Management Plan for a One Planet Development on fields formally part of Rhyd Gorwen Farm, Hebron James and Clare Adamson, Summer 2017 CONTENTS Page no. 1. Introduction & Summary 3 2. Baseline 4 3. Design Strategy 8 4. Business and Improvement Plan 17 4.1. Land Based Activity 17 4.2. Land Management 42 4.3. Energy & Water 47 4.4. Waste 55 5. Zero Carbon Buildings 58 6. Community Impact 64 7. Transport Assessment and Travel Plan 67 8. Phasing, Monitoring and Exit Strategy 73 9. Ecological Footprint Analysis 75 10. Appendices 10.1. Enterprise: cost/forecast spreadsheets x 5 10.2. Ecological Footprint: data entry sheet and breakdown of results 10.3. Ecological Survey report 10.4. Site Layout Design 10.5. Soil Analysis report 10.6. Scaled drawings of buildings: dwelling, wood store, coldstore, workshop, polytunnels, cow barn (existing and proposed extension), processing barn 10.7. Letter of support 10.8. Visual Impact Report 10.9. Highways Report 10.10. Block Plan 10.11. Crop Charts: Tree Bush crops, Veg. Production, Perennial Crops 10.12. LANDMAP reports 10.13. Soil Association Organic Certificate 10.14. Energy Efficiency Assessment of Dwelling Construction Materials 10.15. Detailed Site Plan 10.16. Location plan 2 1. INTRODUCTION & SUMMARY Introduction This is an application for a low impact development under the Welsh Assemblies planning policy TAN6, One Planet Development. It has been compiled and written by Clare and James Adamson, with support from professionals including Paddy Jenks of Aderyn Ecology, Karl von Weber of LVW Highways and Martin Crawford of Agroforestry Research Trust. Clare, James and their 5-year old son, Dara, are currently live in North Devon. Clare works as a communications consultant for the voluntary sector and James works as an estate worker. Clare has considerable experience producing food at a domestic scale and her main skill set and employment background is in project management, communications and marketing in the voluntary and private sector. She has specialised in solar energy, local food initiatives and community enterprise. James has worked in horticulture for many years having been a grower for a CSA enterprise, a community development worker for several land based projects and run a small landscaping business. Throughout this time he has also led training in food growing, Permaculture Design and Agroforestry. In 2015 we traveled England and Wales visiting families and communities living a low impact, land based lifestyle having decided that it was something we aspired to do ourselves. We realised that the unique Welsh Planning framework offered a great way to live the way of life we feel is necessary. We have been drawn to One Planet Development as it provides an opportunity to live close to the earth and make a living from the land we live on. It’s also a great way to teach others about community scale solutions to some serious issues such as climate change, resource depletion, food sovereignty and environmental destruction. Summary The low impact small holding will support a single dwelling with associated buildings for our family consisting of James and Clare Adamson and their son Dara. We will also site temporary accommodation to house our family during the initial phases of the development. We will explain how through careful design and sensitive management we will meet most of our immediate needs (including food, drinking water and energy) directly from our holding and run an off-grid, horticultural business which will form our main occupation. The majority of our residential and commercial waste will be processed and assimilated on site and after the initial establishment phase of the development we will be producing significant amounts of produce for the benefits of the local and regional community. In the management plan we outline clear explanations of how we will achieve the objectives of each element and how we have employed Permaculture to design our site plans, land based enterprises and management systems. In time we will meet and surpass goals of 1.88 global hectares per person. 3 2. BASELINE Location. We, James and Clare Adamson are the freehold owners of farmland located on the eastern edge of Hebron village and originally formed part of the Rhyd Gorwen farm, Carmarthenshire. Grid Reference: SN18362 27689. Area and shape. The land we propose to evolve into a One Planet development covers 9.69 acres of land and is marked on the map below in yellow, with different fields numbered. The land is on the south-east facing aspect of the bottom edge of the Taf valley, with the highest point being 110m above sea level (asl) and lowest point 88.5m asl. The land is undulating lowland hill terrain1 and comprises of three gently sloping fields of improved grassland1. All the land has been traditionally used for farming: cultivation and stock grazing1. Field 1. 1.2 acres. Used as horse paddock, for 16 years. The last 2 years the field has been reseeded for silage and continues with this use currently. Field 2. 4.46 acres. Used as horse paddock, for 16 years, with the last 2 years being managed for silage. This field currently remains as grassland and is divided by an immature beech hedge. Field 3. 4.03 acres. Used as horse paddock, with the last two years cultivated for silage. This field currently remains as grassland. View Field 1 is naturally sheltered from view from the South, East and North view due to mature hedge banks. The only vantage point is from the West, directly from the gated access off the council highway, and the houses on the s-western corner. Fields 2 & 3 are naturally sheltered from view due to mature hedge banks, on all boundaries, with the only direct view onto the land being the elevated view from across the opposite side of the valley, and from the gate to the adjoining field. 1 Landmap http://landmap-maps.naturalresources.wales/ 4 Additional land We also own small parcels to the east and west. This will not be developed and is not included in our One Planet application. This is outlined in the map below in pink and numbered accordingly. 4. This part will remain in silage production, to supply local farms. 5. This area of land sits alongside the Taf River and will remain a nature area. Boundaries of land to be included in OPD Field 1. Mature hedge bank with large mature trees runs along all boundaries, except the south which is open to field cultivating grass for silage. Beyond the western hedge bank, a council highway runs the full length. Fields 2 & 3. Mature hedge banks with large mature trees run along the south, north, west and east sides. Context/adjacent land uses Mostly pasture fields surrounded by mature hedge banks with large native trees make up the adjacent land used which is used mostly for grazing livestock and hay/silage production. The only exception is the eastern boundary beyond which lies a river frontage field that is mostly scrub. Tenure. We have purchased the land as freehold. Existing on-site services. There is access to a small spring supply, which is permitted under easement from another farm (with permission in Land Deeds). A phone line runs across the northwest corner of Field 1. Site access. We have permitted access via a gate on the northern eastern corner of Field 2, from an access track shared with Rhyd Gorwen Farm next door, which joins the council maintained road through Hebron. There is limited amount of traffic along this access track from the occupier of the farm and no regular existing transport generated by our site. There is a poorly maintained area of hard standing just inside our access gate, with space enough for parking and a turning circle, which extends in front of the existing barn all the way to the gate in the centre of this field (2), leading to Field 1. The Access to the rest of the site is limited to agricultural vehicles. 5 Access off highway Access lane Existing features and landscape Field 2 has an existing barn constructed from concrete blocks, mostly rendered, with a slate tile roof, on a concrete pad. There is also one open sided field shelter constructed from timber and tin roof/sides. Mature hedgerows surround the site, which have been identified as having rich biodiversity as part of the Ecological Survey (See appendices). There is a fence separating the two top fields, lined with a partial (young) beech tree hedge. The top fields and the steep field below are separated by unmanaged mature hedgerow. 6 Land Audit. This has been completed with the assistance of the LANDMAP resource managed by Natural Resource Wales. Physical The land and the surrounding area is characterised as undulating lowland hill terrain with mainly Ordocicain slate mudrocks with significant glacial clay. Soil Analysis Guideline Our soil Comment PH 6.5 6 Low Organic matter 3% 6.7% Adequate Phosphorus (ppm) 26 26 Low Potassium (ppm) 121 51 Low Magnesium (ppm) 176 54 Normal Calcium (ppm) 2000 1341 Deficient See Appendix 10.5 for Soil Analysis document from Lancrop Laboratories. Biodiversity An ecology report has been prepared by Aderyn Ecology and is included as Appendix 10.3. It shows the bulk of the site is species-poor semi-improved grassland and currently has low plant diversity with the hedgerows and banks being areas of ecological interest. Cultural The area is classed as Rural, with its principle cultural activity being agriculture. There are no known sites of cultural importance on the site or in close proximity: this includes no scheduled monuments, world heritage sites, listed buildings, registered parks or gardens, registered battlefields or conservation areas.