Koos Bekker and Paul Rawson visit Lucinda Lambourne to discuss Yarlington Lodge

KB and PR visit LL to discuss Yarlington Lodge. Account of the meeting (as provided by LL).

I had arranged a meeting with Paul Rawson on 27-July for him to come over to discuss the access that I have over the Yarlington Lodge drive. On the morning of the meeting both Koos and Paul turned up.

Topics discussed:

• Ensuring that not all Yarlington Lodge houses were lost to the community. Informed me that they had sold Pin Lane Cottage (at a loss!) to one of the employees of the Newt. It did not go on the open market and was not offered to Lucas and Lucie Hollweg who had discussed with Sue Seager, if they were to ever sell it, to let them know. Koos said he knew nothing of this discussion or indeed who Lucas and Lucie are!!
• Buggy track from Shatwell. Given the number of people that raised this as a concern, they have removed this from their proposal.
• Footpath beside the ride/avenue. Again, given the number of people that raised this as a concern, they do not intend to move the existing footpath or make it into a “proper tree lined path”. We then discussed the exact positioning of the footpath as I pointed out that whilst the footpath was actually in the field, everybody actually walked up the ride. So asked them to be realistic about the impact that this would have on the use if they continued with the plan to put the new driveway up the ride and have the footpath in the field. Koos asked where else they could put the drive and I suggested through the wood – this also might mean they could bring the road out on a safer part of the hill (if they had to build it at all). Koos said he would look into that.
• Noise from wedding/events. They do not intend to have any fireworks at the weddings/events and assured me that as the barn was on the top of the hill no noise would be heard in the village. I pointed out that the topography of the village is such that noises from the existing barn can be heard down the valley and that he should understand the impact of noise travelling around the village. I pointed out that you could hear cows and tractors in the farm yard very clearly – he asked why that was an acceptable noise?! I also pointed out that several people have informed me when the boys are playing in our garden they can hear every word given the ability for noise to travel. Koos did say that they would have a maximum capacity of 150 people (and got quite cross when I mentioned 400 people) but then discussed why they then needed parking for 150 cars to which there was no really satisfactory answer. The noise discussion was quite protracted including discussing the fact that events were being run at Yarlington House and nobody seemed to object. He likened what he was planning at Yarlington Lodge with what already happens at Yarlington House. I pointed out that he had to be joking given the frequency; size, scale and location are completely and utterly different!!
• Access to The Old Parsonage over Yarlington Lodge Drive. They are not proposing to use the shared drive past The Old Parsonage so said he would be willing to sell it to me but suggested that they build a big wall on the other side of the drive to keep out the noise (I thought there wasn’t going to be any!) I said I would prefer not to have to endure the building work of a big wall so said they would put together a proposal. They are not intending to have any access from Crockers Hill.
• Community. Spent a long time talking about the community and how a development of this size would change it forever and probably destroy it. The few pertinent points from this were:
1. Koos comes from humble beginnings in South Africa and understands rural communities.
2. He kept calling Yarlington a town and likened it several times to things that were happening in Castle Cary and North Cadbury.
3. He thought Yarlington Lodge would provide good job prospects for the people of Yarlington - I asked him how many people in Yarlington he thought were likely to want a job at Yarlington Lodge? He appeared to have no idea of the demographic of the village.  
4. He said that he would stop people from leaving Yarlington Lodge if that is what the village wanted – I pointed out that he can’t dictate where people will and will not walk/drive/go (and that is also not what I said!) 
5. Likened what he was developing at the Newt to what had happened at Chatsworth in Derbyshire – turning a stately home that has been in the same family since 1549 into a commercial venture with 105 acre garden, 1,800 acre park as well as c. 5000 acres of farm land!!!

CONCLUSION: I asked that if Koos took one thing away from the meeting it was that he should to get to know the people and community of Yarlington as community is not about giving money to events/clubs but about being involved with the people who live around you and have a collective understanding and appreciation of the village in which we live.