Redevelopment on the banks of the Avon in Melksham
Archive - Originally posted on "The Horse's Mouth" - 2011-02-25 08:10:34 - Graham Ellis
Conigre Mead is safe - and was intact at 07:30 this morning. So is the river frontage to the North of the reserve, and the churchyard. About 70% of the heavily overgrown brownfield area between the current Sainsbury's store and nature reserve - including derelict drainage ponds that became redundant when Melksham Gate was installed on the river - have been cleared for Sainsubury's expansion. I'll show you some pictures.
When a site / old piece of manmade structure falls into dereliction, it can become an eyesore. And then nature takes over and gradually it becomes more natural; leave it long enough and some interesting wildlife - plants and animals - can move it, and leave it longer and you end up with some quite substantial trees - especially if they are fast-growing types. And it becomes harder (and more emotive) to reuse that land. It's very arguable as to when the old area - with square-edged pits that are unnatural in shape, and with components that are not from nature - becomes a natural environment that perhaps should be preserved.
Outside the nature reserve, there are remaining elements of these pits and indeed the start of the nature reservoir includes the final pits, and it was lovely to walk down there this morning. Any loss of nature is regrettable, and a loss of nature close to the town centre is regrettable too for it lessens what we have to offer when boats come to the river, and when we seek to encourage tourism into our green and pleasant town. We need the green components to do that. But - looking forward 50 years, looking at growing housing and population demand through to 2060, less that 2% of currently agricultural / green / natural land will be built upon - and that's a worst estimate.
Why did I go down to Conigre Mead at first light? Because a forum post told me that it had all gone. And then told me I was wrong when I questioned that. I wanted to check with my own eyes. And I saw what I expected - the start of development that the town council and the county had opposed, but which had then been allowed to go ahead on appeal to central government. Whether we agree (or not) with the Sainsbury's expansion - and it is something I have never expressed a view on - the time for saying "no" and appealing against it has long since passed, and we should all work together to integrate the improved shopping facilities that will be provided into the natural beauty of the river bank and nearby nature reserve for the mutual benefit of the people of Melksham, visitors to Melksham, and the planet as a whole.
