Cool £5 million price tag for Arreton farms sale

Heasley And Arreton Farms are for sale through Carter Jonas.

Cool £5 million price tag for Arreton farms 

Report from Isle of Wight County Press
By Lori Little loril@iwcpmail.co.uk

A HUGE area of Arreton is up for sale – for just shy of five million pounds.

Heasley and Arreton Manor Farms are offered to the market as a whole or as two lots, with a guide price of £4.900,000 for the whole.

The package mainly comprises a ring-fenced block of productive, partially irrigated arable land together with elevated downland and pasture, a pair of semi-detached cottages and a farmyard with portal framed building and commercial lets.

In all, it extends to about 575 acres (232 hectares).

Extending from the base of Arreton Down, it slopes south providing workable fields in large enclosures.

The land is well served by tracks with access direct from Downend Road to the west and over a right of way across Heasley Lane to the south.

Adjacent to the farmyard, the land levels off, while to the west there is more undulation around Arreton Manor. - The farms are currently growing a mix of spring and winter-sown cereals, sweetcorn, maize and winter cauliflowers.

The southerly boundary of the farm is the River Yar, with an adjacent parcel of pasture extending to 30 acres and with access via Heasley Lane which also serves Heasley Cottages and the farmyard.

The Arreton Down lies to the north of the farm and provides about 65 acres of downland in two blocks either side of Newport Shute Road.

For enquiries, contact Carter Jonas Estate Agents.

Tip changes: Everything you need to know about Lynnbottom and Afton

Tip changes: Everything you need to know about Lynnbottom and Afton

Report from Isle of Wight County Press

MORE slots are going to be made available at tips on the Isle of Wight but restrictions will be in place for as long as necessary.

The Isle of Wight Council has also said general household waste is still not being accepted.

Since May, Island residents have had to pre-book a slot at the two household waste and recycling centres (HWRCs) to get rid of most of the rubbish they have been collecting in lockdown.

After initial restrictions were put in place, including a speed limit and temporary one-way system on Briddlesford Road, some measures have been lifted as the tips open up to more people.

In a letter to all local authorities, the government advised councils to 'avoid unnecessarily tight restrictions like a limited number of pre-booked slots' after it was found some councils had put 'excessively tight restrictions' in place.

Simon Clarke, minister for local government, and Rebecca Pow, environment minister, said in the letter: "Where there are opportunities to improve access and to help householders dispose of waste responsibly then we would encourage [local authorities] to keep measures under review and to extend access where this can be done safely."

However, the Isle of Wight Council has said it has received no complaints about the current booking system and is increasing the number of slots available per hour.

Also, by working in partnership with Amey, the council says the site and processes have been closely monitored and regularly reviewed to ensure the safety of residents and staff. 

A spokesperson for the council said: "As long as social distancing is required we cannot operate the site as we used to.

“For the safety of staff and householders, there are internal restrictions on the number of parking bays in use and the number of vehicles able to access the site at any one time.

“Every householder can book every 14 days.”

At Lynnbottom HWRC, only 12 of the 23 parking bays can be used, following the social distancing guidelines set by the government.

In May, 13 cars were able to go to the tip every half hour but with restrictions lifting, allowing different vehicles and trailers to bring waste, this was changed to 10 vehicles every 15 minutes.

From August 3, more slots will open to allow 13 vehicles every 15 minutes, meaning 52 households can come to the HWRC in an hour.

The time scheduled for the appointment is only the time you should arrive at the site, and not a time limit — residents are able to unload their waste in the time it takes them to do so.

At Afton Marsh HWRC, in Freshwater, only four of the eight parking bays can be used.

From August 3, six vehicles will be allowed into the HWRC every 15 minutes compared to only five cars per 30 minutes when it re-opened with stricter measures.

Despite the increase in slots and acceptance of most rubbish types, general household waste, or black bin rubbish, is still not accepted at the site.

Included in the term general waste is nappies, used tissues, crisp packets, cigarette butts and bubble wrap.

The council has said households creating large amounts of general waste because of medical reasons, six or more people in the household or two or more children in nappies can order a larger black bin on its website.

To find the full list of what you can and cannot take to the HWRCs, you can visit www.iwight.com/recyclingcentres and www.iwight.com/waste.

Oil company and anti-fracking protesters clash over Arreton drilling plans

Arreton made the front of the Isle of Wight County Press this week.

 

Arreton made the front of the Isle of Wight County Press

Isle of Wight County Press Report By James Woolven

THE OIL company set to drill at Arreton has come head to head with campaigners Frack Free Isle of Wight in the fight over public relations.

UK Oil and Gas (UKOG), which holds an exploration license for oil and gas on the Isle of Wight, has accused Frack Free Isle of Wight of scaremongering and making false claims.

Frack Free Isle of Wight issued an open letter to local landowners, highlighting risks of leasing their land to oil and gas companies.

Stephen Sanderson, UKOG chief executive, said: "Frack Free Isle of Wight has made some outrageous and malicious claims about what we plan to do on the Island. It is totally false that we are fracking, acid fracking, stimulating with acid and employing other 'aggressive' techniques that will pose a threat to the environment, to the water supply or the health of residents. Frack Free Isle of Wight should be ashamed of the damaging scaremongering they have embarked upon. Let us be absolutely clear: We do not frack, we do not need to frack, and we will not be applying for permits to frack."

Frack Free Isle of Wight said: "We asked landowners to think carefully about the long-term effects of allowing this industry to gain a foothold on the Island. Rural landowners are custodians of significant chunks of our natural environment, their decisions and actions can have lasting impacts on everyone's future. "We believe the protection of our natural environment and long-term water supplies should be more important than short term profit. We also feel that it is important for all possible future scenarios to be considered before decisions are made."

In its letter, Frack Free Isle of Wight indicated UKOG may have downplayed the potential for future use of controversial extraction techniques. It pointed out that there was a difference between conventional oil and tight oil. It also told landowners that NFU insurance no longer covered environmental damage caused by oil works and that senior government officials had said that if oil companies go bankrupt, the liability for clean-up operations could revert to the landowner.

The letter also warned landowners there would be 'massive' local opposition on environmental grounds to the establishment of new sites for fossil fuel extraction on the Isle of Wight.

UKOG's Mr Sanderson said: "Our operations are rigorously regulated by the Environment Agency, Health and Safety Executive, the UK Government’s Oil and Gas Authority and, of course, the Isle of Wight Council as the mineral planning authority. We adhere fully to the strictest regulations and we have an exemplary record of employing both high operational standards and high levels of openness in our dealings with residents and stakeholders. We are solely pursuing conventional oil reservoirs, which like our Horse Hill oil field near Gatwick Airport; we aim to flow naturally without the so called 'stimulation' techniques erroneously referred to by Frack Free Isle of Wight. Crucially, our targets are not 'tight' reservoirs as Frack Free Isle of Wight claims, as is evident by the record-breaking natural flows at Horse Hill. Our sites are zero discharge, employing the use of impermeable membranes, which means all produced or stored fluids, even rainwater, are taken from site by road tanker. No fluids can enter the ground underlying the site."

UKOG has also said that it will not use any form of matrix acidulation, due to its potentially adverse effects on the flow of oil. The company has promised that if it receives planning permission, it will establish a community liaison group to have a dialogue with residents.

Mr Sanderson said: "We will also ensure that residents will benefit from our success — we propose to share six percent of gross revenues (i.e. before our costs and taxes) with the Isle of Wight, comprised of business rates taxes and a royalty to the local community. And in the event of a poor result from our operations, UKOG would then swiftly restore the site to its original agricultural condition. This is a normal part of our business."

UKOG has said that if it is given permission to explore for oil and gas, there will be site construction activity for the first six to eight weeks. Drilling will last around 60 days, during which, there will be a period of five to seven days at the beginning and end where up to ten lorries per day will be needed to bring in and take out the rig. During the rest of the drilling operation, there will be one or two lorries a day. After the rig has gone, rig-less flow testing of the well would commence for up to a few months to assess the well’s commercial viability. Any produced oil would initially be exported via road tankers, up to five per day.

A spokesperson for Frack Free Isle of Wight said: "If ever there was a time to think globally but to act locally, it is now."With the Isle of Wight bidding to be designated as a UNESCO biosphere and the council pledging to implement environmental action plans for a sustainable future, it should be unthinkable that new drilling operations on the Island would be approved. However, this is no time for complacency; UKOG's response to our letter indicates that they are very serious in their intentions to commence operations on the Isle of Wight. Frack Free Isle of Wight is calling on all Islanders to get involved with this issue, to understand the impacts and to actively engage with the planning process when applications to establish drilling operations are submitted. Now is the time for all who care about the future state of our local and global environments to stand firm in the face of operations that place profit before the planet."

Vintage advertising signs stolen from Arreton Barns

Reported in the Isle of Wight County Press this week

SEVEN vintage advertising signs, valued at £200 each, were stolen from Arreton Barns.

The enamel signs were stolen some time between 8am on Thursday, January 18 and 8.15am on Friday, January 19, police have said.

PCSO Justin Keefe said: “These signs have been collected over a period of time and displayed as pieces of interest for customers.

“If you have any information about who may have stolen these signs, or if you’ve been offered them for sale, please call us on 101 quoting 44180023783.”

Read IWCP full report here

Arreton Man Grew Drugs

Report from Isle of Wight County Press:

A 61 year old man who grew cannabis at his Arreton home worth up to £41,160 faces a possible jail term.

Thomas Davis, of Hopkins Walk (Arreton) admitted producing cannabis between February and May 2016.

The drugs had an estimated street value of between £13,000 and £41,160 said Tim Compton, prosecuting, at the IW Crown Court on Friday 20th January 2017.

Judge John Price, who ordered a report on Davis, and siad all sentencing options would be considered, including imprisonment.

Davis was bailed to reappear for sentencing at the same venue on April 24th 2017. 

Fire Fears at Green Energy Plant in Arreton

Isle of Wight County Press report on a fire at the new Green Energy Plant in Arreton.

Dont' Panic......Read full report by clicking link below.

An anaerobic digestion plant in Germany, similar to the one that has been built in Arreton, Isle of Wight.

http://www.iwcp.co.uk/news/news/fire-fears-at-green-energy-plant-78488.aspx

Pippa becomes a local star by appearing in the Isle of Wight County Press

#arretontraveller #pippa #countypress #isleofwight #arreton #dogpoo
Pippa becomes a local star by appearing in the Isle of Wight County Press

My Arreton Rambling Blog on Dog Poo article was printed (abridged version) in today’s (28^th February 2014) Isle of Wight County Press. It is printed on letters page 48, and our rescue dog Pippa has a photograph along the article..Result. 

Arreton  Traveller & Pippa in the paper

Isle of Wight County Press want to print Arreton Traveller Ramblings - Dog Poo blog.

I have just had to telephone call from the Isle of Wight County Press who wanted a photo of Pippa, as they are going to print my Arreton Traveller Ramblings on Dog Poo..Result..
So sent them this...

Strap line for picture could be "Please pick up after your pet"