A PLANNING application has been submitted to Cornwall Council to place three temporary agricultural workers’ dwellings – described as equivalent to caravans – and associated works including an agricultural barn with a photovoltaic (PV) solar panel array on land at Rilla Mill.

The application from Ms R Munns of the Brighton-based organisation Ecological Land Cooperative (ELC) is to place the structures on the 20.72 acres of land at Orchard Park, Netherton Farm, Rilla Mill, for a period of five years “to provide three affordable smallholdings to new entrants to ecological agriculture”.

The land is located around 850m south-west of Rilla Mill and around 1.5km north-east of Upton Cross and is adjacent to public allotments, several existing residential dwellings and a weddings and events venue. It is also in an Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV).

Plans and photos of similar structures already used by ELC show that the barn would be made of wood with clapboard-style planking on the exterior, and with the PV array on the roof. Other eco systems mentioned with the plans include environmentally-friendly and hygienic composting toilets and water being provided by bore hole and rain harvesting systems.

The Planning Statement with the application states that ELC is “a not-for-profit community benefit society founded to support the creation of sustainable land-based livelihoods in the UK. To this end we purchase sites and secure planning permission for low impact rural enterprises and associated dwellings”. The statement adds that ELC has so far established two successful developments elsewhere at Greenham Reach in Mid Devon and at Arlington in Mid Sussex, and has two other sites currently under consideration at Sparkford in South Somerset and Furzehill in Swansea.

The statement adds that the Greenham Reach site was awarded permanent planning permission by Mid Devon Council after five years of temporary permission enabled it to become established, and the Arlington site received a Gold in the Countryside Award from CPRE Sussex last October thanks to its contribution in supporting wildlife, enriching the countryside, supporting rural communities and tackling climate change. In addition ELC is working with DEFRA on the design of its New Entrant Support Scheme to help new farmers.

In the Community Engagement Letter attached to the planning application, ELC says: “It is our intention to apply for temporary planning permission for this site to create three residential small farms for three households. We would create a Section 106 agreement that legally ties the holdings to operate a viable agricultural business.

“If after five years the businesses are a success we will apply for permanent permission. If achieved, at this point the farmers would be able to build permanent agriculturally tied dwellings within a set footprint and height and working to environmentally sustainable principles. The households would also be legally tied to an Ecological Management Plan and an annual monitoring process carried out by the ELC.”

The letter goes on to say that ordinarily ELC would hold a community meeting to present the plans to local residents but the COVID restrictions had prevented this, but “We passionately believe our farms contribute to a thriving rural economy and community, providing access to local food whilst increasing the biodiversity and ecology of the landscape. Recent events have highlighted the increasing need for locally grown, healthy food for communities.”

The transport statement with the application state: “Vehicle movements will be, by design, kept to a minimum across our sites and as such average movements are unlikely to vary significantly between the different enterprises.” It adds: “All agro-ecological enterprises will intrinsically function in a way that aims to minimise vehicle movements and transport impacts.”

In addition, ELC sites tenants are bound, through the terms of their lease and the Section 106, to operate their smallholdings in line with a management plan.

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The application can be viewed on the Cornwall Council planning portal under reference PA21/06226.