Mixed news from Sussex and the Downs

December 2014

• Good news - River Lavant flowing again
• Bad news - Arundel bypass
•  

  River Lavant flowing again

My collage inspired by the Lavant (2012)

I headed into Chichester on Monday morning (8th December) to drop off my paintings for the Journeys exhibition at the Oxmarket Centre of Arts. After this and a few bits of Christmas shopping, I headed to The Trundle, following our regular walking route out of the city to East Lavant and along the valley up Haye's Down to The Trundle. Though it wasn't the frosty morning we'd had along the Severn over the weekend, it was clear and bright, if cold in the north wind. I had to be quick sketching today, beginning with the view towards the church at East Lavant from the SW with The Trundle behind. During my brief lunch stop, gulls and crows in the valley at the foot of Haye's Down. 

When I got to East Lavant and crossed Sheepwash Lane to take the path across the footbridge and along the valley, I was pleased to see the River Lavant flowing again. When I last looked at the beginning of November, it was still dry, but I'd hoped it would be flowing again by now. Rainfall during October and November made up for the shortfall in September. By now, some of this rainfall should have percolated through the soil into chalk to raise the water table once again. It still looked a bit low: it's still fairly early in the season, with the rainfall during the latter half of November possibly still to infiltrate. According to Centre for Ecology and Hydrology, the groundwater level in the Chilgrove well, on the chalk to the west of Chichester, dropped rapidly from the highs of last winter and was still below the long term average depth at the end of October. It still had some catching up to do after the exceptionally dry September.

Unsustainable developments along the Arun

At the beginning of December 2014, the government announced a string road “improvements” . Many in southern England are along the south coast, along the M27-A27 corridor between Southampton and Lewes. Those in densely populated south Hampshire (mainly road widening) are closer to home. However, I feel more strongly against the proposals for the A27 through rural Sussex, especially The Arundel bypass. This and the new Chichester bypass (also on again) were dropped by the Blair government in 2003 on the grounds that they would be too environmentally damaging. Sadly now, it seems that protecting the environment, the countryside or people’s health and wellbeing in the future is deemed less important than growing the economy for the benefit of vested interests in the road lobby.

The £15 billion programme comes despite the Chancellor’s insistence that the deficit between public spending and tax revenue must be cut during the next parliament: reportedly to the tune of £55 billion. If true, public services – including health, social care, public transport and local authority budgets would take an even heavier hammering than they've done up to now. That isn't belt tightening: more twisted prioritising favour of vested interests.

When I first heard about Arundel in Emma Tristram’s letter to The Guardian, 3rd December, I was depressed, disappointed and angry. This is a part of the country I've come to love as an artist, river and downland walker over several decades. As southeast England goes, this area has remained relatively unspoilt until now, though the traffic in the area is already off-putting. 

The existing bypass built in the 1970s comprises the A27 coming down the hill from Crossbush to the east, crossing the railway near the train station; a left turn at the roundabout; across the Arun downstream of the town centre; then uphill to the west; with the A284 coming in from the north at another roundabout. The narrow stretch of road across the railway line near the train station is oppressive. Though there is a pelican crossing near the roundabout, there is no footway across the railway bridge. Crossing the A27 here on foot to reach Crossbush Lane to Warningcamp and Burpham can be nigh impossible. Clearly, then there is big room for improvement here, but wouldn't it be better to simply widen the existing road and improve the juncitons here rather than build a beefed-up trunk road to the south.  SCATE, the South Coast Alliance for Transport and the Environment, have some constructive and more sustainable ideas here. Not only would they be less environmentally damaging, they would also benefit a wider cross-section of people, including walkers, cyclists and overdue investment in public transport. 

The new dual carriageway, to the south and west of Arundel, will cut across the floodplain and intrude into the South Downs National Park. To the west of Arundel, it will either slice through a large area of woodland within the National Park, or damage the villages of  Tortington, Binsted and Walberton. Until now, when I've walked from Ford  to Arundel along the River Arun, I've enjoyed the view of north upriver to the town and Castle with the Downs behind (picture above, last August). The new road will cut straight through that. And what will it be like with all the noise, dust and lorry movements while the road is being built?

If it really must be built, how about firstly ensuring safe, pedestrian and cycle access along the more minor but busy roads all along the valley. I’d still like to be able to get off the train at Ford and walk into Arundel along the river without having to take my life into my hands crossing a trunk road. Currently, the footpath along the west bank of the Arun passes under the A27 at the existing bypass bridge. Further up the valley how about safer crossings where the South Downs Way crosses the A29 and B2139 across the river at Houghton? There is no footway along the B’road through Houghton and the traffic over Houghton Bridge is oppressive. This is a busy road, apparently a cut-through between the A29 and A283 at Storrington.

Experience on the road network so far has shown that new roads generate more traffic. Before long, the roads are just as, or even more, congested than they were before - M25, M27 and A34 all notable examples in the south. All the more with chronic under-investment in public transport, walking or cycling.  

The Sussex area is being squeezed at both ends: the growth of outer London to the north; and ribbon urban development along the south coast. Calls for expansion of Gatwick Airport with a second runway are growing louder and louder. A decision here looms in 2015. As if the latest road building announcement isn’t enough,  I understand from the government report that a study into an orbital motorway around the M25 is in the offing.  I’m also concerned about the potential impacts of fracking, ie exploitation of shale gas in the Sussex Weald, including Fernhurst near Blackdown.

The transport sector, particularly road and air, is a major contributor to human-induced climate change through greenhouse gas emissions and air pollution through particulates, nitrogen oxides and carbon monoxide.

Receiving considerably less attention during the first week of December were press releases about both these issues. The Met. Office say that 2014 was the hottest year in the UK and globally.  There has been a cluster of such announcements during the past twenty to thirty years, with records broken seemingly ever year or every other year. If this warming doesn’t reflect the rising levels of greenhouse gases through human activities – including traffic – what else is doing it?

UK and global temperature records, 2014

http://www.metoffice.gov.uk/news/releases/archive/2014/2014-global-temperature

Then, as if to indicate completely disjointed thinking in government, came a press release  from Parliament.uk, also reported on the BBC News website, about the urgent need to tackle increasing levels of air pollution.

Change planning rules to protect children from air pollution

To quote from the press release from the Department of Transport published on 1st December:

·investing around £350 million to transform the A27, with a new bypass at Arundel to complete the ‘missing link’, plus further improvements around Worthing, Lancing and Lewes - this will help the A27 link together as a single route, supporting the development of the local economy and removing notorious congestion hotspots .

Uncritical news coverage and local media give the impression of unanimous public support. According to SCATE discussions about alternatives to the new bypass were completely off the agenda during the run-up to the announcement. Subsequently, there’s has been a drought of follow up news reports or debate, the media quickly moving on. I don't remember this being so much the case in the 1990s amid the controversial Twyford Down or the Newbury Bypass. At Twyford Down, near Winchester, the  M3 is now routed through an ugly gash in the Downs, instead of a less visually intrusive but more costly tunnel (unlike on the A3 at Hindhead). Unlike now, road protests were reported widely. The A34 is the link road between Southampton and the M40 / Midland. It now skirts Newbury and slices through the Wessex Downs. Unlocking the A34 there has simply shifted the traffic jams north to Oxford.

Links

South Coast Alliance Transport and the Environment (SCATE)

http://scate.org.uk/

Tony Whitbread, Chief Executive of Sussex Wildlife Trust

http://tonywhitbread.blogspot.co.uk/2014/12/money-to-burn-road-building-bonanza.html

A wintery walk along the Severn

River Severn Tewkesbury - Deerhurst - 6th December 2014

After a very enjoyable evening with our folk in the Midlands, we awoke at our comfortable B&B to a bright, frosty morning. After a generally very mild year, it felt a long time since we'd had one of these. We headed into Tewkesbury and parked near the Abbey. When we arrived, the sun was on SE side. Here, too was one of the more "junior" river of Tewkesbury, the Swilgate. This flows behind the Abbey into the Mill Avon near lane we took to the Severn at Lower Lode. Here the Mill Avon joined the Severn, pub on far side , with a ferry for late night revellers, apparently.

I'd left the Severn in September perturbed by bore wave rushing up it (Lower Rea, 12th September). Here today it was gentle and reflective. The water level now was relatively low, perturbed only by the slightest breeze, the odd mallard, moorhen, a couple of swans and the odd boat or two. 

We followed the Severn Way along the east side of the river towards Haw, diverting briefly to Deerhurst to see Odda's Chapel. 

Shortly after joining the path at Lower Lode, we passed the boat house. Here, on the wall facing the river flood marks painted from the two biggest floods on the Severn in during the past century: 1947 [March] and [July] 2007. I'd forgotten  2007 mark was the higher one of the two - see Note 1 below.

These were both exceptional floods. Nonetheless, amid the calm conditions today,  it seemed hard to believe that, even during the normal floods which occur in this area roughly annually (eg last winter and spring 2012), that the river that it is capable of rising several metres up and over the banks and filling the floodplain. I got my other half to stand in front of the marks for scale.   The boat house stood a good two metres above the river level here now. When we came back through here later, a disembodied voice told people following the Severn Way through here that this was private property, our images being recorded on cctv. Big Brother or what?  The usual notices to notices would have sufficed. 

As far as I know, no overspills this autumn-winter, though I was glad I'd worn the new wellies - even if my toes were cold in the frost to begin with - as it was still muddy in places after rain in November. During the morning, it was still fairly frosty, with some of the muddy areas still frozen. By the middle of the day, most of this had melted, making it muddier. Worst bit was along the floodbank just south of Deerhurst. Signposts here for Severn Way and Sabrina Way. Sabrina was the Roman name for the river, otherwise didn't know the difference.

Odda's Chapel, Deerhurst

Colder inside the chapel, not much sun getting in to it today. A quick sketch in here, but warmer in the sun along the river sketching the early winter trees. Most of the autumn leaves are off the trees now, though a few remnants of leafy colour on the hedgerows. Some younger upper branches on the trees growing along the bank had a warm golden colour with sun on them against the clear blue sky. Some mistletoe with white berries. Winter oaks. Little blue birds in one of the trees growing on the slope of the bank.

Winter trees along the Severn near Deerhurst

Alongside the fence on the north side of the field where the path headed into Deerhurst, several dip stick gauges at intervals going down towards the river, four tall masts in the river, presumably for marking where the usual course of the river in the event of a flood covering the fields here. An odd sign on the gate, the graphics seemed to indicate - Don't skew or fry fish here, or carry big flat-pack fish under your arm.

After a quick look at Odda's Chapel, we carried on down the river towards Haw Bridge, though most attractive stretch was the first bit between Lower Lode and Deerhurst: the river here more open with variety of winter trees.Turned  round just before the caravan park on the near side.

Got back to Tewkesbury about half-two and had a quick look round along the Mill Avon between the Abbey Mill and former flour mill. Alongside the latter, a disorientating illusion of the Avon flowing uphill at the latter, apparently defying gravity.  

Abbey Mill, Tewkesbury

Note 1 - Severn flooding around Tewkesbury - a link here to an interesting website bringing together local memory and blogs. 

Sustainable Flood Memories

https://floodmemories.wordpress.com/tag/river-severn/

There is more information here about the 1947 and 2007 floods. Also how, how and again the media put a negative, Terrible Disaster spin on when reporting on flooding and weather events generally (at the time of writing, it's a "weather bomb in northern Britain", 10th December). The 2007 flood was a national emergency and took residents and business affected around Tewkesbury many months to clear up the mess. During more normal, if again unseasonal floods in spring 2012, the media again reached for the photos from 2007 giving a false impression that things were worse than they really are. Rather than carrying as normal, well used to living on a floodplain at the confluence of two major British rivers, people living and working in the area were portrayed as victims under siege.  I stand guilty as one of the "outsiders" associating Tewkesbury with flooding probably more than anywhere else in England. Even so, I expect realistic, sensible information in news reports about weather events, rather than sensationalism so that I can get a true picture of what the situation is. Sensationalist, screaming headlines about storms, floods and disaster can frighten vulnerable people and are not fair on local businesses such as hotels and shops who find their bookings / takings down.