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However, because the celebrated ‘Hobbit House’, fell foul of the planning system the couple were forced to apply for retrospective planning permission as a last ditch effort to save the home.
The couple’s hopes rested on their final planning application meeting One Planet Development practice criteria – which require either 65% of all subsistence, or 30% of food and 35% of livelihood, to come from the land. As part of their application, Carpenter and sculptor Hague said they had built the house to provide their son with a healthy environment in which to grow up: “We were born in the area, went to school here, and have lived here all our lives.”
Megan and Charlie did all they could to demonstrate that their project meets the OPD criteria. At the hearing inspector Ms Sheffield said that if she allowed the appeal, there would be a number of conditions imposed. They included that the property should 'remain in accordance with the design and management plan' submitted to Pembrokeshire Council, annual figures will have to be submitted, as at Lammas, proving that income is being met by the land, and an agreement will ensure that the home is tied, in perpetuity, to agriculture and horticultural activity, and to the couple.
Good news was to follow
On the 14th July 2015 they discovered that won the appeal for retrospective permission, with their final appeal attempt considered favourably. Charlie’s work is acknowledged to be a beautiful example of a low impact building and has been described by many as among the best examples in the UK at present. A campaign on social media recruited 100,000 people to engage with the planning application and sign a petition to support it.
In her report, planning inspector Kay Sheffield said: “I have concluded that the development would adhere to the requirements of Welsh government guidance in respect of One Planet Development and that the contents of the management plan 2015 would satisfy the terms and conditions of the guidance. On this basis I conclude that the proposal is an acceptable form of residential development in the open countryside.”
* The Lammas project has been created to pioneer an alternative model for living on the land. It empowers people to explore what it is to live a low-impact lifestyle. It demonstrates that alternatives are possible here and now.
The project centres around the ecovillage at Tir y Gafel, in North Pembrokeshire, which has been designed using a model that can be replicated across Wales. It combines the traditional smallholding model with the latest innovations in environmental design, green technology and permaculture. The ecovillage was granted planning permission in 2009 by the Welsh Government and is currently part-way through the construction phase. At its heart it consists of 9 smallholdings positioned around a Community Hub building, and it is supported by a range of peripheral projects and networks.
The ecovillage runs guided tours every Saturday from April to October and also runs a range of courses, conferences and events throughout the year.
The project actively supports aspiring low-impact projects in Wales through providing planning guides and resources as well as supporting independent academic studies.
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