Ash Tree Disease Is Here First It Was Called Chalara Fraxinea, and Shows Many Healthy Mature Trees Then Science Showed It Was Just One Stage Will Eventually Succumb
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
BeneathSupported by the Upper Marshwood theVale Vale Parish Council Autumn 2019: Issue 33 Parish council chairperson Matthew Bowditch examines affected trees in Little Giant Wood in Stoke Abbott. Ash tree disease is here First it was called Chalara fraxinea, and shows many healthy mature trees then science showed it was just one stage will eventually succumb. Spores are of a fungus, Hymenoscyphus fraxineus, released from fruiting bodies and can so the name was changed. Gardeners be wind-spread for tens of kilometres. know Fraxinus as the ash, so this is now First noted in Polish forests, it was first the proper name of a very serious threat recorded in our lands in 2012, prompting to UK’s countyside – ash dieback. Worse, swift action by the authorities; sadly it is here now, spread through our Vale. even this was too late. A fungal infection, it affects young trees Parish council chairperson Matthew most of all, but European experience Bowditch showed us examples of ash Marshwood, Stoke Abbott, Pilsdon and Bettiscombe Contents Pothole party - the ‘hole’ truth page 4 Parish council meeting report for July page 5 Parish council meeting report for September page 7 Recipe: peppermint slices page 8 Local bus timetable updates page 10 Parish contacts page 12 Council trust funds page 15 Beneath the Vale is published four times a year with support from the Upper Marshwood Vale Parish Council and posted to homes in the combined parishes of Marshwood, Stoke Abbott, Pilsdon and Bettiscombe. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the parish council and advertising in the magazine does not imply council endorsement of any goods or services. Our mailing list covers household addresses using information that is in the public domain. We use this list solely to send out copies of Beneath the Vale and associated information relating to the parishes. We do not share data with third parties. To unsubscribe from the list, please contact Cllr Ali Cameron, who manages the data: [email protected] Tel 01297 678 546. Printed by Creeds, Bridport. continued from p1 Spreading ever westward, wind-born dieback in Little Giant Wood, where many distribution has reached our parishes as the ash trees were planted when this community photos show. wood was created. Some of the less vigorous are already dead or dying – and releasing All is not lost; some ashes seem to be the infecting spores to further destroy our naturally unaffected by dieback. Asian woodlands. species are immune to ash dieback. There are over 60 species of ash worldwide and Experts claim there are 60 million ash trees in others seem to tolerate the disease, showing the UK. According to the Woodland Trust, leaf damage alone. up to 95% of these will die. This is going to have a devastating impact on the landscape Government officials calculate the social and the biodiversity of our woodlands, as and environmental value of ashes as well as a major loss in connections between in excess of £230 million annually. So habitats as we lose hedges and individual substantial research by DEFRA, the Forestry trees outside of woods. Commission and others here in the UK and abroad is investigating ways of mitigating Ash trees suffering from ash dieback, clockwise from Ash dieback is thought to have been the impact of ash dieback as well as finding above: A dead sapling near Marshwood, close-up accidently imported via nursery stock rather unaffected variants. of ash leaves, a young tree in Little Giant Wood. than on spores blown across the Channel. 2 3 Marshwood’s number 1 pothole Parish council meeting: July Following the eventful May meetings, flat for his dad, John W, and adding a second mended after 3 years of damage councillors gathered at Bettiscombe Village floor to accommodate a carer. Just as we were planning a special celebration puncture when he reached Beaminster and Hall to be greeted with a distinct lack of one of our most vicious potholes, Dorset caused possible damage to the car. of access keys. A new number had been It turns out this application is being made Highways spoilt the sad story by repairing adopted for the key receptacle, which no now to obviate long delays should John the offensive Hole just before the third Locals decided to take action to celebrate the one knew – save for Cllr John Brown who ever have need of this arrangement. John anniversary of the first reporting of said Hole’s third birthday, set for the upcoming looks after the hall. has assured councillors that his present Hole. anniversary. It is very doubtful that news facilities are entirely acceptable, with a stair- of the happy event had reached the ears of With the number noted and the door lift and strong grab handles to enable him Initially reported in 2016 via the old county the Highways Authorities; it is more likely unlocked, everyone was delighted to find to get around the old milk parlour. This council’s website for road complaints, it that enough points had been registered to the tables and chairs properly placed for application was opposed by two members had been left unrepaired for a decent, but Marshwood to justify real action, but on 15 councillors and public alike. John had fully of the public who were neighbours since it unspectacular length of time enabling August no fewer than six operatives gathered prepared the hall for the event. would overlook their back garden. our Hole to slowly grow in order to trap outside the Bottle Inn as the Hole, just down unwary cyclists, bend car wheels, damage the road, had been officially marked and an Only one absence was recorded when Cllr Recommended refusal vehicles’ front suspension, inflict injury to authorised traffic cone placed thereon. Matthew Bowditch as chairperson gavelled travellers and cause manual mayhem on the the meeting into action. Minutes of the last Councillors felt that, sympathetic as they Marshwood main road, the B3165. Less than an hour later the repair was meeting rarely excite interest but this time were towards John and the work he had complete and even the all-important Cllr Jacqui Sewell complained of being done in running the shop for all those years, Rather than getting larger, the Holy one warning signs removed, leaving the slightly misreported. the plans before them would represent decided to become deeper. Estimates of the raised hump to subside back level to the overdevelopment, take up too much room number of Mentions In Despatches to the surrounding road surface with only a slight However there was no doubt about what and would interfere with the privacy of the Authorities, along with other Complaints splatter of tarmacked particles to indicate our new Dorset Council councillor Simon neighbours. So they recommended refusal. to the Council have not been revealed, but the demise of the Marshwood Hole. Christopher wished to impart as he had sent Sadly this discussion had an emotional effect this small pothole filled with rainwater and a written statement of what he had done for on one neighbour who left the meeting in assumed the disguise as a puddle. If nationwide publicity is to be believed, a UMVPC, including meetings with Dorset tears. new hole is registered every 46 seconds so Council officers. He had a more pressing It also featured at our parish council we are indeed fortunate to get our serious engagement, but it would be a pity if Cllr Finance was next on the agenda as meeting, when injury to a cyclist and his potholes filled in and road repaired at all. Christopher’s diary were so full as to miss councillors agreed payments and accepted velocipede were discussed. Unfortunately But a three-year wait for a repair that took these meeting since we now have but a clerk John Vanderwolfe’s report. this coincided with the absence of the sole less than an hour to complete does indicate single senior councillor not the four we have representative of our senior council, Cllr a issue with our reporting of such problems enjoyed previously. The next highlight was placing the draft Simon Christopher, whose predecessor, and even more with the assessment of just Neighbourhood Plan before the council to Cllr Turner, so often praised the reporting how severe is the damage to all who use our During the democratic period we heard approve for onward presentation to Dorset system, defending it when it failed. roads. To report a fault use: comments from the public concerning a Council and the appointment of an inspector planning application for change of use of to critique our draft Plan. NP chairman In another recorded incident, oncoming www.dorsetcouncil.gov.uk/roads-highways- the old post office at Marshwood. ‘Bash’ Charles Somers told the council that this traffic prevented a young driver from maintenance/report-a-problem-on-the-road-or- (Sebastian) Walther was proposing to would lead to a referendum probably early dodging the obstruction, resulting in a pavement.aspx develop the site into a substantial downstairs Continued on p6 4 5 Stephen Lee in 2020, which if approved by local voters would mandate the whole plan. Landscape Gardening Parish council meeting: Sept After a cloud-free Indian summer’s day, eight ‘where all actions are taking place under one 1 Vale View, Salwayash, He and Matthew Bowditch both thanked of your councillors and eight members of hat.’ Bridport, DT6 5JB the NP team especially their consultant, Jo the public gathered at Bettiscombe Village Witherden. Hall. Newly-retired vet and current council Two new categories of discussion were Hi, chairperson Matthew Bowditch called next: both established policy to guide My team and I do most kinds of The final item on the agenda relate to a time on the opening chitchat to declare future debates by councillor.