Susan Jefferies

Last week we had our quarterly meeting of the Beacon Hill Tip Liaison committee preceded as usual by a site visit.

If you go up onto the Tip, as we do, and see all the household waste from a community it is a horrifying sight. I defy anyone to see that and not return a dedicated recycler ! the less we can throw into holes in the ground the better and the longer we will retain our surroundings.

Saying that, it is interesting, it is a very technical business. Methane gas is produced by the rotting rubbish and collected, piped out and used to make electricity which is sold to the National grid. The methane plant produces 2megawatts of electricity, enough to light half the homes in Corfe Mullen.

The leachate, the liquid drawn off from the base of the rubbish, more in wet weather as the rain permeates the heap, is broken down and neutralised on the site, until the inert liquid is innocuous enough to be allowed into the sewage system.

The Tip attracts seagulls, the vermin of the skies, but they are kept at bay most effectively by trained birds of prey who are flown most days. A magnificent site to see.

The old brickworks building has been renovated and turned into a headquarters and training centre for Dorset Wild Life Trust.

Much as we didn’t want the Tip 15 years ago, it is not all bad !