Page 10 of The Island in Bramble Bay
They were led by the hotel manager into a large room that functioned as a lounge for guests. It had high ceilings with arched pillars and big windows which sucked in the light from outside even on this cloudy day. They walked through and were seated in armchairs around a low coffee table next to a huge window with glorious views of the lawns which led down to the harbour. David ordered tea and coffee for them all and then began the meeting.
‘As you all know there is a proposal, still in its very early stages, to build a number of holiday lodges on Bramble Island. Today’s meeting is to discuss and possibly view potential sites as well as being an opportunity for us to iron out preliminary details of the project so that when the time comes, we are well equipped to answer questions from other stakeholders.’
Maggie began to feel a little duplicitous. She had known that this was coming, that it was the main reason she had been chosen for the job on Bramble Island. Her enthusiasm for being involved in the project had been tempered since she arrived on the island and saw how beautiful it was and she found herself wanting to be an advocate for the island to make sure that any development was sympathetic to the ecology. She had fallen under its spell and would much prefer that absolutely nothing happened which might change the charm and natural beauty of the island. Perhaps that put her in a better position to fight for the best way forward if she had to, but she now knew she would have other issues as well. Like explaining it to Charlie.
‘The aim of the project,’ began Rob, ‘is to create more Trust holiday accommodation in this area. Log cabins are proving to be a popular choice for families and done well, it can be a very lucrative stream of income. Having Bramble Island as our first venture into this, aside from our traditional cottages is key to the success of the initiative as a whole.’
‘The Bramble Island project would be our flagship holiday offer,’ said Verity. ‘It is a unique site which is in a highly sought-after area as regards holiday destinations. There is an awful lot of space there begging to be utilised.’
Maggie had to stop herself from rolling her eyes. ‘Well, it is utilised, mainly by trees at the moment. Do you have any idea of where you plan to build?’
‘The south side near the Scout campsite is the obvious choice, being less wooded it should be relatively easy to bring in materials and the large expanses of flat would be easier to negotiate but we think the west side will offer that feeling of being immersed in the woodland and each lodge will feel more secluded if it’s not on open ground,’ Rob said.
‘That’s true but it’s also one of the most attractive areas for visitors,’ said Maggie. ‘We need to be careful not to detract from what we can offer day visitors.’
‘Yes, we do need to be mindful of the impact on the island, especially because of the squirrels,’ said David.
‘Squirrels?’ chirped Verity. ‘What have they got to do with anything?’
‘Bramble Island is one of the only places in the UK with a breeding population of red squirrels,’ explained David patiently. ‘They’re a huge draw for visitors. Think a marketing person would know that,’ he added under his breath.
The discussion continued through the serving of tea and coffee after which point Maggie was starting to feel as if actually, nothing she said would have any impact on any of it. Verity seemed wedded to the idea of nestling the lodges in the woods Rob and David were having difficulty trying to convince her of any other possibilities. Perhaps the time had come to show them around so that Verity could see the place they were talking about rather than relying on one of the rudimentary maps which were handed out to visitors.
Maggie led them across to the west side of the island which was one of the most heavily wooded areas and where Charlie was still coppicing. He had Josh working with him all the time now which annoyed Alice no end, but she seemed to have realised by now that Charlie wasn’t interested in anything remotely romantic.
Maggie spotted the two of them before they saw her and managed to take a different route. The last thing she wanted was to have to explain to Charlie what was going on in front of anyone else. When the time came she’d have to be tactful and careful if she didn’t want to ruin the tentative friendship they were building.
‘This is the west side, heavily wooded as you can see, with traditional English species like this magnificent oak and the ash over here,’ Maggie said, pointing out the trees which she hoped might inspire a bit of restraint about destroying the woodland.
‘It’s quite dense, isn’t it? We’d have to get rid of quite a lot of trees just to be able to access the site.’ Rob pointed out the obvious; exactly the approach needed with Verity.
‘Not a problem. I wonder if we can use the wood for building the lodges?’ Verity asked.
Maggie was about to launch into a monologue on the importance of native English woodlands when David did it for her.
‘Steady on, Verity. There are over sixty species of tree on this island, it’s really quite remarkable and as the Trust, we must bear in mind that we are not destroyers of nature, quite the contrary. Any development such as this must strive to enhance the environment while being sympathetic to the nature.’
‘Shall we head to the south?’ said Maggie, leading them across the heathland in the middle of the island to the flatter area near the historic site of the world’s first Scout camp.
‘Ah, yes,’ said David. ‘Wonderful views of the bay. Visitors would love that.’
‘Easy access for construction, as we said,’ conceded Rob. ‘It could be the better option.’
‘It’s not what was intended though,’ said Verity, exasperated. ‘It’s hardly a woodland retreat, the whole bloody harbour would be watching your every move.’
‘Maybe that could be a draw? A sea view and the closest thing we have to a beach on the island is on your doorstep.’ Maggie attempted a sales pitch for the south side. ‘And with the views of the Sandbanks properties, people might feel that they are sharing in a slice of that luxury.’
‘That’s a very good point, Maggie,’ said Verity, surprising Maggie by being so agreeable. ‘I could definitely work with that idea.’
‘Well, it’s certainly worth considering. There are options here, that’s the main thing. We’ll draw up proposals and go from there,’ said Rob. ‘Thanks for your time today, Maggie.’
They said goodbye and David led Rob and Verity back to the quay to catch the next ferry back to the mainland.
Maggie headed back to the office feeling as if she’d had a small victory on behalf of the island. Although she worked for the Trust and had landed the Bramble Island job because of her experience and success in launching and marketing the Trust Treks, she wanted to make sure that she was protecting the interests of not only the island and the trees but the interests of the people who loved and cared for the island. People like Clare, Jan and Charlie. Somehow, especially Charlie.
Megan was in the office, busy designing a bug-hunting leaflet. ‘Hi Maggie,’ she said without lifting her gaze from the computer screen. ‘Charlie was looking for you earlier. There’s a tree which he thinks may need to come down and he wants you to have a look at it.’
‘Charlie left that message?’ Maggie somehow couldn’t imagine Charlie coming in and offering a lengthy explanation to Megan.
