Fw: Steward Community Woodland gains planning permission!!

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" Affinity " <affinity

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Thursday, August 15, 2002 12:46 PM

Steward Community Woodland gains planning permission!!

 

 

> Great news - the Planning Inspectorate have given us 5 year temporary

permission.

> The press release follows, the full decision text can be seen on our

website - www.stewardwood.org

> Thankyou to everyone who has helped us, in letter writing and other ways,

especially to Simon Fairlie and Chapter 7.

>

> Come and celebrate at our campfire music night next week (Tuesday 20th,

7pm onwards, bring instruments and voices and cabaret acts!). Some food and

drink is provided, for donations, bring more if you like (vegan please). See

you there? If you need to stay, please check first as we now have lots of

planning conditions...

>

> ---------------------------

>

> NEWS RELEASE

>

> 14-08-2002

>

> Sustainable Woodland Community gains planning permission

>

> Today the inhabitants of Steward Community Woodland received a 5 year

temporary planning permission to continue their sustainable woodland living

project.

> This decision comes as the culmination of two years of planning

applications and appeals to the Dartmoor National Park Authority and the

Planning Inspectorate.

> The permission means that the 7 benders and assorted communal structures

(bikeshed, longhouse, kitchen, workshop) are now safe, and that the

community now have a five year period to further develop the project and

achieve their aims.

> The permission has been granted subject to various conditions to safeguard

the low impact nature of the project, and the Dartmoor National Park

Authority will have the chance to annually assess the group's progress.

>

> Pete Cow, a member of the community, comments:

> " We are overjoyed by this far sighted decision, which shows that the

Planning Inspectorate recognises the importance of our project, and fully

supports what we are doing here.

> We knew it would be a struggle to get planning permission under the

present planning system as it makes no systematic allowances for low impact

developments of this kind. We are delighted to finally get a positive

result after all our hard work.

> It is heartening to see the Inspectorate referring to the Rio Declaration,

Agenda 21 and the Government's commitments to supporting sustainable

practice.

> The planning conditions attached to this permission will ensure that this

project remains sustainable and continues to have a positive impact on the

local ecology and the surrounding community. "

>

> Notes to editors:

>

> 1. For interviews phone 01647 440233 or 07980 155194

>

> 2. For the full text of the decision visit our website at

www.stewardwood.org

>

> 3. The attached planning conditions are summerised as follows:

>

> >The permission lapses at the end of five years.

> >No petrol or diesel generators to be used on site.

> >No more than three resident's vehicles on site.

> >No more than ten visitor's vehicles on site.

> >No new caravan, mobile home, vehicle, building, structure or tent to be

brought onto the site, positioned or erected without the written approval of

the DNPA.

> >The present structures cannot be moved without the written permission of

the DNPA.

> >A written report to be submitted to the DNPA on the 1st April every year

detailing the activities carried out in compliance with the Business Plan,

the Management and Biodiersity Action Plan, and criteria for sustainable

development.

>

> 4. Project background -

> Steward Community Woodland was set up in April 2000 as a permaculture

based sustainable living project, integrating conservation woodland

management, organic growing and low impact living. We aim to encourage and

enable environmental awareness and solutions by providing examples of

sustainable land use and appropriate technologies.

> We live in canvas and wood structures on the side of the Wray valley one

mile south of Moretonhampstead. Steward Wood is a 32 acre plantation

consisting mostly of Japanese Larch, Scots' Pine and Ash. There are

presently six of us living here, with a 5 month old baby. For more

information see our website.

>

>

> --

> Affinity <affinity

>

>