Massive salt dome to tower over countryside (From Daily Echo)
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Massive salt dome to tower over countryside
12:10pm Thursday 10th January 2013 in News
By Chris Yandell, Chief Reporter, New Forest
An artist's impression of the new salt dome.
A HUGE dome containing 30,000 tonnes of salt is to be built in the Hampshire countryside to help keep the roads safe during icy weather.
The massive structure – more than 70ft tall and almost 140ft wide – will occupy part of a Highways Agency site next to the M27 at Ower.
The dome will be visible from miles around and critics claim it will be a blot on the landscape.
But council chiefs have approved the application, saying the need to keep roads open and safe outweighed the requirement to protect the landscape.
Salt stored in the dome will be used to treat routes across Hampshire and six other counties.
The Highways Agency says the scheme will reduce the need to stockpile huge amounts of salt at Southampton Docks.
Its application to redevelop part of a compound next to junction 2 of the M27 was given the go-ahead at yesterday’s meeting of New Forest District Council’s planning committee, despite strong objections from several members.
Councillor Diane Andrews said: “Junction 2 is the main route from the motorway down to Beaulieu and that area – in many ways it’s the entrance to the New Forest.
“This is going to be monstrous.”
Councillor Sue Bennison said: “It’s a huge building that will tower over the tiny structures already on the site – and it’s close to the New Forest National Park boundary.”
But other members of the committee supported the application.
Councillor Maureen Holding said: “The site currently contains a mishmash of buildings and I don’t think this will be a lot worse.
“It’s just a different shape.
“When you look at the number of accidents on the roads in the winter it’s definitely needed.”
Other supporters described the proposed development as a “necessary evil” and even a national asset.
Councillor Steve Rippon-Swaine said: “We have to think of the overall good, rather than the immediate locality. Soft landscaping can be used to break up the visual impact of the dome.”
The committee heard from Jasper Buxton, representing Netley Marsh Parish Council, who said the proposed development would be a blot on the landscape.
He added: “It will be highly visible to people entering the New Forest and will damage our beautiful landscape, of which we’re the custodians.”
But the application was approved by 13 votes to six.
The dome, expected to cost hundreds of thousands of pounds, is due to be built before next winter.
Comments(23)
pob
says...
1:20pm Thu 10 Jan 13
pob
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1:24pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Lone Ranger.
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1:43pm Thu 10 Jan 13
befriendly wrote:Well if its painted pink ....... how about dedicating it to Danny "Boyle" !!!
My I suggest its painted a nice shade of pink and I leave it to your imaginations as to why and in who's memory.
red/whitearmy
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2:10pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Lockssmart
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2:29pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Just another reader
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3:27pm Thu 10 Jan 13
southy
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3:37pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Linesman
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4:03pm Thu 10 Jan 13
I take that story with a pinch of salt.
G0Rf
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4:21pm Thu 10 Jan 13
S!monOn
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5:00pm Thu 10 Jan 13
kingnotail
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5:06pm Thu 10 Jan 13
S!monOn wrote:Would be better than anything currently on offer in Southampton..
Maybe it'll become a major tourist attraction.... Come see the bright pink dome" thingy... can't miss it... it looks like a right tit on the M27?
SaintM
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5:27pm Thu 10 Jan 13
cantthinkofone
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5:31pm Thu 10 Jan 13
richieroo
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7:02pm Thu 10 Jan 13
bazzeroz
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7:15pm Thu 10 Jan 13
mickey01
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7:47pm Thu 10 Jan 13
S Pance
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10:10pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Paint the thing green, put a few trees round it and I'm sure it'll barely notice.
BackStreetPunk
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11:45pm Thu 10 Jan 13
Wezsfc
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12:10am Fri 11 Jan 13
The Wickham Man
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9:31am Fri 11 Jan 13
Wezsfc wrote:Completely agree. I believe there is already a council yard sat in the elbow formed by the off slip road and the dual carriageway of the Totton Bypass. It is well below the bank of the dual carriageway and cannot even be seen from yards away, let alone miles because of the banked up roads. It makes you wonder about some of the people who put themselves up for election as councillors. They get paid for doing it,so we should expect some competence and fact checking,which Maureen Holding has not done.
A blot on the landscape?!?! Its being built between a motorway and its junction!! What a pile of crap, no-one comes off junction 2 to immediately expect to drive into the wonderful new forest, only to be disgusted by a highway maintenance depot sat right next to the motorway!
VConcerned
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10:24pm Mon 14 Jan 13
VConcerned
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10:32pm Mon 14 Jan 13
This site is a working site and should be equiped with what is needed so long as they do not go too made.
NIMBYS or politicians getting it wrong as usual to try and gain a vote.
befriendly says...
12:29pm Thu 10 Jan 13