Explanatory, Design & Access Statement

Project: Planning Application 2x Tree House Holiday Units Address: Land at Field End Farm , Pencuke Lane, Higher Crackington Applicant: Mr & Mrs Walker Date: April 2021

Keystone Consultants (UK) Ltd West Winds,St Minver, ,, PL27 6RD Directors JKP Jeal & AGT Jeal C.Build E ,FCABE,MAPM,AssocRICS,DipHI, Registered in England & Wales 07758259

1 of 17 Contents

1. Executive Summary …………………………………….………..3

2. Site Location………………………………………………….……5

3. Access & Parking…………………………………………………..8

4. Drainage…………………………………….……..……………….12

5. Design……………………………..………………………………..12

6. The Business……………………….……………………………….15

7. Business Development ……………………………………………16

8. Conclusion…………………………………………………………..16

2 of 17 (1) Executive Summary

This application seeks planning permission to provide two tree house holiday accommodation units as part of a sustainable conservation based small holding and tourism business.

The application site lies within the grounds of Field End Farm Pencuke, Higher Crackington, near on the North Cornwall Coast. Field End has extensive grounds with private gardens ,pastural ground and wooded valleys extending to 18.8 acres, approximately 2.8 acres of which is currently woodland.

The residence of Field End Farm is located to the south west of the property close to Pencuke Lane and assumes an elevated position above the wooded valley below. The existing dwelling was constructed in 2016 and replaced the original bungalow thought to have been constructed in the 1950s . The existing dwelling also benefits from a detached garage and store room with ample parking and established vehicle and pedestrian access. The small hamlet of Pencuke is located to the south of the property and comprises of a number of private residences as well as Pencuke Farm being an established holiday accommodation business providing camping, shepherd hut and cottage self catering accommodation. Further holiday accommodation can be found at Glentruan Holiday Cottage within the hamlet. The hamlet is accessed via an unclassified lane leading to the B3263 ( A39 to Boscastle Rd) and the A39 junction at Collamoor Head , approximately 1.5miles from Field End.

The subject site at Field End is located within an AONB ( Pentire Point to Widemouth) on the Heritage Coast with the subject site within a County Wildlife Site. The tree house site is located to the north east of the dwelling at Field End Farm in the lower wooded valley. Considerable consideration is given to the proposals position within the County Wildlife Site and the AONB as described within the accompanying policy statement.

The Applicants, Duncan and Rebecca Walker own the site and seek to construct two individual tree house holiday accommodation units within the wooded land to the north of the property . This will provide for Duncans primary income expand the existing small holding business and further support the young family. Income from the proposed tree house holiday units will also be used to invest in and support woodland regeneration on the site with a scheme of re planting of native woodland being established , primarily funded and maintained by income generated from the

3 of 17 tree house units. This application is supported by an Arboricultural Impact Assessment which defines the existing and additional areas of woodland.

Rebecca and Duncan are well established as residents of the Parish with Rebecca being a General Practitioner Doctor at the Boscastle Practice. Duncan and Rebecca have a young family and are key members of the local community.

At present Duncan manages the land and property at Field End Farm which is evolving into a full time role with the recent introduction of a flock of Hebridean sheep. Hebridean sheep have been introduced to the property as part of the conservation program being undertaken by Duncan on the site. Hebridean sheep are recognised as a hardy breed thriving on rough grazing . The introduction of the sheep is seen as beneficial in maintaining grass and heather land habitats. The breed are particularly effective at controlling scrub. Being smaller animals their impact on the land is minimal with little damage to pasture in locally wet conditions.

Duncan continues to efficiently and productively manage the land at Field End and has established a proposed scheme of woodland regeneration which will be ongoing for the years to come. The over riding ambition is to establish a sustainable small holding that provides a rural income stream to the family which can be maintained and developed further in the future. The tree house accommodation is fundamental to the business model and will provide for a reliable income that will both support the family income and provide for investment funding to secure the woodland regeneration and grasslands project.

At the time of the application, the United Kingdom has been combating the COVID-19 pandemic which has had unparalleled economic and healthcare implications. As part of this response, the unprecedented instruction “to work from home where ever possible” has been given. The proposed development would fully accord with this direction ( now and in the future) and will secure a reliable income stream to support the ambitions of the small holding and its conservation objectives .

It is unclear how future advice will evolve in the months and potentially years to come, though working from home where possible may remain a core aspect of the country’s ongoing response strategy. In light of these recent events and the increased move towards working from home, the introduction of home based income developments will become ever more important in securing safe and reliable economies and societies in the future. As a result, community businesses will be able to promptly and reliably adapt to future epidemics and national emergencies. It

4 of 17 is expected that planning and government policies will be adapted to better facilities flexible working places and practices. With fewer people wishing to take holidays and short breaks abroad and Government restrictions prohibiting foreign travel , the need for domestic holiday facilities has never been greater. With a continuing degree of uncertainty and the impact of COVID 19 set to disrupt foreign holidays for years to come, domestic holidays are set to be the mainstay of future holiday requirements.

(2) Site location

The site is located within the grounds of Field End Farm to the north east of the hamlet of Pencuke close to Higher Crackington on the North Cornwall Coast, within the parish of St Gennys. The property is a short distance for he A39 Atlantic Highway linking Bude with and Wadebridge to the south west.

Applicants land shown in red above with proposed tree house positions shown A & B

5 of 17 The proposed site is owned by the Applicant, with the grasslands and hillside to the south of the site also in the Applicants ownership. The land area is defined by well established and mature hedgerows and treatments with a stream marking the boundary along the west, north and part of the east perimeter. The unclassified lane known as Pencuke Lane defines the southerly boundary to the applicants land. The land area of Field End Farm is significant with the tree house plot allocation being minimal set to the north eastern stream boundary of the property. The tree house sites are located in the lower valley and are nestled within the existing mature woodland on level plots. Each plot has been chosen as to limit any requirement for the removal or trimming of trees or growth. The accompanying Arboricultural assessment describes the limited impact that will occur with the introduction of the tree house buildings and services.

Each site is set within the canopy of the woodland within the valley. There are limited opportunities to make visual reference to these sites from neighbouring or public vantage points given the seclusion and steep topographical features of the location. In assessing the visual impact of the site it has been determined that a visual impact assessment is not required as there will be no impact on the visual amenity. The site and services cannot be seen from wider vantage points within the AONB as discussed in the accompanying policy statement and as such the introduction of the tree houses does not impact the wider AONB. The sites are not located near to any residential dwellings and as such will not have a negative impact on noise, light or over looking associated with development within residential or built up areas.

Evidently the position of the tree houses is within the woodland area and in addition to the arboricultural assessment this application is also accompanied by an ecologists report detailing any impact the development may have on the ecology of the setting. This is further supported by a bat and owl survey which concludes there will be no negative impact on protected bird or bat species.

At present the site can be accessed via foot or motor vehicle ( tractor/4x4), though there are no formalised roads to the woodland ( nor will there be any). A public footpath flanks the eastern boundary of the property and will be used as a means of access to the tree houses, access is described later in this statement within section 3.

6 of 17 We would recommend that consultees and officers visit the property to appreciate the context of this proposal relative to its seclusion within the valley as satellite imagery and mapping does not allow for a full appreciation of the site characteristics, its topography and reference to the setting. The site is not located within a recognised flood zone as defined by the environment agency.

Above & Below: The woodland location within which the tree houses will be located as seen from above the tree line to the south of each site.

7 of 17 The site is located within designated land being within the Pentire Point to Widemouth AONB. There would be no visual impact of the proposed buildings, parking or access provisions on the AONB given both the immediate and wider topography of the site. Holiday accommodation is common place in the countryside and locally within the hamlet of Pencuke with tourism being a prominent income stream for the local economy. Sensitive developments accommodating the expansion and introduction of holiday and tourism accommodation should be considered favourably where they do not conflict with the direction of planning policy and where they have minimal or no impact on the local and wider countryside. The location for the tree houses is considered to be favourable in not having a detrimental impact on the visual amenity of the setting or its wider location.

The accompanying Policy Statement discusses in depth the associated local and national planning policy framework which supports this proposal and details how the introduction of the tree house holiday accommodation in this location will have social and economic benefits to the wider rural community.

(3) Access & Parking

The site has several existing points of access which have been in use for the purpose of both residential and agricultural use. This includes domestic vehicles, delivery vans, trailers, farm machinery, tractors and associated vehicles.

The main access to the site is via the existing entrance to the dwelling house leading from Pencuke Lane. The driveway entrance leads to parking at the front of the dwelling between the building and the road side hedgerow. It is proposed that car parking provisioned for the tree houses will be located at this location to the front of the existing dwelling. Provision for additional parking will be required with a small section of existing lawn to be replaced with a permeable parking area to facility an additional 4 vehicles. There is adequate and appropriate space to provide for parking in addition to the parking needs of the residence ( an additional three spaces). Parking can be provided on site which allows for vehicles to enter and exit the property in forward motion. The accompanying plans show the location of the parking and existing entrance form the lane. There will be no need to alter the existing entrance to the lane to facilitate the proposal given the small number of vehicles and movements that will occur. By providing additional parking in this area the need for separate parking is removed along with any additional movement or visual impact associated with new provisions in the AONB.

8 of 17 The introduction of the tree houses will not significantly increase traffic movements at this location and the point of access onto the highway is considered safe and suitable. The light volume of traffic on the lane and the infrequent use suggests highway safety will not be compromised by the introduction of the tree houses either during the construction phase or the ongoing use.

Each tree house will provide accommodation for a maximum of 4 people with the emphasis on family accommodation. Accordingly, it is expected that one car parking space will be required for each tree house, however additional capacity has been provided to ensure any variation to the proposed ratio. It is accepted that visitors will inevitably travel to this location by private vehicle. The parking design and allocation to the front of the existing building is intended to minimise any visual impact on the setting. By providing visitor parking in the same location as the residential parking there shall be no introduction of additional parking outside of areas already associated with this use. Consideration has been given to the impact of access and parking to the immediate area and the wider AONB and by condensing parking and access movements to this location any potential impact on the setting in this regard is removed.

Visitors will walk from the parking area located at the dwelling along the existing public footpath to the east of the dwelling to the tree houses . This will be a short walk of 300- 400 meters along existing public and private footpaths ( Public footpath number 540/12/1). There will be no visitor vehicle access to the tree houses with all movements taking place by foot. Footpaths are in good order and there shall be no detrimental impact on the public footpath. This path shall remain unchanged and will not be re directed or affected by the proposal.

Luggage, groceries and supplies will be transported via the applicants 4 wheel drive utility vehicle from the car parking area to the tree houses using existing field and woodland tracks. As shown on the accompanying plans there are a number of existing field and woodland tracks across the property. None of these routes will be formalised or sealed and shall remain as existing. By limiting visitor access to pedestrian only further mitigation measures are established to reduce visual activity within the AONB. As described later in this statement the benefits of limiting vehicular access are two fold and also provide for a tranquil and sustainable visitor experience. There shall be an emphasis on conservation and sustainability allowing visitors to enjoy the quiet seclusion of the valley and woodland setting.

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Above left : Existing entrance to Field End Farm - Above right visibility to the west along Pencuke Lane

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