Blog - The Westonbirt Project

It seems as if the tiny glimmer of summer sun has definitely gone and been replaced with wind and rain. This coincided with our trip to Batsford Arboretum to have a look at their visitor and garden centre, which recently opened.

Phew! I've just got back to my desk after a morning's dry stone walling - or an attempt at it.

I recently visited the Greenbuild Expo in Manchester which showcased sustainable energy ideas and technology.

Last week we finally managed to make some time to look at examples of other Forestry Commission projects.

You will see from Monday (7th March) contractors on site by the mini roundabout starting Phase 1 of the Westonbirt Project.

I ran out of time in my blog entry the other day, so I couldn’t jabber on to you about the Planning Inspector’s verdict on the Welcome Building design itself.

If champagne, caviar and fois gras was on the Maples menu last Friday, the Project team would have been over there tucking in. We heard our appeal result from the Planning Inspectorate, and it was positive.

‘What’s the difference between a shed and a barn?’ It’s a question the Planning Inspector asked the Cotswold District Council Conservation and Design Officer on Wednesday this week.

Fundraising for the Westonbirt Project is an interesting role in these times of austerity. I’ve had several responses to funding requests along the lines of, “Many thanks for your application. It looks like a terrific project, but….”...

We have been considering using woodfuel at the Arboretum for a while, but as it’s such a complex subject area with lots of new technology involved.

As a new member of the team (started last week), I have been granted a rare treat as part of my induction; a behind the scenes look at the Arboretum I’d only ever viewed as a visiting tourist.

As with most planning applications extra pieces of information have been requested from us. We have been busy digging holes in a variety of locations and pouring in water to see how well the water drains in the ground at the Arboretum.

We have now submitted our planning applications for the Westonbirt Project! It’s been a frantic few days, with several long supporting documents and reports flying through our emails for final tweaks and approvals.

The Westonbirt Project is progressing at an exciting rate and letting people know about what we hope to provide for visitors, staff and the local community is vital for gaining, and keeping, support for the project.

We have all been very busy lately with a big push to get the drawings and our proposals finalised before we submit our planning application in May.