Maddie’s World
In her weekly column, Maddie Grigg shares tales from her life in rural Dorset . . .
IT’S one of those lovely days in Lush Places that I just don’t want to end. The birds are singing, the flowers are blooming and even the traffic is sticking to the 20 mph speed limit. Bliss.
Two rather elegantly dressed ladies trundle an array of suitcases across the road from a holiday cottage into the open car boot.
They’ve had a good few days here, the pair of them, and reckon it’s one of the friendliest villages they’ve visited.
There aren’t that many holiday cottages in Lush Places, which is just as well because this is a rural village which needs to live and breathe, not be preserved in aspic just to look pretty for visitors.
There are other villages, particularly those closer to the coast, where holiday homes are far more prevalent.
It’s understandable – people want to visit stunning locations, and programmes such as “Broadchurch” have made West Dorset even more popular than it already was.
Luckily, being in the hidden hinterland, we seem to have ducked under the tourist radar although, at weekends, our own Bluebell Hill resembles Hyde Park, with lots of people out enjoying the open air and wonderful vistas.
At the moment, one of the biggest topics of conversation is a planning application to build up to 32 houses on two fields on the outskirts of the village.
I first learned about it when I saw a concerned man with a clipboard coming out through a gate.
Public opinion is divided on the issue.
There are those who are concerned about the impact on village views and infrastructure. Can a village such as ours cope with that many houses, that many cars and that much drainage? And will the development stick out like a sore thumb in a green and pleasant land?
There are others who see it as a natural progression, opposite an estate that was built 20 years ago – the last time Lush Places had any major development.
I didn’t live here then, so I don’t know how the village felt about it at the time. No doubt there were concerns, just as there are now.
There are indications that a proportion of the new houses will be “affordable”, which I believe is a good thing, as long as they’re available to local people at a reasonable rent or for shared ownership.
Some people who are in favour of the scheme say, “We have to have new people here if we’re to maintain our church and school and keep the pub and shop open. We can’t stand still for ever.”
And it’s true. Without a certain amount of growth, Lush Places would be dead on its feet.
One of the things in the village’s favour is that it’s not chocolate-box pretty. It has a mixture of housing and a wide age range of people.
From young, working families and professional people to retired folk who own their own homes or are in housing association accommodation, most of us seem to get along.
From country folk, born and bred, to incomers, we are all here, living shoulder to shoulder.
A village like Lush Places is like a bigger version of a family. Sometimes we fall out, but mostly we get on, putting our differences behind us. In my opinion, that’s the healthiest way to lead life in a small community.
So, if the planning consent gets the go-ahead, here’s to the new people who will be lucky enough to move into this wonderful village of ours. I’m sure they’ll love it as much as we do. n