We've probably gone 4 weeks without significant rainfall, now. The water level in the river is still reasonable but I suspect they are doing a controlled release from the small dam up at the lake at Stourhead to keep some water flowing to preserve the fish and wildlife.
Received our ballot papers today, as we have a local vote down here on whether or not to accept the somewhat lengthy Gillingham Town Neighbourhood Plan. It won't stop them building new housing to raise the population from 12,000 to 17,000 in the next 12 years, but at least, if adopted, it will give us (locals) a say in where the houses will be built and stop the speculative builders (yes, Persimmon, like you) trying to develop areas which are totally unsuitable. As it is, I can see we'll be having increasing traffic problems around town (there's only one bridge across the railway at the moment) and we rather desperately need a new "ring road" on the south side of town with a second crossing. That is, I believe, in the master plan but some major developers (yes, Persimmon, like you, and you know you have form on this up in Shaftesbury), tend to put all the essential infrastructure work on the back burner …….
There's also some interesting aspirations in the Plan towards preserving and enlivening the town centre, and redeveloping the station into a bit of a transport hub, so all good stuff.