Badgers?

Many of the locals are convinced that badgers live in Talbot Woods. I must admit to being a little sceptical until I saw a badger by the side of the road near the 1st bridge on Boundary Road from the roundabout. Unfortunately, like most badgers we see near a road - it was rather dead.

However, the sett remains hidden. Should it be found in the horse paddock adjacent to Boundary Roundabout there are implications for the 3 houses that the Trust intends to build on the site.

link to Natural England page on legislation

NIMBY?

The letters page of the Daily Echo has been busy with missives from all sides recently and yesterdays offerings were of particular interest:

I wonder how many of the nimbys who are objecting to the dwellings on Talbot Heath green fields have actualy been homeless, or lived in B&B with a couple of children because of the lack of affordable housing?

All the guff about councillors doing this or doing that, traffic problems and so on is just an excuse.

Whatever councillors are in power will not make any difference to the fact that certain people put green fields, trees, insects, birds, other creatures and their back yards before the lives of people that dare to upset them by wanting somewhere to live.

Many years ago Talbot Village was just that – a village.

I bet they did not moan when their houses were built – which, incidently, I was involved in.

I never saw any protesters when I was working on those houses. Bournemouth and Poole have not been rural areas for many many years. If that is what people want then move!

Ken Cole, Moorside Road, Kinson

I think that the term 'affordable housing' needs to be clarified somewhat. In Bournemouth and Poole it seems to mean a block of 2 bedroomed flats with inadequate parking and little or no garden to be let out via Housing Association to the unemployed.

I am all for affordable housing if it means a 3 or 4 bedroomed house with a generous garden and parking for at least 2 cars at a price that an average hardworking couple with kids could afford to buy. I find the notion of a 'shared ownership' scheme with the Trust rather attractive.

Whatever 'Affordable Housing' means in the context of the massive development to the south of Wallisdown Road I'm concerned that the reality will be a dull, soulless and lonely place to live. With no attempt to create any kind of social centre for the inhabitants to meet each other they will continue to drive to school, supermarket, and work, sealed in their cars and utterly divorced from any feeling of 'neighbourhood'.

Apart from the increase in congestion that this will inflict upon the area, the result is likely to be small pockets of ugly flats with no space shoehorned into unattractive plots between resentful wealthy neighbours. This is already the reality on the New Talbot Village Estate and I see nothing in the Planners preliminary outlines that indicates anything better.

I welcome some aspects of the plans. I support student accommodation on campus and would not object to a larger number of student units. I also support the expansion of the faculty. I also support efforts to create affordable housing (as long as it is decent, spacious, high spec and different from the thousands of 2 bed flats already available via Dave Wells). I welcome suitable development in my 'back yard'. What I dont want is a vast tangle of narrow cul-de-sacs of executive homes with absolutely no realistic improvement to infrastructure that in no way fills the needs of the local community.

Willful Neglect?

The cost of fencing has obviously gone through the roof recently - despite the recession those greedy fencing contractors insist on pricing themselves out of the market. Even £28M in the bank is not enough apparently. The Talbot Village Trust has gathered a number of quotations but 'cannot afford' to replace the dilapidated fencing to the top horse paddock adjacent to the footpath by St Marks Church graveyard.

time to get a new fence?

Or maybe the Trust sees little point in spending any money whatsoever on land that they hope to cover in yet more executive homes as soon as possible?

The Trust acquired an extra 3 metres of land from the St Marks graveyard, widening the track to the 3 top paddocks. Although the graveyard is almost full and the land will be needed for local burials in the near future it seems obvious that its the trusts intention to use this wider access for a road to new development in the future.

The original track with the extra 3m to the right

From Alton Road

The top horse paddocks do occupy an enviable position, sited on the crest of a small hill its possible to see the New Forest in the far distance. Visitors are always surprised to find such a tranquil and rural scene in the middle of a conurbation as large as Bournemouth. Its an integral part of the character of Talbot Village. If houses are built here the view from the footpath and graveyard will be entirely lost.

Looking north towards Ensbury Park

Looking East towards the Woods

Where Are They?

For the 1st time in 5 years there seem to be no Ring Necked Parakeets living in Talbot Village. The hard winter may have driven them elsewhere, or perhaps they simply didn't survive?

Huge numbers of these tough blackbird-sized birds live in London and their characteristic call has become part of the recognised soundtrack to sitting in a West London garden. Bright green with a red beak and a black collar around their neck these fast-flying sociable birds from India are easily recognisable even in silhouette with their narrow wings and long tail. They are expert fliers, fast and manoeuvrable they call to each other often and loudly, roosting in family groups or even vast flocks as in a Richmond playing field in London.

A flock has been resident in Studland near the Bankes Arms for many years and can often be seen from the pub garden. They are an established resident bird from as long ago as the 1950's in the British Isles, but the St Marks flock are the only ones I know of in Bournemouth.

I have seen up to 5 of these birds at once here, they have often flown over the house but have never visited our bird tables or landed any where near, although I have seen them high up in trees in the woods around St Marks Church and School area.

This year, alas, they are either very shy, or they have gone.

The Blue and Gold Macaw that flew over our house early last summer and then landed in the tree in the Vicarage front garden in Alton Road, apparently is a free-flying pet belonging to a 'bloke in Kinson', whoever he is, he is to be applauded for allowing such a valuable animal to enjoy such freedom. Anyone who has ever seen parrots and parakeets flying will know how much they revel in flight, carrying out elaborate displays and manoeuvres at high speed with huge exuberance and flair. Its great to see such a bird flying around in Talbot Village - it drew quite a crowd in front of the vicarage.

Dog Bins.....!!

"Natural England', the quango in charge of so much of our countryside, seems to dislike conveniently sited Dog Bins for the disposal of dog faeces, apparently if there are no dog bins the owners of dogs will go elsewhere. Therefore, it appears that access to the Talbot Heath from the new development may not feature any dog bins. This might seem staggeringly naive and stupid from an organisation that is usually regarded as foremost authority on all things natural, but its not the only thing that they have got wrong in the last 10 years.............More on their other daft ideas and notions later.

The Conservation Area to the North of Wallisdown Road is extremely popular with dog walkers but dog bins are scarcer than hens teeth and with one exception are poorly located. There used to be a bin at the foot of the woods below St Marks School on the corner of the playing fields. For some reason it was moved last year to behind the goal on the middle football pitch by the high chainlink fence. This resulted in an explosion of dog droppings on the gravel footpath running alongside the graveyard and the top horse paddock. On a Sunday morning when games are being played it can be quite irksome to walk behind 2 goalmouths with a dog to deposit a bag of poo so most people dont bother.

The footpath from Alton Road is one of the main pedestrian access points to the Woods and most dog owners will be familiar with a dogs natural inclination to do its business within minutes of being released. It might make sense to place bins to reflect this fact.

Of course some dog owners will never clean up after their dogs no matter how conveniently bins are placed. Others will feel they are doing the right thing by bagging up the mess and then hanging it from a tree!

Yet another bag of poo in a tree

Placing bins in a helpful position is a great leap forward to those of us who do like to behave in a responsible fashion. Offering free poo bags is simply excellent - the National Trust seems able to do it without going bancrupt - perhaps our local Councils should give it a try?

Its more likely unfortunately, that they will simply follow Natural England's thinking and remove them all completely.

White Farm - Whats Happening?

White Farm was, until about 5 years ago, an equestrian centre with ponies and horses available for hire to ride. Since becoming vacant the Council has explored a number of options including redevelopment for housing and a petting farm for children.

White Farm Outbuildings

The preferred option has always seemed to be housing for private sale despite the difficulties associated in converting a Victorian Model Farm consisting of number of listed buildings into any kind of acceptable development. The access road - Slade's Lane, is a narrow rural track unsuitable for anything larger than a transit type van which precludes many possible options.

Slade's Lane

Therefore the property has been surrounded by a secure fence, large gates and a few intimidating signs and over the past few years has been allowed to slowly decay.

Despite easy pedestrian access from both St Marks car park and the car park on Slade's Farm Estate the Council seems to feel that the conversion of the derelict Farm to a viable 'City Farm' is unrealistic with the current access via Slade's Lane. Local residents, however, are rather more keen on some kind of family friendly attraction in keeping with the rural feel of the Conservation Area rather than yet more private housing in an already saturated market.

It does seem that there is a demand for a sympathetic public use of the site, what is missing is the will and imagination to do anything other than realise easy money on sale for private dwelling.

The original intent of the Talbot Sisters would seem to be better satisfied by the restoration of the site to its original Victorian state as a model farm museum with a tenant/caretaker/curator living on site and running the place as an educational facility to be enjoyed by all. Perhaps it is worth looking at the possibility of creating a Field Centre on site with a display showcasing the history of the Village and the philanthropy of the founders? Would such a facility be eligible for a grant from the Talbot Village Trust?

As things currently stand the Farm is being allowed to decay and with every year that passes the cost of restoration will increase until demolition is the only alternative.

This should not be allowed to happen.

link to Bournemouth Council Document discussing options on the site

A Slim Chance?

Bearing in mind the lofty and deeply philanthropic principles of the original intent of the Talbot Sisters for their Trust there may yet be a slim chance that the Trustees can have a change of heart and spare us from the unpopular development that Poole Council has seen fit to approve.

Development does not have to be bad. The local community has many needs which the Trust is in a position to meet. We do need affordable housing and the University needs room to grow, students need somewhere to live and the residents desperately need a Village Centre, somewhere for the children to play, an expansion of the local primary schools, a community hall, a better range of shops, a library, more allotments, better parking and a focal point that transforms the housing estate into the 'Village' that at the moment seems a rather absurd title.

Having secured approval the Trustees unimaginative planning consultants, NLP, will now be drafting detailed plans - dont expect to find anything of any merit whatsoever! Identikit housing in the same narrow cul-de-sacs, no public amenities, no parking, traffic lights on Boundary Roundabout and the dreadful 'cat-proof fence' to stop anyone from being able to access the Heath.

The Trust has the chance to turn this around and do something that will improve the quality of life for the residents rather than blight us forever. Lets hope they do so.

Gardens looking safer

Bournemouth Planning has indicated that the Trusts plans to build houses in the gardens of cottages in the conservation area have now been withdrawn. Without a proper framework for the managing of the Conservation Area this may well be merely a temporary respite, we still await a reply from Bournemouth Planning regarding the carrying out of a character appraisal for the CA, without which there is very little protection for the remaining open spaces from development.

The withdrawal of the plans to build in the gardens of the cottages may simply be a response to new Government plans to make such 'garden grabbing' far more difficult. We may yet see proposals to build on the horse paddocks which may not necessarily be covered by the new proposals.

It is important that a conservation framework is implemented as soon as possible by the Council.

No Surprises

The Poole Council Planning Committee meeting, held at Hamworthy Sports Club on Wednesday 9th June didnt really surprise anyone when, in the teeth of strong opposition from pretty much all the public present, Bournemouth Council, Natural England, RSPB, Dorset Wildlife Trust, the ward councillors, the Herpetological Society, Talbot Village Residents, Branksome and Talbot Woods Residents and the Save Our Heath Facebook Group decided 5 to 3 to approve the plans submited for the proposed developments on the south of Wallisdown Road.

Poole gets the juicy council tax from 378 nice houses at about £1200 each while Bournemouth has to deal with the traffic that will be generated on the already stressed Wallisdown Road.

Conor Burns, the new MP for Bournemouth North has promised to take it up with the Home Secretary. The scrapping of the ludicrous housing targets imposed on the region by the last Government may well make this development even less attractive and perhaps this avenue may yet bear fruit.

A pretty rubbish survey

Although the deadline has long gone, (the window was only about 3 weeks and I was asleep) I filled in the NLP Survey on the Trusts own consultation website yesterday. I had looked at it before but the questions all seemed to be 'leading' ones.

Apparently 500 people looked at it, but only 17 replied.

Probably because its rubbish.

I decided to largely ignore the yes/no/dont know option and write my own opinion on each of the questions. Hopefully someone at NLP will read it.

The Swamp's the best bit!

If you have a good look at the Talbot Village Trusts plans for the redevelopment of the land south of Wallisdown Road with 378 new homes and a further 450 student beds in purpose built accommodation, you might be a little shocked at how bland the proposals are.

Given the size and location of the site and its proximity to 'Britain's Best New University', you might have expected something a bit interesting, exciting even. Instead we get 378 new homes, mostly 4/5 bedroomed expensive places with a few compulsory 'Affordable Houses' to satisfy minimum requirements.

The proposed swamp in the current pleasant meadow is the most interesting thing about the whole plan. All the rainwater runoff from the houses and roads will be ducted to this swamp where its slow progress across a wide area planted with reeds will effectively filter the water before it joins the Bourne.

If done correctly this is easily the best idea the Planner was able to come up with. Its not perfect - the meadow is currently full of wildflowers and butterflies. When I was there yesterday I saw a roe deer. Its rather pretty. Perhaps ironically meadows are in short supply around here, and most of Bourne Valley is a swamp!

On the other hand swamps are good habitats too, for all kinds of things, mainly mosquitos and midges, but reed warblers are nice.

Perhaps the runoff could be directed to one of the existing swamps instead?

Possibly the worst idea the Planner intends to inflict on us is traffic lights on Boundary Roundabout - at a cost of £1M!!! The bottle neck is not Boundary Roundabout, its Wallisdown and Mountbatten that dont move and choke it all the way back to the Lansdowne. Lights on Boundary are ludicrous! So what if its green - you can't pull out because the traffic still hasnt moved. It would be funny, if I didnt live here!

The cat fence sounds rather horrible, its been designed deliberately to make pedestrian access from the new development as difficult as possible. Although I applaud the attempt to stop cats from getting on the Heath the fences main purpose is indeed to restrict access to casual walkers, arson seems to be the main concern. However, I suspect that arsonists will not be inconvenienced by a fence anywhere near as much as a dogwalker or a family on a nature trek.

This plan should be so much better.

Conservation Area?

Talbot Village was designated a 'Conservation Area' as long ago as 1975, updated in 1991 yet still the Council has not yet produced a character appraisal. Without an appraisal no schemes to manage or enhance the designated area are implemented.

It might seem that the area is extremely vulnerable to inappropriate development despite its conservation status - without any appraisal or subsequent plan to manage the area within the framework of a formal conservation plan, the name 'Conservation Area' seems little more than an empty title used to ensure that the cottages all stay pretty. The character of everything else may have no protection at all.

link to Bournemouth Councils page on the Talbot Village Conservation Area

A Different Approach?

There are many things that could be done to develope Talbot Village that would be of benefit to the residents. Not all development is necessarily bad or undesirable. It is the selling off of the land for private housing that seems to be so unpopular and at odds with the principles of the Trusts founders.

Student accommodation within a short walk of the University has to be viewed as a priority that will be of benefit to local residents. The blight of student car parking can be greatly alleviated by the provision of accommodation close to campus and the proposals to include student accommodation in plans to develope the land south of Wallisdown Road make good sense.

There is even some talk of increasing the area available for parking at the medical centre in Gillett Road. A possible Community Centre has also been hinted at, providing an acceptable organisation to run the place is formed. Both of these proposals sound good.

Affordable Housing has been mentioned. If this means some kind of 'shared ownership' scheme is going to be available to assist hard-working local families to get a place on the property ladder then that too can only be a good thing.

If, however, 'affordable housing' means tiny 2 bedroomed flats for rent it might be easier to understand the opposition. Bournemouth has suffered an explosion of this type of 'housing', all over the borough fine family homes have been pulled down for identikit developments of small flats. We really dont need any more.

What seems to be the real problem is the building of private homes for sale.

Short term gain by the sale of land for housing will probably be a source of regret for the Trust in later years. The Trust is in an enviable position to create a new model for socially responsible development that not only fully agrees with the Talbot Sisters principles but actively expands upon them.

A development that offered high quality family sized accommodation under a shared ownership with the Trust at an affordable rate, a viable, lively and inclusive student village, a 'village green' centrepiece with community arts and education centre and affordable shop and work units for small local businesses, a place where people can sit, have a coffee or a light meal, browse a gallery, watch a film or a play, see a band, meet friends and family or just read a book. Development should at least attempt to improve the lives of those who will live there.

I see little evidence of any attempt to create anything to improve the area - just schemes to turn fields into executive homes for a few rich people.

Once the money from the sale of land has been spent its gone forever. Those that live here will have to live with the consequences of over development with no supporting improvement of infrastructure long after the Estate Agents, developers, solicitors and surveyors have banked their juicy fees and moved to somewhere less blighted.

Strong opposition to the current proposals is expected

Bournemouth Echo article - opposition meetings June 2010

A bit premature?

NLP seem to have jumped the gun somewhat with this proud announcement that planning has been granted, dated November 2009, for 4 new dwellings in the Conservation Area.

http://www.nlpplanning.com/news.php?id=350

Details are sketchy, but I know of no new dwellings in the Conservation Area that have received full planning permission. Perhaps this refers to the proposed plans to build houses in Alton Road in the rear gardens of 2 of the Trusts cottages?

Update: 12th June 2010 - Apparently the 2 horse paddocks fronting Wallisdown Road are the target for the placing of these houses. One house to be placed in the vacant plot opposite the University bus stop on Wallisdown Road, previously an original Talbot Cottage burnt down a number of years ago, and 3 in the paddock off White Farm Close, previously an allotment area.

I'll post further when I know more details.........

below: Site of cottage burnt down several years ago currently used as a horse paddock

Savills

The Talbot Village Trust has long used Savills as its agents. This has not been without controversy. They were implicated in participating in the defrauding of the Trust as per the attached link from the Serious Fraud Office.

http://www.sfo.gov.uk/press-room/latest-press-releases/press-releases-2004/fraud-on-charity-hidden-in-£15-million-building-contracts.aspx

Also this link to an Evening Standard article is of some interest

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-15583318-savills-is-sued-over-pound3m-fraud.do

Rumours are currently circulating that Savills agents have implied that tenants of properties owned by the Trust who voice opposition to current plans to develope their gardens for housing may face repercussions when their leases come up for renewal!

Who Benefits?

Whenever a good thing is changed forever for the sake of a dubious short term gain numerous people stand bewildered and amazed that such a thing has been allowed to happen. We all look at the wreckage and demand some kind of investigation - but its already way too late. The damage has been done.

It appears that Talbot Village is going to be subject to a swathe of developments that will change the entire area for ever. Whilst few can deny that something needs to be done about the traffic problems that blight the area many are mystified as to how the building of even more houses with no improvement of infrastructure will benefit anyone apart from those who stand to earn juicy, but short term, contracts from the development and sale of this land.
But the residents of the Village?
The residents of the surrounding area, already creaking under the weight of astonishingly dense infill?

Why is the Talbot Village Trust so determined to build houses all over the woods surrounding the Historic Talbot Village?

Apparently the 'Council' approached the Trust indicating that they had identified a number of sites that 'should' be developed.
A tree survey commissioned, presumably to include all potential sites for new housing, includes at least 3 horse paddocks as well as the gardens of existing cottages. If any part of these developments are allowed to proceed then it is made more likely that all will eventually succeed.
The character and even the purpose of the village will be changed forever.
It is worth remembering that the cottages were built and endowed to be sufficient in enough land to feed a family.

The Trust is not strapped for funds - nearly £28M in the bank and in profit every year, even after some very generous charity work. It doesnt seem to need the money and the eagerness to develope land for private housing seems at odds with everything the Trust seems to be supposed to stand for. Indeed it was probably set up to prevent exactly this kind of exploitation of a place enjoyed by so many to the short term financial benefit of a very few.

So who benefits?

What is driving this strange desire to build houses all over the Conservation Area?

These articles may be of some interest....

http://www.thisislondon.co.uk/news/article-15583318-savills-is-sued-over-pound3m-fraud.do

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2004/apr/21/charities.charitymanagement

Whats this all about then?

Well......I like living here. Bournemouth is a pretty decent place to live and raise a family - its got a decent climate (by English standards), low crime rates, few social problems and plenty of employment and its just in a lovely part of the world.

We live next to the conservation area of Historic Talbot Village, our children go to school there, we go to Church there and we walk our dog there every day.

A Talbot Cottage

Talbot Village as it stands today is comprised of two very different halves.
Old, or historic Talbot Village is a few pretty cottages, St Marks Church and School, a row of almshouses and several acres of oak woodland, some horse paddocks and an allotment.

The Almshouses

St Marks' School

New Talbot Village is actually in Poole on the other side of Wallisdown Road and consists of a load of modern houses in small, narrow cul-de-sacs, it has a doctors surgery, a dentist and a Londis shop that seem pretty stable. A further three shop units have generally opened and then fairly swiftly closed again, but usually a takeaway and a hairdresser of some description seem to be featured.
Bournemouth University and the College of Art and Design share the site and many of the students live within the parish in rental accommodation or in the student village on campus.
The rapid expansion and rise in popularity of Bournemouth Uni has created a few tensions as far as car parking is concerned and the councils response has been to restrict parking for a radius of a mile or so wherever students may park. The residents are just as likely to get a ticket.
So, basically this is a nice place to live with a few minor gripes which I plan to whinge about at great length on this blog :)