Island Life Magazine Ltd August/September 2008 | Page 69

COUNTRYSIDE, WILDLIFE & FARMING

life

Changing face of the countryside

It takes more than just trees,
hedges and good farming
practice to give us the
landscape and diversity of
wildlife, that our Countryside
has. Here Tony Ridd, is
introduced, to a not so scarce
ingredient…

from local decision makers
and is now made by officials in
Brussels, (who probably can’t
even spell the Isle of Wight, let
alone know where it is!)
The EU is currently
preventing us from having our
own abattoir on the island due
to costs of meeting its stringent
I have to admit to being a
criteria. If one was permitted
bit blinkered when it comes
it would be ‘good for food
to looking at our landscape
miles, good for promoting local
and the countryside around
branding and good for animal
us. However, having spent
some time with Andrew Turner, welfare issues.’
All this seems a bit heavy and
our Island MP, I am trying to
beyond
the interest of most,
broaden my outlook and see
but Andrew explained that
beyond the greenery, the birds
and the bees and all things that the countryside is made up of
communities. Many villages
go into making the island’s
have seen enormous changes,
countryside special.
Although free to the majority with town and city people
of users, it has been highlighted moving to the countryside.
before that the countryside isn’t They have been used to a
cheap to run! Major decisions, different environment and so
village life has had to adapt to
are made by ‘Governments
accommodate their demands
who don’t understand the
and more urban cultures.
countryside’. The EU sets
The countryside is very
policies across the (European)
community led, working people
board that our government
who don’t respond well to
seem to follow word for word.
‘consultation papers’, there are
The right to decide how to
now too many questionnaires
manage has been taken away

www.wightfrog.com/islandlife

that don’t receive a balanced
response, people are getting
bored with them.
It has been well publicised
that the rise in property prices,
is one of the major changing
factors for local communities.
‘Some people need access to
villages because they work
there, or grew up there. The
countryside is dependant upon
the people that work in it’.
Andrew would like to see
‘small extensions to villages,
4-5 homes, that could make
all the difference to keeping
village amenities alive. Too
many new and inappropriate
properties could easily ruin
a village.’ Small pockets of
land, not destined for building,
could be used for affordable
and housing association homes.
It is a legal nightmare sorting
this sort of project out, but
not impossible as has been
proven in Nettlestone, with the
building of ten such properties
well underway. Agreement
was made with a local land
owner to sell some land that
was unlikely to get planning for

private homes at a price higher
than it’s agricultural value, but
well below normal residential
land prices. This enabled the
Housing Group to purchase the
land and build the homes thus
helping keep local people in the
community.
He appreciates this isn’t a
solution available, or suitable
for every village, but could go
a long way to safe guarding
village amenities, such as the
local post office, school, village
shop or pub.
To get the feel and community
spirit from a village, visit
their local fete. They aren’t
big fancy affairs, geared up to
the holidaymaker with lots of
cheap stalls, they are friendly,
relaxed events of mixed ages,
fresh tea, granny’s home-made
fruit cake, lots of fun and
laughter and a chance to
discuss things that really do
matter.
‘The countryside isn’t just
animals, it’s communities. If
you don’t have local people,
they aren’t going to buy local
produce’

69