AN award-winning environmentalist has been battling with Wessex Water for close to a year to try and mitigate the impact of their water treatment works.

Julia Hailes, who co-founded environmental consultancy SustainAbility and won a UN Global 500 Award for outstanding environmental achievement and in 1999 an MBE, moved to Hooke Farm in 2012.

She had a wonderful view until Wessex Water wanted to expand its water treatment works directly opposite her home, she said.

She said: “Clearly, we were never keen on this plan, but decided to take a pragmatic view and work with them to reduce the impact of what they were doing.

“At the start they appeared to be willing to listen to what we and others had to say. They said that it wouldn’t be a problem to use vernacular materials, such as flint, stone and terracotta roof tiles - similar to the barns on our property.

“When they produced their plans, it was clear that they hadn’t done anything about the ‘vernacular materials’.

“Work has been ongoing for several months.There have been a few consultations - including one at the parish council - but any issues raised are totally ignored.

“At first we were told we had to wait until the planning process had gone through before anything could be amended. But once planning was granted we were told that they had to stick with the approved plan.”

Wessex Water said it has taken steps to mitigate the impact of its new building by cladding the building, creating a grass bank to disguise the side of the building, turfing the roof, painting the railings black and planting additional trees on the boundary of the site.

A spokesman said: “Throughout this essential work, which will ensure customers have a reliable water supply for the future, we have listened to all points of view and we have received no other complaints about the scheme.

“Before applying for and obtaining planning permission we sought advice and guidance from a senior landscape architect, the Dorset AONB landscape and planning officer and the parish council.

“We are sorry to hear that a nearby resident, who we have personally spoken to on a number of occasions, remains unhappy despite all of the mitigation work we’ve carried out.”