Freshford Mill

The following article is copied from a Google cache of the Wikipedia article for Freshford. Since the article used to read as below, it has been edited 'dumbed down' one might say (although I don't like the phrase). The alterations although on the whole good, do remove the fact that a lot of residents have spent many hours trying to deter Bath and North East Somerset and councillors from permitting the development. The argument is that what is written below is one sided and does not give the other side of recommending that the application should be permitted. I have not had any comment on why this development should have been permitted from any of those parties involved: B&NES Planning, Government Office of the South West, councillors. Ypres Rose Devlopments have also refrained from putting forth their argument for wanting to build at Freshford Mill. Of course I just may be too close to the issue and maybe many will accept the present article.

If anyone wants to edit the present Wikipedia article they are quite entitled to do so. On an earlier date the complete article section below was just removed in its entirety.

<The most important issue facing Freshford is the current development at Freshford Mill.^{[citation needed]} For the whole of the 21st Century, Freshford and its parish council, have had to spend a great amount of time trying to stop a development at Freshford Mill that would increase the population of the village and put great stress on the local roads^{[citation needed]}. There has been some disagreement as to whether the development now being undertaken by Ypres Rose is unwelcome^{[citation needed]}. The facts are that 80 percent of the village objected to the development that was proposed by Southern and Counties and only 1 person was in favour (provided the transport problems could be overcome). These facts come from the Freshford Parish Council's Extraordinary Meeting of the 22nd July 2002. The document may be found with some difficulty on the BANES Planning website but is more easily found (reproduced under APPENDIX F : DEMOCRATIC CONSULTATION AND PARISH COUNCIL EXTRAORDINARY MEETING) at [1]

The development which is in progress, is to convert a disused industrial site within a Zone 3 flood plain into a residential estate. Flood plain zones as defined by DEFRA state that Zone 3 is one of high probability of annual flooding [2]>

On reflection, the request for 'citation needed' is met by the reference to the 'Appendix F: Democratic . . .' Or is that not enough?

A flood watch is in operation for this area: Flood Watch South West

At 5:30pm the Staples Hill route into Freshford was flooded but passible. Fortunately, the tide at Avonmouth is low at this time of the month, being a mere 11m: Tide at Avonmouth

The three photos below were taken on Saturday the 12th January 2008 after a couple of days of steady rain. Local rainfall amounts to 65mm for January so far.

This is Mill lane just beside Freshford Mill. The morning after the swollen river Frome deposited this tree trunk weighing possibly half a ton on the road.  Further down the lane the bridge is being cleared

But is still blocked. North of the mill the photo below shows the extent of the remaining flood.

At some time in the night the river Frome occupied the whole valley. Whilst at 11:00am the water had receded. The weather had also prompted the local authority to spread salt on the roads as there was a chance of ice.

Contrary to the news item noting the site as being for sale, this is in fact incorrect.  The originators of this information, Land 4 Development, were requested to remove all reference to the Freshford Mill site in November 2007.

Ypres Rose Developments Ltd are in the process of developing the site pursuant to the extant planning consent.

Phil Desmond

Commercial Director

Ypres Rose Developments Ltd

Now that Freshford Mill is back on the market for any would-be developer to make a profit from building houses, nothing intrinsically wrong with that, except that in this case, the houses are not needed, it is time to review the alternative plan for the site. I have published the argument on the Freshford Mill web site Alternative Plan for Freshford Mill  and there is also a letter on the Letter to the Prime Minister's website: Planning Permission . .. . which my company also hosts.

I still agree that it is a desirable plan and had been approved back in February 2005. However I would like to add that in addition to the recreational features of the plan a working mill to generate electrical power for the village should be considered.  There are other mills along the Frome river that have been restored to use or will be shortly.  The mill at Tellisford which is no more than a decent walk up river is a prime example of what can be achieved. EDF provide grants and a news item from the press room of EDF on Tellisford Mill can be read here. Tellisford Mill

A working mill would not only bring much needed and increasingly expensive electrical power to the village but would also add to the educational value of the plan.

The problem is where does the money come from to buy the site? We can't exactly have a whip round! But the alternative plan is one that deserves financial support.  On the Freshford Mill website I have argued that the village of Freshford and its unique location in the Limpley Stoke valley where the river Frome meets the Avon, amidst wooded steep hills, is a particularly attractive part of the country that we are privileged to live in and have a  duty to protect.  There are so many other parts of the country that are by contrast bleak and desolate. I am aware that this is the case but the public does not realise this, after all who wants to photograph such places? There is a website "Crap Towns" or rather series of books, that does try to address the issue of poor planning and local indifference.Crap Towns (I don't like that word either!) is a good starting place.

Money should be available to help remove eyesores like Peradins. The money should not have to come from developers as then developers will ignore similar development land to Freshford Mill and seek green field sites (which is what they are doing) or be unable to provide the quality of building that is appropriate. Government should, therefore, be willing to assist with off-setting the initial costs of site restoration. This is an issue that would-be Freshford Mill developers face, although in this case the Peridins site should not have been given planning consent to create a new settlement in a flood plain in the first place! (this issue is still being investigated)

With that planning consent the value of the land shot up. Now perhaps it will dwindle, but to buy the site for the Rural Recreational Area, Nature Sanctuary and Workshops project,  money will have to be found.  The trouble is that Freshford and its surrounding villages is considered to be populated by "well to do" people and the government tends to "throw money" into projects that are only located in deprived and run down areas. In our case, we need to argue that in this area of the countryside (Somerset and Wiltshire), both the land and the built environment provide an area where people can come to relax and recuperate for a modest outlay in terms of transport or fuel. Money spent here is actually beneficial to those who live in run-down areas, as it provides an opportunity to spend some prime time in the countryside. The value of which Prince Charles has alluded to in his book a  A Vision of Britain  It should be remembered that Freshford is but a decent cycle ride from the World Heritage City of Bath and is a place where both visitors from overseas and Bath citizens can come to enjoy the beauty of the existing English countryside (a lot of it has gone, and will go) Freshford is also accessible from Bristol, which is one of the most densely populated cities in Britain and whose citizens surely deserve a range of places in which to unwind.

Properly managed, and with a working mill, Freshford Mill could provide a wonderful day out for children not only from the cities of Bath, Bristol and the towns that are close to the Avon and Frome valleys but all the other children that live in Somerset, Wiltshire and South Gloucestershire. I can imagine even steam trains being employed (at sensible prices!) Mind you we would need a Mcdonalds or KFC or a special menu down The Inn!

Quite remarkable news Ypres Rose has put the development up for sale at:  Land4Developers Strange but this link no longer works -one has to subscribe to view the details of the sale.

Substantial damage to Staples Hill has been caused by the use of a tracked vehicle. The tracked vehicle with a track width of 8 feet was caused by the fact that its transporting vehicle could not negotiate the hill with its load. Consequently, the tracked vehicle used in demolition works at Freshford Mill was unloaded and driven up the hill under its own power.  The photograph shows the damage to the road.

Some of the indentations are more than 20mm deep! As a Wiltshire resident (supported by my neighbours) We would like to know who is going to pay for this damage to our road?

Staples Hill is also in BANES (Bath and North-East Somerset) and I would have thought that BANES residents would also be concerned with the cost of repairs to Staples Hill.