In a shocking revelation the Lammas project, which is applying to build a hamlet of nine eco-smallholdings in Pembrokeshire, has been told it must begin its planning process again. After 18 months in the planning system, the Planning Inspectorate for Wales has ruled that they cannot consider Lammas’ appeal because the planning application is technically invalid due to an omission on the part of Pembrokeshire County Council.

The lammas planning application has been deemed invalid

after a technical blunder by Pembrokeshire County Council

Pembrokeshire County Council had advised Lammas that they would not need an “Access Statement”, which details how the site will be accessible for both disabled and able bodied people. However they are in fact duty bound to ensure that all planning applications are submitted with this statement. For an application not to be accompanied by an access statement makes it technically invalid.

Discussions with Pembrokeshire County Council about the situation have been fruitless, and Lammas have been advised that the only option open to them is to begin the planning process again.

Paul Wimbush, Lammas coordinator, said of the situation.

"This amounts to gross negligence on the part of the planning authority and is totally unacceptable. We have bent over backwards to work within the planning system and time and time again have been obstructed by the planners. If sustainable development is the overarching objective of the planning system as is often claimed, then Pembrokeshire County Council need to be asked some serious questions”.

Lammas have launched their planning appeal to the Welsh Assembly

Lammas are looking forward to having their case heard by an independent body. They have enlisted support from high calibre professionals to support their case and feel that they are in a very strong position to win their case on appeal.

The appeal documents will shortly be made available on this website for all to read.

Planning refusal, September 9th 2008

Red tape halts pioneer ecovillage

“Stop fiddling with red tape while Rome burns and help us build a green future” Eco-village Pioneers urge planners!

Wales’ greenest planning application has been refused today by Pembrokeshire County Council. The proposal, near the village of Glandwr, North Pembrokeshire features 9 eco-smallholdings, a community centre and mini-bus service open to the public.

The exemplary scheme received over 850 letters of support and has been praised by experts from around the world. The Design Commission for Wales undertook an independent review of the plans in April and concluded they were ‘inspirational’ and a ‘benchmark for environmental rural regeneration’.

The Design Commission praised the use of locally sourced materials which give a strong Welsh character to highly affordable homes. With average house prices at over £170 000, Lammas’ plans offer 9 homes, complete with 8 acres of land for £80 000 each.

However, the planner’s report ignores the Design Commission and other experts who have endorsed the scheme.

Paul Wimbush, project coordinator, is disappointed in the planners report.”The report contradicts itself over and over again, is misleading and wholly misrepresents our application. I am sad to say that I am not surprised, having experienced unjustified delays, lost files, and a general level of attention that leads me to believe that Pembrokeshire planners do not have the resources or skills necessary to be processing such applications. The planners assured us that our application would be assessed on permaculture principles. On receiving the report, we have found that the entire application has been assessed on standard agricultural criterea and has thus been recommended for refusal. The whole point of the new policy 52 is about creating a lifestyle from the land rather than focusing only on profit. This difference between permaculture and agriculture is crucial.”

Policy 52, Low-Impact Development was introduced in Pembrokeshire’s Joint Unitary Development Plan in July 2006 and makes provision for new eco-smallholdings in the open countryside on the basis that they will make a positive environmental, social and economic contribution. There have been 3 applications to date, none of which has been passed. The low-impact movement however is gaining momentum. The Welsh Assembly is currently compiling national guidance on low-impact development which will encourage other counties across Wales to adopt low-impact policies similar to Pembrokeshires low-impact policy.

“Our plans include generating electricity from a water turbine, growing willow and elephant grass for fuel and building houses from local natural materials. Our application, as far as I know, is the only application for new-build carbon neutral housing in the whole of Wales at the moment. Meanwhile, the Welsh Assembly recently made a commitment that all new housing will be carbon neutral by 2012 as a step toward addressing climate change!”

‘We have just wasted an opportunity to place Pembrokeshire at the forefront of sustainability’ says Dave Owen, a Lammas organiser whose family has lived in Pembrokeshire for five generations. ‘In an area struggling to keep its young people our scheme would mean that 76 acres that currently generate £2,500/year would be able to generate £100, 000/year – that’s a lot more work and money in the local economy!’

Business plans include cultivating compost worms, growing linen to make flax shawls as well as more traditional fruit and vegetable cultivation.

Dr Larch Maxey, a Lammas organiser added ‘The planner’s report shows that there is a gulf as big as an ice berg between policy and practice. Science shows we have 100 months to stop climate chaos. Our planning system needs to wake up and help us meet humanity’s biggest challenge.’

The Lammas team are encouraging people to assess the situation for themselves. Their whole application, along with Pembrokeshire County Council’s report can be seen online at the Lammas website.

Lammas plans to take their application to a Welsh Assembly appeal.

Thankyou to all those who wrote in support of the project. The Lammas planning application received over 850 letters of support!

Of those letters, 175 were from Wales and 102 were from Pembrokeshire. The letters came from all over the world. They included letters from farmers, architects, community councillors, builders, academics, businesses, students, media companies, elected politicians, environmental scientists, crofters and even a planning officer.

Citizens of the following nations wrote to Pembrokeshire County Council supporting the project:

 UK

 Canada

United States of America

Spain

 Germany

 South Africa

Poland

Australia

Mexico

France

Denmark

Sweden

Republic of Ireland

Croatia

New Zealand

 Portugal

 Bulgaria

 Slovenia

 Israel

 Hong Kong

Greece

 Italy

 Belgium

Hawaii

 India

 Peru

 Norway

 Swizerland

 Finland

 Ukraine

 Thailand

 Bolivia 

The Welsh Assembly are compiling national guidelines on low-impact development.

The consultation period is now over. We are optimistic that we will shortly be seeing the emergence of Welsh low-impact policy guidance.

Thankyou to all those who participated in the consultation.