Joe’s Barn east of Sough Clough Wood, Meanley Estate, Easington Road, Slaidburn, Clitheroe BB7 3AF Proposed mixed use as farm welfare accommodation, shoot rest accommodation and guest accommodation Design, Access, Planning and Heritage Statement June 2020 JDTPL0190 Judith Douglas BSc (Hons), Dip TP, MRTPI 8 Southfield Drive, West Bradford, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4TU Telephone: 01200 425051 Mobile: 07729 302644 Email: [email protected] Website: www.jdouglastownplanning.co.uk Registered Office: 8 Southfield Drive, West Bradford, Clitheroe, Lancashire, BB7 4TU. Incorporated in England No. 09911421 Design, Access, and Planning Heritage Statement Barn East of Sough Clough Wood, Meanley Estate, Easington Road Slaidburn June 2020 1.0 INTRODUCTION 1.1 This application has been prepared by Judith Douglas Town Planning Ltd on behalf of the applicant Victoria Oyston on behalf of the Meanley Estate. 1.3 The application should be read in conjunction with the following plans and documents: 6039 001 Ground and first floor plans as existing 6039 002 Ground and first floor plans as proposed 6039 003 Existing and proposed site plan OS location plan 2 LAND MANAGEMENT AND SHOOTING RIGHTS 2.1 The Meanley Estate comprises 2,500 acres of land on Easington Fell around Meanley. The land is managed for grazing also with a large emphasis on land management for conservation. Over the last 25 years, the Meanley Estate has carried out regeneration work on Easington and Harrop Fell to encourage heather regrowth and to encourage regrowth of traditional moorland species by reducing stocking levels of grazing and extensive bracken control. The estate manages shoots over its own land and over neighbouring land in partnership arrangement. The shooting rights managed by the Meanley Estate include: Easington Fell 1,800 acres Harrop Fold 500 acres Pinewood (Grindleton Fell) 500 acres Broadhead (Slaidburn) 100 acres Manor House (Newton) 350 Acres The Estate also works in partnership with Browsholme Hall manging land for shooting. 2.2 The land at Meanley Estate had been managed for shooting by the current owner for the last 25 years. Management has included the planting of over 700,000 trees and thousands of shrubs together with moorland regeneration. Sheep have been excluded from areas of woodland which allows it to regenerate naturally and provide cover for raising game birds. Reducing grazing pressure on moorland together with careful management of heather improves the habitat for grouse breeding. Page | 2 Judith Douglas Town Planning Ltd Design, Access, and Planning Heritage Statement Barn East of Sough Clough Wood, Meanley Estate, Easington Road Slaidburn June 2020 2.3 In addition to using the land to raise game birds the management of the land has been carried out in a way which actively encourages and replenishes woodland areas to provide a home for various plant, animal, and bird species. The woodlands are now abundant in bluebells and wild clover. Threatened species including bats, otters, lapwing, curlew, greylag goose and songbirds have been increasing in number. Wetland areas have been created where there were none previously and this has further diversified habitat and associated species. The Estate is currently erecting bird and bat boxes. 2.4 The Estate has just entered into a new Stewardship Scheme to further progress efforts to improve woodland, hedging, stonewalling set aside areas for ground nesting birds, rush control and protection of natural habitat. Early work by the Estate received an award from Purdey for Conservation. 2.5 The Estate employs a full-time Estate Manager. He is a family man with children and lives on the Estate at Fellside. He releases raised game birds into suitable habitats within the Estate each year which includes pheasant, partridge and duck. He manages the moorland to encourage grouse. Grouse prefer differing heights and maturity of heather for nesting and feeding, management of the land provides this. The Estate Manager has a full-time assistant who lives in Clitheroe and travels into work. This year the Estate aims to re-introduce English Partridge back to the area. They are a native breed in demise. It is an intensive long-term aim which is anticipated to take 5 to 6 years before being fully established due to the challenges in providing the correct habitat. 2.6 Part of the land is let out to tenant farmers on herbage agreements. There are three tenant farms on the Estate- Manor Farm, Broadhead Farm, Robinsons Farm and Fellside Farm. 2.7 The Estate has recently applied for a grant to diversify into clay shooting as part of a government policy to support the diversification of farming businesses. Page | 3 Judith Douglas Town Planning Ltd Design, Access, and Planning Heritage Statement Barn East of Sough Clough Wood, Meanley Estate, Easington Road Slaidburn June 2020 3.0 EXISTING BUSINESS 3.1 The income to the Estate gained from the recreational activity of shooting currently accounts for 25% of the overall income of the Estate. 3.2 Shooting on the Estate comprises ‘driven days’, ‘let days’, ‘rough days’ and ‘stalking’. Driven days let days and rough days refer to shooting birds, the difference being how the day is organised in terms of the experience of the participants and the location of the shooting. Stalking refers to stalking of deer. 3.3 The British Association for Shooting and Conservation list the open season for gamebirds, waterfowl and deer in the UK. A summary of this is as follows (date inclusive): Pheasant Oct 1- Feb1 Partridge Sept 1 - Feb 1 Red Grouse Aug 12-Dec 10 Black Grouse Aug 20 -Dec 10 Duck and Goose inland Sept 1- Jan 31 Red, Sika, Fallow Deer Stags/Bucks Aug 1st - April 30th Red, Sika, Fallow Deer Hinds/Does Nov 1st - Mar 31st Roe Bucks April 1st – Oct 31st Roe Does Nov 1st – Mar 31st. 3.4 On driven days the guests arrive at Fellside Farm which provides facilities as a ‘shoot lodge’. This comprises a room where outside caterers serve breakfast. The party comprises 8-10 ‘guns’ (people with their own gun participating in the shoot) together with anyone accompanying them but not shooting (partners). Driven days are usually booked by individuals. The shooting party is assisted by employed staff including 30 ‘beaters’ and 5 or 6 ‘pickers up’. The beaters are local people employed for the day who traverse the shooting area driving out birds. The pickers up with their dogs collect birds that have been shot. Birds that are collected are taken back to Fellside where they are chilled. These are then either taken home by the participants or sold. Whilst this is a labour-intensive activity the income derived is sufficient to support it. The average charge for a day’s shooting is around £1000. 3.5 Let days run on a similar format but are booked out to groups or syndicates. This might include less experience people. Rough shoots might occur 8-10 days in the season and involves Page | 4 Judith Douglas Town Planning Ltd Design, Access, and Planning Heritage Statement Barn East of Sough Clough Wood, Meanley Estate, Easington Road Slaidburn June 2020 shooting birds that are around the edges of the land. The party is not accompanied by beaters and might have 5-6 guns plus the game keeper and two helpers. 3.6 The wild population of roe and sika deer is expanding. Over-grazing by wild deer can damage woodland. Shooting helps to maintain the population at a healthy level and removes deer. Sika deer are a prized quarry and stalking starts at 3 am and 3pm (pre-dawn and pre-dusk). On a deer shooting days lunch is provided at Fellside or Joe’s Barn. Dinner is provided at Fellside Farm. The food is provided by local outside caterers. Joe’s Barn is also used by employees on the Estate as a rest area when working. 3.7 The Estate is also required to manage the deer population on Untied Utility land at Pinewood which is leased by a third party for the management and growth of commercial woodland. 4.0 ENTERPRISE PROPOSALS 4.1 The Estate is intending to provide clay shooting in the spring and summer months to extend the shooting season. This will be within the permitted development limit of 28 days per calendar year. Clay shoots use specialist equipment including clay traps which are loaded on to trailer and placed in various locations across the land (3 or 4 four traps are used in one day) to simulate a pheasant shoot. They are battery operated. It is intended that refreshment will be provided for people attending clay shoots at both Fellside and Joe’s Barn. 4.2 The storage of guns and ammunition is controlled by law. This includes keeping guns locked away when not in use by the person who holds the license for the gun. The Home Office document - Firearms Security A Brief Guide indicates that guns should be kept in a locked gun cabinet or similar secure container when not in use. If they are transported in a vehicle they need to be out of sight and locked away. The applicant provides gun cabinets at Fellside Farm and wishes to provide a similar facility at Joe’s barn. 4.3 Currently most people attending shoots come for the day. Where people have travelled long distances to attend the shoot they stay in local overnight accommodation. Sometimes there is difficulty in finding suitable gun storage or accommodation generally. This difficulty arises particularly with stalking sika deer which involves pre-dawn stalking. It is proposed to provide over-night accommodation at Joe’s Barn to cater for people travelling longer distances. 4.4 Provision of sleeping accommodation at Joe’s Barn will also add value to the experience of taking part in shooting on the estate.