeting, it is quite probable that they will accept their Planning Officer’s advice and refuse the application.

It is remarkable that such an important matter was submitted to the Western Area Planning Committee at the height of the holiday season. Tisbury Parish Council avoids meeting in August. Clearly there should be some similar window for District Councillors. They had no notice that the matter would be coming before the Committee on the day it did. The Agenda was sent out whilst some of them were already away. Maybe Councillors should have put the application back until September or October, or have considered it in July.

The applicant spent a lot of their Shareholders money on making this application. Surely they too were entitled to have a better hearing than they got? There was a further complication that may have effected the issue ,this in the Applicant's favour. Rumour had wrongly linked The Station Works application to the matter of the proposed Development off Hindon Lane. What was spoken of, was that the development of one site might to ‘traded off’ against the other. Was it such misinformation that encouraged so many Hindon Lane Residents to give their strong support to the Station Works application? It would not be for a Planning Officer to unilaterally strike such a deal. Neither could any Councillors allow themselves to be influenced by such a unilateral understanding even if there had been one. It might well have landed up with their prosecution. There was a similar sort of misunderstanding in the early 1960's, when a Camberley Town Councillor was taken before Farnham Magistrates, was fined and had costs awarded against him.

A major part of the objection to Hindon Lane, was that Tisbury could not absorb some seventy houses etc. etc. All such objections being on top of the inability of the road to take the traffic. Station Works was an application for far more houses than proposed for Hindon Lane, and the access is quite as bad. All the other objections hold good for both sites. It is therefore remarkable that we had a public meetings concerning Hindon Lane, and a village referendum on the matter, whilst the Station Works applications were twice approved by Tisbury Parish Councils, more or less on the nod. There should have been a lot more public consultation, and more discussion by the Parish Council on December 16th 2003 before they acquiesced to the conversion of a site so important to the future of Tisbury. A site may one add that only six months previously the District Council Plan had designated as being unsuited to such development.

Nadder Middle School Premises. According to Focus the Church Magazine. Tisbury Parish Council was asked which of three options they favoured for this site. The first one was that it should be sold to the Plymouth Brethren. The second that it should be sold to someone else, the third that the buildings be knocked down and the site used for housing. One wonders whether here was the opportunity to build all that affordable housing the Parish Council is so desperate to acquire? No need for an entrance to Hindon Lane, just straight up through the Churchill Estate through the space into the field beyond, and there one is at the School, indeed rather near the Hindon Lane site too. It seems they favoured the Brethren, reportedly because there would still be the opportunity to use the old School Hall, and the swimming pool. Well such was the decision made.

The Millennium Memorial Hall
Hiring the Nadder School Hall is certainly the easiest decision to take. One may not doubt that the proposed owners would make an attentive landlord. However is it in the better interest of Tisbury to be dependent on a third party for such a basic need? Much smaller communities such as Dinton and Charlton, have recently enough provided themselves with quite excellent new village Halls. Can not Tisbury and West Tisbury do the same, do we have to take the easiest way out? Having a village Hall up on top of a hill just isn't very convenient for many people, especially for all those who have to walk there. At times in the winter all approaches can become very iced up and dangerous. It would be a better idea to have a more conveniently located Hall. Possibly close to the Public car Park. Some years ago the owner of adjoining land put in for planning permission. At the time he offered to donate land to extend that car park, and to provide for some sheltered accommodation. Maybe he might still be prepared to discuss a scheme that would benefit the local population. There is talk of a village plan, about time too, currently one has little idea what decision our Parish Councillors will make next.

News of Tisbury Parish Council
Well maybe not quite news but they have lost yet another of their recently co- opted members. Is there anyone out there willing to offer themselves as a replacement? Please do not apply just because you think you are doing the rest of us a favour, or because you think it might be an antidote to boredom, or because you are a one issue candidate. It is useless to become a Parish Councillor if all one is willing to do is turn up, listen and then vote. The village needs someone willing to fight their corner, who has some knowledge of and a real interest in local matters. Also if one may use such an expression ‘ a little fire in their belly’ I suppose one contacts the Parish Clerk, Mrs Sandra Harry of Donhead 828699.

Tisbury and West Tisbury
What is all that about? One is told the divide line is somewhere close to Tisbury Parish Church. Surely we do not need two Parish Councils? Two Parish Clerks, both posts until last June occupied by the one person. Even now West Tisbury Parish Clerk is also a Tisbury Parish Councillor. Both Parishes often have an insufficiency of Parish Councillors. Why do we not amalgamate the two Parishes then we might have sufficient candidates to hold an an election for Parish Councillors. I have lost count of the number of co-options to Tisbury Parish Council since May 2003. Are we now up to nine? One presumes West Tisbury will no longer have access to Pytt House for their meetings, they might be glad to shack up with Us. I do not suggest a Civic Affair, but a proposal of marriage!

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It is very easy to sit back and seemingly criticise whilst others do all the work. It maybe that all those actually doing the work are so busy that they can not as one might say, see the wood for the trees. The future of this Village is our responsibility. Just reacting to situations, and talking of windfall sites such as Station Works, or the Nadder School will not solve anything. People do need to be involved more. It is unfortunate when newcomers arrive here in retirement, join this that and the other, and then squander the opportunity for their new blood to move things on, preferring to conform to the perceived status quo ante.

Communications there is a Church magazine called ‘Focus’. An efficiently produced invaluable publication in its own sphere. Why is it that they seemingly abandoned the Sudan in favour of Afghanistan for months on end? Why not Chechnya where a neighbour works? Why are we so obsessed with the lives of local farming folk, and not employment at say ‘Messrs Parmiters site’? It is not as though the publication is dedicated to the non- secular, because the March 2004 issue of Focus carried a seemingly editorial notice concerning a special meeting of the Conservative Party.

There is room for a Freebie in the village. Dinton (they of the Village Hall) and Teffont have one, Gillingham has one, Stockbridge has one. So too Shaftesbury. We don’t! There have been a couple of recent attempts to produce one. The Parish Council distributed a news sheet a while back. It would not be an unreasonable use of Parish funds if there is sponsorship of a freebie. There are reports of Parish Council meetings in Focus, but how many people read Focus? It is the publication of the Anglican Team Ministry.

Somehow Tisbury needs to drum up enthusiasm for Civic affairs, Everything else runs rather well. Maybe www.southwilts.com will do the trick.

John B. Pope
(the Upper Chicksgrove One)