We promised to tell you more about Philip Colebatch, owner of Horsington Manor, and his visit to the Parish Council on 9 February. At the meeting he explained the conservation work he has carried out in the ten years since he has owned the property.
The work includes the planting of over 4km of hedgerow (approximately 12,000 plants) together with the planting ofsome 400 new trees. Robert Rhys, the land agent, told the Blog that Mr Colebatch provided for the Council details of a report which had recently been prepared by the Farming and Wildlife Advisory Group (FWAG, a farming/environmental
consultancy, which went into administration in November 2011). This organisation assisted the development of the original conservation programme in 2002.
Mr Rhys said ‘These results included FWAG’s analysis that the management and restoration of the veteran trees on my client’s land is ensuring that the life of these trees is being extended’.
He continued ‘Mr Colebatch continues his dialogue with South Somerset District Council in an effort to understand their issues’, and we understand these have now been resolved, with the decision by the SSDC not to go ahead with a tree preservation order, and to rescind a Hedgerow Retention Notice.