Barry Cuff takes a look at what happened on the plot in August, the height of harvest season
‘We are now picking Purple Magnolia, a snap pea.’ All images: Barry Cuff
The weather during the month was very variable: despite many dull days, most crops were ready to harvest around the same time as they were last year, and by the end of the month around half the plot had been cleared of crop and bio-matter. These areas will be sown with green manure during September and October. Little watering was needed through the month, except for the thirsty vegetables such as runner beans, celery and celeriac.
Autumn salad and stir fry veg – Going in after potatoes. Sown/planted so far: Chinese cabbage, radicchio, leaf mixes, mizuna and golden streaks mustard. More will be sown in September. Beetroot – We’re now lifting regularly as required from successional sowings. Brassicas – All growing under a net to protect from pigeons! There was an explosion of caterpillars, both large and small white butterflies, around the middle of August. Normally we just pick these off the plants, but under a net this is difficult so they were sprayed with Deltamethrin – avoiding any plants which were near to harvesting. Broccoli – Both early and late varieties doing well Brussels Sprouts – The plants are now between four and five foot tall, and all looking well. Calabrese – (Ironman) We picked some excellent heads mid month, and now these will produce side shoots. Cabbage – Red Drumhead: good plants, we’re harvesting as required for stir-fries, salads etc. Savoy: winter/spring varieties Vertus and Wintessa were planted out on 9th. Cauliflower – We’re cutting nice heads of the cheesy and white step varieties this month. Spring varieties Snow March and Medallion were planted out on 6th. Carrot – (Early Nantes) Last sowing made on 4th: these will only be any good if the weather is favourable. Earlier sowings are doing well, and we’re already using early ones as required. Celeriac – Looking good and ready for mulching.
‘We harvested our first cobs on 22nd August – a good size and delicious!’
Celery – (Golden Self Blanching) We have harvested two plants early, and will harvest the rest over the autumn as required. Chicory – Witloof for chicons. Looking well, with nice strong plants. Courgette – Currently cutting every other day. Dwarf French bean – Good yields from Safari and nearly finished cropping. Nautica is our later variety and is still cropping well. Flowers (for the bees and for cutting) – All looking good: tithonia, echinops, echium, zinnia and coreopsis Fruit – We’ve had good yields from both varieties of raspberry (Joan J and Autumn Treasure) Leek – Planted out after the broad beans and potatoes, but seeing fairly slow growth. They probably need rain. Lettuce – (Little Gem) We are never short of lettuces as we sow every month. Mangetout – The Carouby De Massaune have finished and we are now picking Purple Magnolia, a snap pea. Onion – (Bonus) All harvested with lower yields this year due to White Rot. Each year we lose up to 20 per cent to this disease. We live with this, expecting the losses despite a six year rotation. The experts reckon that an eight-to-ten year gap is required to clear it. Parsnip – Two rows looking well for the winter. Potatoes – We dug our last row on the 8th: we had excellent yields this year. Runner beans – Picking every other day.
‘We’re picking tomatoes every day, with some good yields’
Squash – The bed is like a jungle, many fruits forming and most plants stopped. Sweetcorn – (Swift) We harvested our first cobs on 22nd – a good size and delicious! Sweet pepper and tomatoes (in the greenhouse) – Good yields from the greenhouse. We’re picking tomatoes every day, with good yields, and no more blossom-end rot which we experienced earlier in the season.
On 3rd September, more than 150 people gathered in the splendid Members Pavilion at The Dorset County Show to celebrate the 4th annual Love Local Trust Local (LLTL) Awards.
The event was the result of months of preparation, culminating in a night that showcased the remarkable stories and achievements of local producers and businesses. The busy drinks reception was followed by a delicious array of dishes crafted from the finest local produce – many from LLTL members and award entrants. It was an evening of connection for the Dorset businesses, and familiar faces and newcomers alike shared stories, celebrated their accomplishments and took pride in their contributions to the local economy and community. Barbara Cossins, founder of LLTL, delivered a speech highlighting the impressive efforts of both the youngest emerging startups and the long-established businesses. She praised their dedication to supporting local communities and maintaining sustainable practices in a perennially difficult market. Paul Dunlop of Blanchards Bailey introduced the judges, before the winners and the highly commended entrants across 16 categories were announced. The pride in the room was palpable – both of those winning recognition, and the wider room celebrated their collective success in being part of such a thriving community. The evening concluded with a special Lifetime Achievement Award, honouring long-standing dedication to the local community. Then Barbara closed the night with the first ever live performance of the new Love Local Trust Local song, My Story (see video, left). Written and performed by LLTL members, the song was written to raise funds to support the organisation’s mission of promoting and protecting local produce and practices.
Buckle up, Dorset – the 2024 Clayesmore Classic & Supercar Sunday was one for the record books! An estimated 5,500 people turned up to soak up the sunshine, the sounds – and, of course, the sensational 650-odd classic and supercars. From gleaming vintage classics to jaw-dropping supercars, the display was nothing short of car enthusiast heaven. The star of the show? A McLaren Speedtail prototype (left) valued at a casual £3.5 million. This futuristic beauty had everyone doing double-takes.
Haynes Heritage brought along some of their magnificent restoration projects, adding a dash of nostalgia to the shining speed machines. The Rev Off – watched by what felt like all 4,000 visitors in the showground gathered together to cheer – was magnificently, ridiculously LOUD.
Rev Off aside, the air was alive with toe-tapping tunes that kept spirits high and feet moving, and the smallest visitors had an absolute blast zooming around the assault course in the MINIrovers. One small boy was dragging his dad excitedly by the hand, giddily squeaking ‘Daddy! That’s the Huracan from my sticker book!’ Families picnicked, car owners compared notes and window-shopped, car fans couldn’t believe their eyes … and Sporting Bears Dream Rides raised more than £4,500 for charity. Clayesmore is synonymous with the famous chandelier scene from Only Fools and Horses, so it was fitting to have the iconic yellow three-wheeler on display! The owner, a ringer for 1980s Del Boy, was happy to pose in his sheepskin coat for photos.
As the day unfolded, the crowd was treated to a breathtaking aerobatic performance by a Spitfire, courtesy of AeroLegends. The show came to a quiet standstill and thousands of people stood with faces turned upwards as the lone aircraft soared, growled, looped and barrel-rolled overhead, leaving everyone in silent awe as they looked on. It was a powerful reminder of the engineering of the past – and the bravery of those who flew them. The 2024 Clayesmore Classic & Supercar Sunday was a spectacular success.
Motorcycling enthusiasts, mark your calendars! DocBike is thrilled to announce a new partnership with The Dorset Bike Festival for this year’s annual charity ride out, set to take place on Saturday, 21st September 2024. The popular event offers motorcyclists one of the last chances to hit the road before winter, all in support of a great cause. Last year’s Ride Out saw more than 600 riders raise more than £10,000 for DocBike, a charity dedicated to preventing motorcycle injuries and fatalities. This year promises to be even bigger, with five Ride Out routes starting from Dorset, Devon, Hampshire and Somerset, all culminating at the Dorset Bike Festival at Wooders Campsite in Bere Regis. The Festival, 20th to 22nd September, is packed with live music, stalls from motorcycle dealers, bike displays, a bar, food stalls and entertainment. For those wanting to stay and enjoy into the night, camping and glamping options are available. DocBike, which receives no direct government funding, relies on public generosity to continue its critical work, placing highly trained trauma doctors or paramedics on motorcycles to save lives. Registration for the Ride Out is now open, costing £15 per person, including festival entry and raffle participation. Visit docbike.org for more information and to sign up.
Pauline Batstone shares her monthly round up of what’s happening among the town’s collection of community enterprises and events
Sturminster Newton’s Riverside Fest. All images Courtenay Hitchcock
It’s a big month in Stur with the Cheese Festival fast approaching (14th and 15th of September), so there’s lots to make a note of for the town’s busiest weekend of the year:
All SturAction’s shops – The Boutique, 1855 and The Emporium (which incorporates Dapper Chaps, the Art Gallery and the Furniture Shop) will be open 10am to 5.30pm during the two days of the festival.
The Boutique of preloved ladies and children’s clothes is currently holding a Summer Sale. You can pick up Any Five items for £10 – including shoes and handbags! (NB there are some excluded items in the glass cabinet and upstairs)
The Museum will be open throughout the Festival weekend, 10 til 5pm
There will also be milling at the Mill form 11am to 5pm both days.
Harts of Stur are open throughout the weekend, and they have set up a busy schedule of demonstrations along with in-store offers and goody bags
All our pubs will be open through the evenings so do wander up into town to continue the fun – or enjoy a saunter over the bridge to The Bull, which is also offering wild camping to anyone wanting to stay overnight and there’ll be live music from Vanilla Radio on Sat 14th from 8pm
Tug O’ War at the Riverside Fest
And a note for the business diary The Stur Business Awards are booked for Thursday 6th March 2025, and entries will opening in late October. To launch the Awards there will also be a Business Exchange with speakers in the Baxters Room of the John Roman’s Building at lunchtime on Friday 8th November – more details to follow!
Controversy in Henstridge: Council overrides local opposition and greenlights 130-home development despite safety concerns and infrastructure challenges
by Rachael Rowe
When 266 residents formally write to complain about a housing proposal and more than 80 people turn up at a planning meeting to make their feelings known, it’s clear that the community is genuinely concerned about a proposed development. Stalbridge, Henstridge and Templecombe straddle the Dorset/Somerset border, and all have experienced several large planning applications in the last few years, all of which have added pressure to the A357 corridor which winds through the villages and onwards to the A30 and A303. Now, a further large development in the Townsend Green area of Henstridge has raised questions as to how planning applications are decided and infrastructure provided.
The road through Henstridge For more than five years, developers have been seeking permission to build 130 houses on a field in Henstridge from which traffic would flow onto an already congested A road, with an alternate route affecting a school run. The development was unanimously rejected by South Somerset District Council in January 2018, and on appeal a directive was imposed, preventing construction until the issue of pedestrian safety on the A357 in Henstridge had been resolved. Many homes in the centre of Henstridge are listed, built at a time before cars existed, let alone the number present today. Doors open directly onto what is now the A357. The village has no mains gas supply: deliveries such as heating oil must be done from the street, sometimes bringing traffic to a standstill. In parts there is no pavement, in others are narrow pinch points. Passing places are very limited, and two large lorries are unable to pass without stopping on an A road. Any major building development would need to carefully consider the implications of increased traffic flow and pedestrian safety.
Plans for 130 homes on Woodhayes Way in Henstridge by Roberts Limbrick Architects
Refused and then agreed In April this year, Somerset Council unanimously refused the Henstridge application. The developers appealed, and a date was set for a hearing by the Planning Inspectorate for 6th October. Henstridge Parish Council engaged Counsel and began preparing for the appeal. But the process was stopped in its tracks when parish councillors discovered that a meeting had been scheduled on 29th July between the developers, Barratt David Homes, the planning inspector and Somerset Council. The meeting was to be held in private, and Henstridge Parish Council had to apply to attend. Henstridge councillor Adrian Gaymer explained: ‘A “Statement of Common Ground” was discussed at the end of the meeting, which had been signed on 24th and 25th July by all parties. The copy requested by our representative showed that the only part of the appeal still in dispute was the condition that dealt with pedestrian safety, and how to achieve it to everyone’s satisfaction. The inspector asked everyone to focus on this condition alone.’ However, at some stage on the same day the developers proposed a scheme for the discharge of conditions of condition 10iii to Somerset Council. That scheme was not disclosed to Henstridge Parish Council for eight days and is now visible on the Somerset Council Planning Portal as 24/01727/DOC1. Councillor Gaymer continued: ‘Four days later, on Friday 2nd August, we understand that this proposal was officially agreed by the planning officer and condition 10 in all three parts was discharged as acceptable, hence building could start. On Tuesday 6th August planning officer John Hammond emailed the parish council to break the news to us that condition 10 had been discharged.’ This case is one that was unanimously rejected by elected councillors in April this year – it raises questions as to how council officers can make decisions on planning. Somerset Council has to deal with hundreds of decisions each week and if each one were to go to a committee there would be countless delays. However, the council’s constitution allows decisions to be delegated to officers in specific circumstances, primarily for business continuity. As the developers submitted an application for a discharge of conditions it is automatically delegated to a planning officer to make a decision. The Highways Authority also had no objections to the application. It is unclear from the documents on the planning portal whether a site visit was carried out or whether the decision was made from a desk. Efforts by BV Magazine to speak directly to the planning department were fruitless. A spokesperson from Somerset Council said: ‘This is an extremely complex application but it comes down to a matter of process. Requests for planning permission, or varying conditions for planning permission, are eligible to be called for discussion at a planning committee. Planning matters which relate specifically to the discharge of conditions are dealt with through delegated responsibility which means that an officer has delegated authority for decision-making and they are not called into a committee.’ The case has similarities to the Foxes Run development in Castle Cary, where planning has been refused mainly due to inadequate access to the site, and is also awaiting appeal. In this case, the developer Abri has submitted an application to have the Traffic Regulation Order removed and to work on alternative arrangements with Somerset Council. Naturally, local people are incensed.
Screenshot
How will pedestrians be kept safe? As the A357 in the centre of Henstridge is narrow, various suggestions have been proposed over the years but assessed to be unworkable. Now, the new plan will see “pedestrians in the road” signs indicating there is no pavement for 350 yards placed in the affected area on the A357, a 20mph zone on the High Street, and traffic flow prioritisation signage. Will that make pedestrians, horse riders and cyclists safer? Given that two large lorries cannot pass each other on the A357, the increase in building development in Henstridge and other parts of Somerset and Dorset will see some interesting encounters on the road. A spokesperson from Barratt David Homes said: ‘We appreciate the community’s ongoing interest in the Henstridge development and are working closely with Somerset Council officers to move the project forward responsibly. The development will benefit the local area, with a strong focus on the safety and wellbeing of residents and road users. ‘By working with the council we aim to address concerns and improve local infrastructure to support the entire community.’ However, the entire case raises several issues. Firstly, while there is no doubt that additional affordable housing for local people is needed, the appropriate infrastructure is not in place. Parts of Somerset and Dorset now have roads that are no longer fit for purpose and need to be radically redesigned due to the larger volume of traffic that no green policy will resolve overnight. Then there’s the decision-making process around planning developments, particularly where there have been significant and sustained objections relating to infrastructure. The Henstridge case raises questions about who really decides the future of our rural villages and communities. We should all be vigilant with the developments that impact infrastructure, and, in a democracy, local voices should be heard and heeded.
Councillor lodges complaint after ‘unbelievable administrative error’ – poor communications meant invitations were not sent out for C13 meeting
by Fanny Charles
Looking north up Dinah’s Hollow from the Melbury Abbas end Images: Gay Pirrie-Weir
‘Dorset Council has screwed up.’ That is the stark and critical view of Beacon ward councillor Jane Somper after she realised that consultees and objectors had not received notice of the council’s strategic planning and technical committee meeting on Monday 2nd September. As I arrived at County Hall for the meeting, it was surprising that there were no protesters with ‘Save Dinah’s Hollow’ posters and placards outside the building. It was even more surprising that there were no members of the public or representatives of organisations including CPRE and the Cranborne Chase National Landscape (formerly the AONB) in the council chamber. And the chairman of Melbury Abbas and Cann Parish Council was not there to give a statement. Cllr Somper, who had notified all the parish councils in her ward of the meeting, was horrified and angry when she discovered that Richard Burden, landscape officer of Cranborne Chase National Landscape, and statutory consulates (such as parish councils), and representatives of the conservation group CPRE and other objectors had received no official invitation to the meeting. The mistake means that another meeting must be held and it will be on Monday 30th September. ‘I was told that due to an administrative error, the invitations were not sent out, so the council will have to hold the meeting again,’ says Cllr Somper. ‘It means the decision [to approve a tree felling order] is null and void.’ She has taken the serious step of making a formal complaint to Dorset Council chief executive Matt Prosser – ‘It is the right thing to do in this situation.’ And she has also written to all her parish councils to tell them about the new date. ‘Dorset Council has screwed up,’ she told the BV. ‘It is ridiculous. It is unbelievable. This is a basic tick-box requirement. It is vital that people have the opportunity to have their views heard.’ Cllr Somper is a Conservative, but she stresses that this is not a party political issue – it is a matter of administrative error by council officers. ‘I am so cross,’ she says.
No regard She was first elected as a North Dorset district councillor in 2011, re-elected in 2015 and elected to the new unitary authority in 2019 and again in May this year. She says: ‘I have never made a complaint at this level and I did not do so lightly.’ On Thursday, she received a reply from the corporate director at Dorset Council, apologising for the administrative error that meant that people who had made written representations on the planning portal had not been informed of the date of the strategic planning committee meeting. The text of the letter reads as follows: ‘We have investigated the circumstances of this error, and it appears that the planning officer dealing with the case went on sick leave halfway through the process and when other colleagues picked up their work, it wasn’t realised that people who made written representations had not been informed of the meeting date. ‘Our initial questioning of the course of events suggests that the underlying issue may be one of ownership in that a team leader takes overall ownership of the agendas for Area Planning Committees but Strategic and Technical being council-wide is shared by everyone but not led by one named manager in the same way, so this may have created the circumstances for the error to occur. However, we need to test this conclusion a bit further to ensure it is correct; when we have done so, we will put a process in place to ensure that a similar situation does not recur in the future. ‘The problem with the agenda was compounded by poor communication at the point it became known. Naively, it was treated simply as an administrative error that could be corrected at a future meeting, without any real regard to the public sensitivities and emotions that surround the Dinah’s Hollow project. ‘Fortunately, the error was identified before a formal decision notice was issued, so we do not have to go through a legal process to rescind a notice, we can bring the report back to the Strategic and Technical Planning Committee on 30th September and this time ensure that people are informed of the date of the meeting. We will do this by letter later today.’
Looking south down Dinah’s Hollow from Cann Common
Work with us Parish council chairman David Webber told the BV he had been intending to go and speak at the meeting, ‘but I couldn’t make it in the end.’ As it happened, that did not matter. He was angry, but not surprised, by the administrative error. He and his council don’t believe that the planning department properly reads written submissions or values local opinions and that important organisations were not consulted (The BV has confirmed that Dorset Wildlife Trust was not consulted in this case). ‘We would like to try to work with Dorset Council to resolve the situation,’ said Mr Webber. ‘It could save millions of pounds and time. But there is a point-blank refusal to talk to us. We say talk – don’t declare war.’ The meeting was called to discuss a Tree Works Application to remove trees covered by a Tree Preservation Order along the hollow. This would be the first step towards stabilisation work on the holloway. The council plans to fell a revised number of 68 trees (down from the previous 90-plus), clear undergrowth and insert bank-strengthening materials including soil nails, to prevent what is said to be a serious risk of a landslip. The approval for the tree works will last for five years, much longer than usual, because of potential delays with necessary compulsory purchase orders. It could be three years or more before the work on stabilisation actually happens.
Why wait, if it is so dangerous? Objectors point out that the Holloway is environmentally and culturally important, and home to rare and endangered creatures, including dormice, bats, and 13 red or yellow-listed bird species. The hollow, south of Shaftesbury on the C13 road to Blandford, may be a remnant of the ancient forest which once covered this area of the Blackmore Vale: ‘It isn’t just any old holloway,’ says David Webber, whose family has lived in the area for at least 200 years. ‘I find it ironic that Dorset Council has just last month declared a nature emergency.’ Both Cllr Somper and local resident Sara Jacson have raised the reasonable question, if Dinah’s Hollow is so dangerous, how can the work wait the three years or more for the compulsory purchase order process? ‘I asked this, and was told “that’s why we put up the concrete barriers”,’ says Cllr Somper. Mrs Jacson, who has lived at the bottom of Dinah’s Hollow in Melbury Abbas for more than 30 years, told the BV: ‘It seems that Dorset Council is prepared to spend £8 million pounds on Dinah’s Hollow to fell trees and wreck undergrowth by aggressive nailing of metal sheeting. Why? ‘Because it is alleged that the hollow could collapse. ‘And why, if as alleged there is potential danger of a serious fall, are we still allowed to drive through? The hollow has been worn by millennia of feet, both human and animal. The trees shelter wildlife and their root structure is dense and effective in retaining soil.’
The Dorset and Somerset Air Ambulance (DSAA) has introduced a new community defibrillator package aimed at saving lives across the region. The initiative is part of the charity’s broader “Life Support” campaign, designed to equip the public with the skills and confidence to respond effectively to cardiac emergencies.
Each year, DSAA attends to around 300 out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) cases. Surviving such incidents largely depends on prompt interventions, known as the “chain of survival,” which include recognizing the emergency, calling for help, performing chest compressions (CPR), using a defibrillator, and providing post-resuscitative care. The introduction of more publicly accessible automated external defibrillators (AEDs) is a critical part of this life-saving chain.
The defibrillator package, which costs £1,750, is available for purchase by businesses, community groups, and organizations. It includes a long-term license for the device, access to a DSAA CPR and defibrillator awareness session, ongoing maintenance support, and fundraising assistance to cover the cost. The AEDs, supplied by The Heartbeat Trust UK, are designed to be installed on the exterior of community and workplace buildings, increasing accessibility in the event of a cardiac arrest.
Ollie Zorab, Specialist Practitioner in Critical Care at DSAA and Clinical Lead for Cardiac Arrest at South Western Ambulance Service NHS Foundation Trust, emphasized the importance of defibrillators in increasing survival rates. “Defibrillators are life-saving pieces of equipment that significantly increase a person’s chance of survival following a cardiac arrest,” said Zorab. “Each device is easy to use, with clear instructions, and can be operated by anyone in those crucial moments after a collapse.”
Zorab also highlighted the importance of early intervention: “We want anyone who suffers a cardiac arrest to receive immediate CPR and have access to a defibrillator. This ensures that vital treatment can begin while help from the ambulance service and DSAA’s critical care team is on the way.”
The defibrillators provided by DSAA will be registered on the British Heart Foundation’s national defibrillator database, “The Circuit.” In a medical emergency, 999 callers will be directed to the nearest AED by the ambulance service. The public can also locate AED units through the Defib Finder website.
It’s show week, and as we publish the Dorset County Show is officially counting down to an action-packed weekend of rural celebration on 7th and 8th of September. Get ready for fire jumping kids on motorbikes, one of the UK’s top team of Liberty horses, more alpacas than you can shake a stick at (don’t do that), giant pumpkins, the competition to find the waggiest tail in Dorset … This is by far Dorset’s biggest rural celebration.
Headlining the show are the Atkinson Action Horses, and Dorset County Show is excited to welcome, for his first ever appearance in Dorset, internationally renowned Ben Atkinson and his Liberty horses. Their phenomenal display is set to be a highlight, and not to be missed. The IMPs Motorcycle Display team will also be revving up the crowds with their fire jumps, cross-over routines, and awe-inspiring pyramids. They’re an inner-city charity project which has transformed into a world-renowned motorcycle display team with a reputation for breathtaking stunts and disciplined teamwork There’s plenty for the whole family (and kids go FREE!), with a feast of hands-on fun like Tomahawk Throwing and of course they can get up close and personal with thousands of animals. Stretching over 100 acres, visitors can browse more than 350 trade stalls, and once they’ve built up an appetite can dive into the largest ever food hall at the show. Pop up micro pubs will be dotted around the site so that tired bodies can relax and kick back up on the hill with its festival vibe. The 2024 Dorset County Show will see the very best of the region’s cows, pigs, sheep and goats competing. There’ll be the exciting sheep shearing, giant pumpkins (weighing more than 1,000lbs!), falconry displays, the mounted Pony Club games, dog agility, steam engines, showjumping and a live blacksmith’s forge. Watch the artisans in Crafters Avenue, see prize-winning dahlias and don’t forget to pause at the Heavy Horse Village to pet everyone’s favourite gentle giants
Watching the sheep shearing competitions – see professional shearers battle it out in a fast-paced, adrenaline-fueled showdown!
Sampling the delights … With a full programme of demonstrations, stalls and displays, this is a major event for the agricultural sector and a joyful end-of-harvest celebration for the whole county.
‘It’s been amazing seeing the showground come to life over the last few weeks,’ says James Cox, the Dorset County Show organiser. ‘It’s a cliché, but it really is such a massive team effort, and everyone is working incredibly hard to put on what we’re confident will be the best show yet. Personally I can’t wait to see the Atkinson Action Horses. I’m also still a farmer at heart, so I’m a sucker for the vintage tractor displays. And I always manage to get away for a quick stroll through the Food Hall, sampling as I go…’ dorsetcountyshow.co.uk
