Mercury comes crashing down

Our usually tranquil little corner of the South Downs is currently being rocked by the sound and vibrations of military buildings crashing to the ground. Where I am usually woken to the percussion of a woodpecker on a nearby dead cedar, we are roused to the sound of very large diggers.

For those of you who know the Sustainability Centre you can't have missed the fact that we have, for over 10 years, been overshadowed by the derelict remains of SCU Leydene, the other half of the former HMS Mercury and previous custodians of the Sustainability Centre site. Razor wire has flanked the northern boundary of our site and imposing, dangerous buildings loomed over us. These are now being carefully picked apart and all the materials meticulously separated for recycling. It is impressive and intimidating to watch as slowly the top of the hill seems able to breathe again and we suddenly feel high. Obviously the site will be redeveloped but the new housing will have a much reduced visual impact.

We have had our own military heritage to cope with and it serves to remind us how far we have come since the Sustainability Centre took ownership of its part of HMS Mercury in 1995. I have only seen pictures but once our site looked much like that over the road and for a considerable time it was a huge demolition site. In those days they certainly didn't recycle and separate as diligently as they are today, another timely reminder of the rocketing prices of precious raw materials and the waste management regulations that now have to be adhered to. This spring is seeing the further 'demilitarisation' of our site, we are replacing the old red brick sewage works, built to a sturdy design tried and tested since the Victorian times but now inefficient, with a WET system which will use natural processes of transpiration and microbial action to treat our waste water. We are also knocking down the garages in the car park which will improve our frontage and add to a more open 'downland' feeling.

I may have used this image before but I have a favourite military remnant at the Centre. A concrete marker post with MOD embossed into it now supports a living tree that has grown over it. What could be a more fitting emblem of the Sustainability Centre. It has taken us some time to grow into a flourishing, stable organisation from the incredible and yet challenging gift of land and buildings that we were given fifteen years ago. Now we are a truly wealthy organisation in our land, our dedicated staff, our community and all the amazing opportunities that come our way nearly every day. We also pay our way which, in this current financial climate, is a rare and privileged position to be in.