Episode 11: Land Matters

Can you help Landmatters permaculture village in Devon with their next round of planning permission?

Landmatters' temporary planning permission for their permaculture project and low-impact residential community expires in April 2016 and they are seeking your support. At the beginning of February they will be submitting an application to South Hams District Council asking for permanent planning permission.

Below is the message from Landmatters:
If you are able to write a letter of support, please make it out to South Hams District Council, as we don't have the name of our case officer yet, but send it to our Landmatters address (Landmatters Co-operative Permaculture Project, Allaleigh, Blackawton, Totnes, Devon, TQ9 7DL, UK) or email. Also, please make clear in your first sentence that you are in support of Landmatters planning renewal. Descriptions of your personal experience of Landmatters will be especially beneficial.
Where they are relevant to you, please include such points as:
- What benefits you think Landmatters has for the local and wider community
- What value we have to you (eg. education; access to the countryside; sharing of skills and information about sustainable living; produce)
- Our worth and credibility as an example of permaculture
- Why you think we should be allowed to continue
Even if you only state your support without going into further details it is still of benefit.
Deadline: please send to us by the end of January

More details about the Landmatters permaculture project:

Land Matters low impact community in Devon have been wrestling with the planners...

Landmatters Co-operative own and manage a 42 acre holding in South Hams, Devon. Using a design system called permaculture, they manage their land mindful of maintaining an environment supportive of bio-diversity wildlife whilst providing for many of the community's needs for food, water, energy, shelter, creativity, transport and waste management. They are also developing land based livelihoods, reducing their ecological footprint and acting as an educational resource for the wider community - The Holding.

The land is comprised of approximately 42 acres of which 17 acres are semi-natural ancient woodland, 22 acres are pasture and the remainder is naturally regenerating scrub and hedgerows. There is a stream along the most north-westerly boundary.

The site is completely off-grid, using wind generators and photo-voltaic panels to source their electricity. They have large communal gardens, keep chickens, goats ducks geese and bees.

An hour-long film had been made and is available on DVD from Land Matters resident Maren Girgensohn.