Environment

Otter on the Canal

A Semington resident writes ... An otter has twice been spotted in the Semington stretch of the Kennet and Avon canal this winter. On both occasions, the sighting followed a period of heavy rain and flooding of both Semington Brook and the River Avon. It is therefore believed that the otter is a temporary visitor rather than a permanent one, relocating to the canal when water levels are too high elsewhere. Nevertheless, it was still a magical sight to behold especially as I was able to quietly follow the otter for approximately quarter of a mile as it swam along the canal. The first sighting in December was only a fleeting sighting. I heard a loud “plop” in the water – it was so loud that it had to be a large bird or very large fish. I stood still and saw a V-shaped wave heading from the other side of the canal bank. Then I saw rings of bubbles moving under the water, so I knew there was something swimming down there. I still had no idea what it was and never guessed it would be an otter! That was until its head popped up out of the water. I’m not sure who was more startled to see the other, the otter or myself! On that first occasion, the otter appeared to vanish into thin air (or murky water) and I was unable to follow it, but I still felt incredibly privileged to have seen a wild otter in its natural environment and so close to it. I was even luckier on my second sighting in February. I heard and saw a commotion on the canal and thought it was just two swans having a squabble. Then I saw something dark and large swimming towards me. It took a few seconds for my brain to process the scene and realise it was the otter again! How lucky was I! This time the otter seemed oblivious to my presence and swam right past me. I was extremely fortunate that it was a very still day, so the canal was completely flat, and there was no one else around. I was able to follow the V-shaped wave and series of bubbles as the otter swam along the canal. I kept a reasonable distance behind it, and just enjoyed being able to watch the otter swim, breathe, and dive in the water. Twice the otter came onto land, so I could positively identify that it wasn’t a mink or a beaver; it was most definitely an otter. After 20 minutes (and quarter of mile), the light was fading so I returned home and left the otter to continue its journey along our stretch of the canal. It was truly magical experience and I feel so incredibly lucky to have witnessed a rare wild animal in its natural environment.
  • 17 Feb , 2025

Flooding Update from Wiltshire Council

Flooding update Following heavy rain over the weekend and more forecast for the next few days, there are several flooding issues in Wiltshire and there may be further issues over the coming days. Our teams are working hard throughout the county to provide support. Please take care on the roads, allow extra time for your journeys and drive to the conditions. Be aware of surface water and do not attempt to drive through any floodwater. Please report any issues using MyWilts. Flood warnings and alerts There are several flood warnings (flooding is expected) and flood alerts (flooding is possible) in place across the county. Please keep an eye on the Government’s flood alerts and warnings webpage for the latest and encourage people to sign up for flood warnings. There is also more advice on what do when flood warnings/alerts are in place. Our teams are working throughout the county today to resolve any issues reported to us. All gully tankers are working to clear gullies where required and we are also clearing debris, grips and gully grates. Road closures Please check our webpage with advice and the latest road closures. The page is kept as up to date as possible, but please be aware that this is a changing situation. There may be other roads, particularly side roads and smaller roads, that are experiencing flooding in the county. People affected by flooding If you are a homeowner or household affected by flooding please contact us atcustomerservices@wiltshire.gov.uk with your name, address and email address so that we can notify you if any Government support becomes available. Waste collections If there are any disruptions to waste collections, our waste and recycling service disruption webpage will be updated with details. If your waste/recycling hasn’t been emptied because of delays, please leave your bin out and it will be collected as soon as possible. Further information and useful links We’ll keep our flooding webpage as up to date as possible and will continue to post regular updates on our Facebook page. Local community Facebook pages such as the Spotted-type pages have also been regularly updated by residents throughout the day. Useful links: :  
  • 27 Jan , 2025

Where’s the Sun?

Data from some of the solar panels in the parish indicate that 2024 might have been the least sunny year in the last 10 years with electricity production (a proxy for the amount of sunshine received) down by 6% on 2023 and by 16% on the very sunny 2020.  Perhaps 2025 will be sunnier still.  
  • 31 Dec , 2024

Civic Pride

Presumably this is the result of bins not getting emptied over the Christmas period and dog walkers – not from the village of course – for whom taking their dog-dirt home or to the next bin was too much trouble.  It's been reported via MyWilts.
  • 29 Dec , 2024
A photograph of two parish councillors planting a young oak tree

Replacing one of the 2018 Oaks

One of the 10 oak trees planted in 2018 to commemorate the First World War armistice died over the Summer.  It was replaced today with a 2m tall tree.  Here's a picture of the original planting by the much-missed Steve Rimmer, whose idea it was, and Peter Smith.
  • 19 Dec , 2024

Flood Warnings

Wiltshire Council's Parish Stewards have been cleaning up after Storm Darragh.  As there will no doubt be more storms in Wiltshire over the coming months, the Council says it’s important we are prepared.  It says: Please sign up for flood warnings and find out what to do when warnings or alerts are in place, even if you haven’t been affected by flooding recently. The ground is still saturated in many areas and if we have more rain it’s important that you are aware of what to do in case of flooding. The Government’s flood alerts and warnings webpage has the latest on flooding issues around the county. If you know vulnerable people in your community, please help them to sign up for the Priority Services Register, a free service that helps utility companies, such as energy and water suppliers, to look after customers who have extra communication, access or safety needs. For example, during a power cut, people who are signed up for the Priority Services Register may be offered extra support from their energy supplier
  • 18 Dec , 2024

Being Actively Rural

Semington is described by the Parish Council as having an ‘actively rural’ character and this is a key element of the draft neighbourhood plan.  But what is actively rural?  This is how we explained it to the Examiner of the plan in late 2024: “Actively rural” has two overlapping components. Firstly, it is a realistic description of the parish in that it is not only predominantly rural in nature but also remains agricultural in that the land is still actively farmed with landowners working across the wider parish that surrounds the three settlements of Semington, Little Marsh and Littleton. There are also other agriculture-based businesses within the parish. It is of huge importance to the Parish Council that this remains the case. Our opposition to the speculative developments we have faced over the last 10 years has been as much about maintaining a viable agricultural base as it has about keeping housing development as organic as possible.  Secondly, it is also a realistic description of life in the parish where residents are physically active in the community and environment. The parish has a large number of public rights of way and no one in the parish lives far from easy access to the countryside and the natural world. Thus “actively rural” also means maintaining and improving access to our large rights of way network, which includes farmland and canal and river walks. Working with local landowners is a priority for the Parish Council to keep paths open and make improvements such as replacing stiles with kissing gates so that less mobile parishioners can use more of the network. Hence it is a priority for the Parish Council to resist suburbanisation and seek to maintain our community's ready connection with nature and our agricultural heritage. This guides the Parish Council’s decision-making when we consider any development and associated issues such as access, signage, lighting and rights of way. .................................................. It's fair to say that the Examiner was not convinced by these arguments.  He wrote: "The Parish Council has placed great weight on its description of the character of Semington as “actively rural”.  That phrase appears in numerous places and in different policies in the plan.  I appreciate that it is an adjective which has strong connotations for the Parish Council, but I need to be satisfied that it is an accurate description, with specific policy implications that a decision maker will both understand and be able to interpret, establishing its expectations arising from that choice of words, when it comes to determining a planning application.  Would they recognise what is meant by its “active rural character”, how is it unique to Semington and how should it be a determining factor when considering a planning application, compared to what is generally understood as “rural character”? I have given this topic much thought and whilst the recognition of the role of agriculture in the local environment, whether it be for economic or landscape purposes, does not in itself differentiate the character of Semington parish from other rural areas.  In my experience, most rural areas will to be some extent actively farmed. Similarly, the proximity of the countryside with its rights of way network is no different within this parish compared to other rural parishes, in my opinion. I can understand the Parish Council's desire to resist suburbanisation but that can be achieved through, for example, establishing a settlement boundary policy which determines where countryside policies will and will not apply.  I do not see that the use of the term “actively rural character” offers any greater protection to the countryside areas than would otherwise be covered by rural planning policies which are set out in the NPPF and the Core Strategy.  I have seen no convincing evidence to justify imposing more restrictive planning policies in the plan area either in terms of economic activity, landscape, recreation or other measures which would support taking a different approach than say, other nearby parishes.  I have concluded that the reference to “actively rural nature” does not provide the decision maker with the necessary clarity as to how development proposals should be determined, nor has it been supported by convincing evidence justifying a higher threshold, in terms of development management in Semington parish.  I will therefore be recommending that reference to “actively rural” nature be changed to remove reference to “actively”.  That will remove any ambiguity in terms of how issues around the rural nature of the parish should be dealt with." ............................................... You'll have a view as to the strength and appropriateness of this argument.  The outcome of it, however, is that the version of the Plan that goes forward to the 2025 Referendum will still refer to Semington's having an ‘actively rural’ character in the opening, context sections, but not in the policy sections which developers and Wiltshire Council planners will have to use in decision-making.
  • 8 Dec , 2024

Countryside Access Improvement Plan

There are more than 3,700 miles of footpaths, bridleways and byways in Wiltshire and Wiltshire Council is developing a Countryside Access Improvement Plan to improve access and use.   It would like our help in doing this.  You can complete the survey here.  
  • 6 Dec , 2024

Have you been flooded by Storm Bert?

Wiltshire Council have contacted the Parish Council to ask if anyone in the village has been affected by internal flooding due to Storm Bert. This applies to both residential and business properties.

This helps Wiltshire Council to build a picture of the nature of the flooding and enables them to access any funding available from Central Government.

If you have suffered from flooding, then please contact us with the details. Thank you.
  • 28 Nov , 2024

Air Ambulance Operations Update

At the October Parish Council meeting a parishioner raised the question of whether the Wiltshire Air Ambulance helicopter was occasionally flying too close to the village.   The Council raised this with them and here is their reply:
Apologies for the late response and yes, I have had a look at the past two months of activity.
We fly on average less than twice per day and our exit routes take us straight Eastward or Westward: we cannot take off in, or approach from, different directions.
We only turn towards the location of our call after we have reached an altitude of 1,000 feet, as the minimum altitude at which we can fly over populated areas; this happens within half a mile after take off and it means that we are certainly above 1,000 feet when we are in the proximity of the village.
We do not have records of overflying the village in the past two months at any altitude, not just the 1,000 feet.
Local residents have contacted us in the past and we are aware that the aircraft, seen from the ground, might look like being exactly on top while it would be at some substantial distance from it.  On a few occasions, the reported aircraft was in reality a neighbouring air ambulance or an unknown aircraft just overflying the area.
We do not really benefit from overflying the village, unless there was poor weather and low clouds, in which case we are mandated, for example, to maintain visual contact with the ground and with our base, when approaching for landing.
My suggestion is that you ask residents to promptly report any event, including day, time of the day and location, to the email address hello@wiltshireairambulance.co.uk. Any query will come to me and to the Chief Pilot and we'll be able to investigate the occurrence straight away. ...
I hope this helps for now and please do not hesitate to contact me if you need further assistance on this matter.  Thank you for your continuing support to our life saving operations.
Best wishes
Giorgio Bendoni | Director of Aviation | Accountable Manager
  • 8 Nov , 2024