Catherington’s beautiful view will be lost forever – Cheryl Gibbs

We’ve been doing up our garden, which is in an elevated position, so that this summer we can finally sit out there and make the most of the vista.

Unfortunately we found out this week that this may not be possible after all. An application has been made to demolish our beloved farm and turn it into four homes.

I’m absolutely gutted.

Before we bought this place we did an extensive location planning search to ensure that the land wouldn’t be built on for quite some time. While I do appreciate that it’s not the entire land that is being proposed for development, our beloved farm will go and will be replaced by yet more housing.

I don’t understand the logic behind it. Actually, that’s not exactly true. It is to make money.

But it comes at such a high price to the aesthetic of the area that gives it its appeal in the first place.

I’m not being selfish – it’s not just us who benefit from the view. All our neighbours along the road who have altered their homes and gardens to look out at the farm will suffer, not to mention those living in nearby roads.

The thing with Catherington and parts of Clanfield and Horndean is that most of the streets are on some sort of elevation which looks down to this stretch of land.

The thought of looking out and not seeing our beloved White Dirt Farm is heartbreaking – I very much hope that any trees that are lost are replaced and the impact of the site is limited by more trees and greenery. Although that will never make up for the view that is lost.

It’s going to be four rather large properties with several car parking spaces instead of a farm – how does that benefit anyone other than the people who will buy them?

There will be a knock-on effect for those living around the area which is considerably more than four. It’s hundreds. The impact will be horrendous.

We are losing our green and pleasant fields bit-by-bit

The discovery of the White Dirt Farm planning application really got me thinking about how small semi-rural villages like Catherington and Clanfield are slowly but surely being destroyed.

The charm and appeal that attracted us in the first place will soon be non-existent if we’re not careful.

They’ve already developed a massive housing estate at Green Lane which once looked out to horse fields, and now this.

We live opposite the farm and didn’t know anything about it until Tuesday evening when a local resident came round with a leaflet detailing the plans.

If you have an opinion on it, go to the East Hampshire District Council website.

Here’s to my fab mum who’s sunning herself on the beach

Happy Mother’s Day to the most incredible person I know – my mum, aka Lorraine Gibbs.

My mum, or Mother Hen as she’s known to most people, has been my rock and my best friend for as long as I can remember.

She’s one of those Earth mothers who takes in people, whether they’re family or not, and treats them as though she’s known them all her life.

Mum is the glue that holds our whole family together.

For the first time ever mum isn’t here to celebrate Mother’s Day but I want her to know as she’s sunning herself on a lounger on Nissi Beach, Cyprus, just how loved she is.

Give your mum a big squeeze today and let her know how important she is.