| The Char Valley Village Communities Action Plans 2003 |
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for Whitchurch Canonicorum, Wootton Fitzpaine and Stanton St. Gabriel Parishes |
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| Action Plans for Issues affecting all Three Parishes |
| 3. Countryside and Environment We would like to see investigation into better drainage systems within our parishes, as we have no main drainage apart from the settlements on the outskirts of Charmouth. On our impervious clay soils, soakaways from existing systems do not work well. In the summer months the pressure of additional visitors combined with low flow in many of our watercourses, leads to incidents of pollution. Aerobic systems that rely on moving parts and an electricity supply have not proved to be completely reliable. If main drainage is not feasible, could a secondary filtration plant or reed bed system picking up the existing soakaways be provided for settlements in our area? There is support for a main drainage system to protect our streams as long as development does not follow in its wake, and the cost to individual homeowners is not prohibitive. Great concern was expressed over the siting and proliferation of all types of mobile phone masts. We would like to see policy decisions on the minimum distance that masts can be sited from dwellings, schools or other buildings in constant use, to protect the inhabitants from the possible harmful effects of microwaves (about which too little is yet known to guarantee safety). We would like to see an exclusion zone of 500m. We have a real problem with noxious weeds such as Giant Hogweed and invasive weeds such as Japanese Knotweed and Himalayan Balsam. There does not seem to be any systematic control of these plants, so an information and control plan needs to be sorted out with Dorset County Council, West Dorset County Council, local landowners, The Dorset Wildlife Trust and The Dorset Countryside Ranger Service. This is particularly important in the case of Giant Hogweed, which is spreading over some of our most frequently used footpaths. It can cause a serious allergic reaction if the sap comes into contact with bare skin, exposed to sunlight. Many residents have expressed an interest in working on surveys of our wildlife, wild flowers, hedgerows, historic monuments and heritage assets. These could be pleasurable outdoor activities involving all ages to learn more about our local environment. |
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ACTION PLAN AIMS:
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| To see that the streams are kept free of pollution from
existing and new drainage systems, to protect our environment from the spread
of noxious and invasive weeds, and fight to protect the area from hazardous
emissions from mobile phone masts. Actions on countryside and the environment • Talk to West Dorset District Council, The National Trust, local landowners and the Dorset Wildlife Trust about a management plan and public information on noxious and invasive weeds. (Parish Council 2003/2004) • Initiate talks about the possibility of local people monitoring watercourses and finding a better solution to our foul drainage problems. • Set up ancient/important hedgerow and wildlife groups in each parish. (2003) • Set up footpath groups in each parish. (2003) • Liaise with the AONB Management Plan Team and the Dorset Countryside Rangers. |
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