An Isle of Wight farm is looking to become more eco-friendly by purifying its wastewater and creating a wetland.
Owner of The Garlic Farm, in Newchurch, Colin Boswell, is looking to create a fully-lined, multi-species, soil-based wetland on one of its fields.
Down the road at Mersley paddocks, Biologic Design, on behalf of the farm, could create a 3-acre wetland ecosystem treatment. It would act as a nature-based, regenerative, sewage treatment system, purifying up to 12m³ of wastewater from the neighbouring Garlic Farm each day.
The system would have 5 swale pools, lined with clay, to prevent the untreated wastewater — coming from the houses, holiday accommodations and restaurants — from going into the ground.
The purified water would then be stored in a separate pond, holding 3,500m³ of bathing quality water, and used on the garlic fields.
It is being introduced, the designers say, to provide greater resilience to agricultural production as the garlic is vulnerable in periods of drought, as the rainwater soaks away rapidly.
Biologic Design says, in documents submitted to the Isle of Wight Council’s planning department, the system will be planted with a variety of trees, shrubs, reeds, sedges and wetland wildflowers as well as fruit and nut trees, soft fruit and herbs, like mint.
No electricity would be used in the purification and production of the water.
You can view the plans, 23/00536/FUL, on the council’s planning register. Comments can be submitted until 7th July.
A good idea,the wetland will attract wildlife , hopefully bats
Maybe the Garlic Farms owners friends from the IOW Fox hunt would like to contribute.
Maybe they are hoping to attract more foxes there so won’t have to chase them as far in future. I’m never using the garlic farm again after finding out who owned it.
Boswell the untouchable. No doubt a good idea, but he will poison it all anyway. He has a track record of it.