Views of Dartmoor – Spoiled by British Ceramic Tiles plc
Dashing too and fro along the A38 (Devon Expressway) between Plymouth and Exeter motorists are offered a wonderful route that skirts Dartmoor extending fabulous views.
Along the way near the Drumbridges roundabout that leads south to Newton Abbot (armpit of the South West) and north to Bovey Tracey (gateway to Dartmoor) you will notice a slight interuption to the otherwise splendid view throught your journey along the A38.
British Ceramic Tiles unbelievably have been allowed to build another extension to their colossal tile factory at Heathfield.
This blasted building now ruins the view from the road across to Bovey Tracey and beyond to Dartmoor.
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Candy Tiles Ugly Factory Building. British Ceramic Tiles, Heathfield, Devon
Of course the success of the business is good for the area – although they really should make a considerable contribution to the cleaning costs of the area – the white dust from the china clay mines nearby coats everything in the nearby town of Bovey Tracey when the wind swings up from the south
What is astonishing is the position of this huge industrial eyesore. The industrial estate at Heathfield seems to have no fixed limits to its boundary however the ugly metal sheet factory unit has been located right at the edge of the road for all to not enjoy. The wide tower like structure is one of several – the rest built back from the road and un-noticable.
How the local planning authority didn’t suggest a slight relocation is beyond belief.
No effort has been made to even try to disguise the monstrous gy edifice – a grand scale mosaic perhaps – anything to hide the blasted blot on the landscape.
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Your concern is not personal but it is social. Local people should challenge the set up of this factory. Start the mission for social cause, you will get the support from every sector.
You still haven’t seen, what happens behind this factory. It’s just a monstrous decoration for horror movie. Hundreds if not thousands tons of heavy waste, bulked as high as that ugly tower. The backyard of BCT looks far not as impressive as it’s front access door
If even people in Bovey Tracey, which is more than three miles away, suffer from the clouds of clay dust, what to say then about poor Heathfield inhabitants, who live across the very narrow Old Newton road, as close as thirty yards away from the site. I don’t think they risk to open their windows. All plants in the area are green only when raining, otherwise – pale grey, with a thick layer of dust on their leaves. You can think, what ones who live in Heathfield breath in, year by year.
Three years ago the boss of BCT (Austrian himself) showed a bit of generosity, donating five thousands of pounds for enviroment protection. Five thousands! What a boon! With such a great pomp and pics in local newpapers! For the harm which hardly can be covered with millions.
Barefaced impudance and shamelessness, both so unthinkable and just paralyzing.
What the local authorities think about all this – it’s a mystery. Rather, quite cheerless one. Three years ago, when for factory extension was applied for they needed permissions and so on. Many tempting promises were given to local people. Now, when the construction is nearing completion, all those promises gone with a wind as easy, as china clay dust.
Being an employee at bct i can tell you the tower could of easily been put at the other side of the factory. As the tile making process runs in a straight line from there for 200 meters,they could have just started at the other end!!!!! HOWEVER that would not give them a giant billboard to advertise there new brand. The logo will be going up pretty soon and that brand will be seen by the thousands upon thousands who travel up and down the A38. This was all thought out long ago before the rebranding from BCT/Candy to british ceramic tile. Very shrewd but very disrespectful to all who value the beautiful devon landscape.
Just an answer to Nr.3 (Andrew)
Sir, you’ve either never been to Heathfield or visited it before 2005, when I started to work at BCT factory.
It so happened that I go to work and then back to Exeter, where I live, with a bus, either Nr. X38 or Nr. 39. Sometimes I have to wait for a bus back to Exeter long enough. So, four years it’s more than sufficiently to explore the length and breadth of Heathfield, one of the most beautiful places I’ve seen on earth.
Never ever, believe me, one can see here, in Heathfield, something you describe. What the “dust”, on earth? What the plants, “green only when raining”? You made casual mention of the Old Newton Road so, that one who never been here can easily imagine nightmarish picture: dust-covered trees, houses, and road itself, where everybody walking leaves his footprints on it.
Sir, you can tell this to anyone else, but me. I go to my work along this street day by day, week by week, either in rainy December or beautiful June. Four years. Early mornings and late evenings. NEVER EVER there is heavy dust on leaves you told about, or any dust ever. You’d better come here and see what the Heathfield is, indeed, b4 to write anything.
As for Dartmoor views, there’s all-right with ‘em in Heathfield. Just have a look.