Epic challenge for Julia’s House

A team of intrepid trekkers have returned from the adventure of a lifetime in Peru, having raised a fantastic £60,000 for Julia’s House children’s hospice.

Twenty adventurers joined the Julia’s House five-day trek across the Machu Picchu-Abra Salkantay area of Peru. The team included members of families supported by the charity and Julia’s House director of care, Claire Hudson-Cooper. The journey there, organised in conjunction with The Different Travel Company, involved two days of travelling and three flights in order to reach Cusco, once the capital of the Inca Empire, where the team spent their first couple of days acclimatising to the altitude.

“It didn’t take long for people to start feeling the effects of altitude sickness which, although expected, can be hard to cope with,” said Julia’s House events assistant, Isobel Langrish, who headed up the team.

“While everyone had prepared, I think we were all a bit shocked at how much the altitude affected our fitness. We had to stop every 20 steps to catch our breath and, because our appetite was suppressed, it was hard to keep our energy levels up with food without feeling nauseous.

“Despite the challenges, we all carried on and started the five-day trek. For the first few nights, we camped under the stars in between our day treks which was wonderful, and we made it to our highest point, 4,600m above sea level, which is the same height as the top of Mont Blanc. We were so thrilled at such an achievement.”

The team wasn’t daunted, and persevered to make it to Aguas Calientes at the bottom of the Inca site at Machu Picchu, where they were rewarded with the unique sight they had all come to see – the ruins of the citadel built by the Incas in around 1450.

www.juliashouse.org

Reserved Matters approved for 500 homes

Chapman Lily Planning Ltd is proud to be working with Lovell Homes, Abri Group, Gonville & Caius College Cambridge and Neejam 165 on a scheme for 500 new homes at Littlemoor on the edge of Weymouth. The scheme forms part of a wider mixed-use Littlemoor Urban Extension identified in the West Dorset, Weymouth and Portland Local Plan. The new homes will be delivered by Lovell Homes in four phases, with woodland buffers planted at the outset, allowing trees to mature during the eight-year build programme. Much needed affordable homes will be frontloaded in phases 1 and 2 and managed by Abri – a strategic partner to Homes England.

Brett Spiller, director of Chapman Lily Planning, said: “We are delighted that Dorset Council’s Planning Committee unanimously resolved to approve the Reserved Matters application (access, layout, scale, appearance and landscaping) for 500 dwellings and associated works. The Reserved Matters followed the grant of outline consent and the approval of a Design Code, as well as constructive pre-application discussions. Refinements were made during the course of the application in response to consultee comments, further improving the scheme. We were impressed by the council’s ability to balance competing objectives and pleased to hear members commend the high-quality design. This was very much a team approach and we are grateful for the dedication and support of a talented project team.” www.clplanning.co.uk