Editor’s Note: Steve Spear is a member of the pressure group NOWTS, formed in Bradpole to campaign against Dorset County Council’s idea of putting a Waste Transfer Station (WTS) at Gore Cross. What follows below is a lightly edited version of a piece issued for general distribution, and it makes some interesting points, particularly about Lilac Farm, previously written about on this site. Could it indeed turn out to be the solution to years of costly wrangles? As Mr Spear writes, “this process has to come to an end sometime.”       

I THINK most people will know that Dorset County Council have organised an exhibition at Bridport Town Hall which is open this Friday 21, May (11am to 6pm) and on Saturday 22, May (9.30am to 12.30pm).

It’s about the Stage 1A review report the county have produced which you can see at this link http://www.dorsetforyou.com/westwasteplan 

There are hundreds of pages - the consultants have to show they’ve earned their keep! - but it boils down to a list of six sites being put forward with a seventh being added at the last minute. 

Broomhills Farm

Eype Junction (previously referred to as the Watton Farm site adjacent to the picnic area) Gore Cross North of Watford Lane

Green Lane

Lilac Farm (this is the late addition)

Miles Cross 1

Miles Cross 2

I won’t go into it all in detail, there is a map available on the county pages that shows where they are, but the first thing to note is that Gore Cross is now the only site without direct access onto the A35.

The county says about the exhibition: “This is an opportunity for local people to find out more about the proposed facility, the short-listed sites and comment on the Stage 1A report, before The Stage 2 report, which is expected to be completed during summer 2010.  Following the Stage 2 report, the county council’s cabinet will make the final decision about which site will go forward for a planning application.”

Our previous experience would tend to make us feel that this exhibition will be more about the county telling us what they are going to do, rather than listening to what we think but you never know, perhaps they have had a genuine change of heart. 

I urge you all to go along and make your point of view known.

Some points that have been mentioned by others are:

Gore Cross has not been re-assessed despite the change in the Highways Agency position. As Gore Cross went to the top of the list because it avoided the A35, surely it should be looked at again?

Despite what the county have said in the past, the Gore Cross site development was rejected in two planning inspectors’ reports and these decisions are meant to be binding on the local authorities.

Now that sites directly off the A35 are allowed, shouldn’t this be a primary requirement?

You all know the arguments against Gore Cross and how the new stance of the Highways Agency has cut the ground from under the county’s feet in their march up the A3066 but we need to consider if supporting another site might encourage them to look elsewhere. To look at a site which might actually be better and achievable.

The late addition of the Lilac Farm site is very interesting. This site is to the east of Bridport, directly off the A35 on the northern side after the entrance to Green Lane House and before the second Walditch turn on the right. The address is Lilac Farm, Walditch, Bridport, Dorset DT6 4LH so I think you can guess which village will be complaining about this site, though it is on the other side of the main road to Walditch proper.

Apparently the owner is willing to sell the land, the only house on the site is his, which he is also willing to sell, the site can be accessed directly off the A35 (though some form of proper junction will have to be made), it’s on the east side of Bridport so the large lorries coming and going from the main waste/landfill  site will not have to go round the town or up to Gore Cross and it’s still in Bradpole Parish so the parish council can say, “see, we’re not nimbys after all!”

The only problems I can see with this site are its proximity to Green Lane House, a good, safe entrance needs to be provided (paid for!), and it will be visible from higher ground to the south, (though right alongside the road, which is a bit of a blot on the landscape already).

If a lot of people were to support this site and if the parish council were to do so as well, which seems likely, would the county breath a sigh of relief and focus on Lilac Farm?

Bradpole Parish council will be holding a meeting at Bradpole village hall on Thursday, 3 June 3 at 7.30pm when they will be discussing their response to the report and exhibition. Members of the public are invited to attend and make their views known.

As we all know, there is no such thing as a perfect site, whatever is proposed someone will find objectionable, but this process has to come to an end sometime.

Personally I have believed from the start that direct access off the A35 is the only way to go and I am very encouraged that six of the seven sites on the list have that.

It has taken a very long time and been arduous but perhaps we are getting closer to a sensible solution. I very much hope so.

Finally, I have been asked to mention that the St Andrews Road Residents Association are going to be present at the Town Hall exhibition and will be handing out information in the doorway to help people interpret the exhibition in a balanced way. They are looking for volunteers to do a one hour shift on the doorstep during the exhibition hours and if anyone is willing to help, they would very much like to hear from you. Please contact Neil or Louise on 421720 or e-mail

Related posts

- Six sites shortlisted, including one near the Eype picnic area

- Leading councillor Ronald Coatsworth gores Dorset County Council 

- Pressure group NOWTS speaks out 

- Well-known Bridport green Leon Edwards calls for leadership and action 

- Steve Spear of NOWTS responds to Leon Edwards

-  Bridport: Has a site finally been found for a new waste transfer station?