Love for Life

Steward Community Woodland

Welcome to the website of Steward Community Woodland, a permaculture project which aims to demonstrate the value of integrating conservation woodland management techniques with organic growing, traditional skills and crafts and low-impact sustainable living. Please read our introductory leaflet for a brief introduction to the project.

This web-site contains a wide variety of resources and information about all aspects of the project, the community, the woodland, planning issues, and our neighbours. There is also a growing archive of photos which can be searched by keywords.

If you want to stay up-to-date with progress there is a diary and regular visitors can check the 'whats new' page to locate recent additions to the site. The site is fairly large (with currently over 150 pages) so you may find the search engine an invaluable tool.

The web-site is created and maintained by members of the community (using laptops powered by renewable energy systems). This hi-tech media provides a cost effective method of raising awareness of environmental issues and solutions. Our site log shows that around one hundred people visit the website every day, so the website provides many people with access to information about the project.

However, the website is not the only way that we provide information. We recognise that the Internet remains an elitist media and is dependent on unsustainable technology. Most people in the world don't even have a telephone, let alone Internet.

We publish a quarterly newsletter 'Word From The Wood'. It is sent to people on our mailing list (conventional and email) as well as being available on info stalls at various events..By the third issue we had to print over 1,100 copies to meet demand.

Our publications are all anti-copyright, freely reproduced for non-commerical use. We produce occasisonal leaflets and 'how to' guides (many of which have already been reproduced and distributed by other groups). We also do demonstrations and provide information at various events in the 'real world'.

We welcome visitors, both from people who just want to look around and from those who would life to stay a while to help out and share skills. Please contact us first to make arrangements before visiting and to confirm that your timing will be convienient.

If you have any comments, suggestions or questions about this website or the project itself, please don't hesitate to get in touch. Thanks for your interest. Enjoy...

Steward Wood Photo Archive
Infrastructure - Longhouse - Kitchen - Agricultural Shed - Personal Dwellings - Renewable Energy - Baths, Showers and Laundry - Other infrastructure

Woodland - Wildlife - Flowers - Fungus - Trees - Woodland Walk

Gardens - Growing Area - Kitchen Garden - Misc.

Events - Campfire - Moretonhampstead - Exeter - Tavistock - Fleamarket - S.W. Permaculture - Convergence - Other

Misc. - Crafts - Misc. - Elsewhere - Parties and Celebrations - Steward Wood Nukiller Plant

Community - Please note that this part of the website is about 5 years out of date!!! (2/2007)

The people and community life - Please note that this part of the website is about 5 years out of date!!! (2/2007)

* History of the group
* Transport and our community
* Meal times in the woods
* Raw Food
* Wild Foods
* Meeting meeting meetings
* Heating and cooking with wood
* Beccy and Merlin's hillside home
* A day in the life - by Ben
* A day in the life - by Clare
* A day in the life - by pete
* A visitors view - by Charlie

Public events

* Woodwalk - theatre in the woods November 2003 * Affinity Outreach Roadshow

* Our Open Day - July 22nd 2001
* Camp fire music event - August 21st 2000
* Moretonhampstead summer fair 2000
* Oxfams 'Fayre Future' - Sept 2nd 2000
* Tavistock 'Alternatives' - Sept 2000
* Tavistock Alternatives Day - May 2001 *Moretonhampstead Carnival - August 2002

Other events

* Pedal Power Workshop in Totnes - Apr 2001
* South West Permaculture Convergence 2001

Newsletters

* Word From The Wood

Other Publications

* Introducing Steward Community Woodland
* Questionnaires
* Unpublished News In Moreton Article

Infrastructure

* Our cycle powered generators
* Our micro hydro electric system
* The 'Long House'
* The Kitchen
* The Compost Toilet
* The Hot Tub
* The Bath House
* Visitors Space
* Water filter and storage

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Woodland

About the wood

* Getting here
* A history of the land
* A description of the wood
* Steward Wood - a first impression
* Maps of the woodland
* Our neighbours

Steward Wood and the project

* Planning permission and appeal
* Community Composting
* The 'Growing Area'
* Management & biodiversity action plan
* Cycle path and walk way
* Public access and woodland walk
* Woodland walk leaflet in PDF

Wildlife and biodiversity

* Wildlife and species surveys
* Species of conservation concern
* Our own impact on wildlife
* Coppicing and wildlife
* Tree loss in the UK
* The value of trees
* Natural regeneration
* Creating habitat

Woodland Crafts

* Coppicing, what is it?
* Green woodworking
* Pole lathes and wood turning
* Charcoal production
* Basket weaving

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Planning permission and the project

Last updated 12th November 2007

DNPA headquartersApplication for Renewal

Latest news: On 2nd November, the Dartmoor National Park Authority turned down our planning application: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning/2007/PLANNING_APPLICATION_A...

In August 2007, our original planning permission expired and we submitted a new application http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/PLANNING_APPLICATION_Aug_07.pdf to the Dartmoor National Park Authority http://www.dartmoor-npa.gov.uk/index.html for permission to live here and continue the sustainable project for a further 5 years. The application included a Carbon Audit http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/carbon_footprint_1yr.pdf a Renewable Energy Report http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/app-2007-re-report.pdf and our new Management Plan.

At the same time, we posted an Appeal for Support http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/Appeal_for_Support.pdf asking people to send a letter or email of support for the application.

Documents are available for download in PDF format:

* Planning application (2007) (0.2Mb): http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/PLANNING_APPLICATION_Aug_07.pdf

* Carbon Audit (0.2Mb): http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/carbon_footprint_1yr.pdf

* Renewable energy report (2.6Mb): http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/app-2007-re-report.pdf

* Management plan (available soon):

* Appeal for Support (0.1Mb): http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/2007/Appeal_for_Support.pdf

PDF viewers are available free for windows and linux:

* Xpdf (GPL): http://www.foolabs.com/xpdf
* Adobe Acrobat reader (proprietry): http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html

Original application

Shortly after making Steward Wood our home, we submitted a planning application http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_app.htm for a "low impact, sustainable development associated with agricultural/forestry enterprise incorporating educational and residential elements". If granted, this permission for change of use would simply have allowed us to continue to be resident on the land. Any buildings other than temporary structures would have required a further application.

Sadly, on the 3rd November 2000 our planning application was turned down by the Dartmoor National Park Authority planning committee. At the first meeting, despite the planning officers recommending refusal, there had been significant support from many of the committee members, however they deferred the decision in order to obtain more information and visit the site, which they did on October 6th. At the final meeting there were just two votes in favour of granting permission.

We were disappointed but not suprised by the decision which simply confirmed our belief that the planning system is standing in the way of attempts to implement sustainable development.

The First Appeal

We then we submitted an appeal to the Planning Inspectorate and there was a Public Inquiry http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/enquiry.htm at beginning of August 2001. The professional legal support during the appeal was not cheap and any financial help towards legal costs (just under £6,000) would be very welcome.

The Inspector's decision was issued early in September 2001. We heard we had been refused first from the press but later the post confirmed the sad news.

Here is our response: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/decision.htm

The Second Appeal

Since we received that decision an enforcement notice was issued asking us to vacate the land. We appealed against the enforcement notice on the grounds that we should be granted residential planning permission. The National Park were wanting us to leave within 6 months and we argued that, if we were not allowed to continue to reside on the land and continue the project, that we should have 18 months to leave. We carried out this appeal by written representations because its a much cheaper way of doing things and we didn't believe we had much chance of success anyway - we thought it unlikely that this planning inspector would decide any differently from the previous one. All the paperwork was submitted including our arguments on the human rights issues, the inspector made a site visit, and we waited for the decision.

Shortly after the site visit, the inspector made it clear that he thought some of our structures were operational development (permanent building works) rather than temporary structures which everyone had agreed they were up till then. The decision then took a long time to come through.

On the morning of 14 August 2002, we received an e-mail congratulating us on our success. After a little confusion and some phone calls we began to realise that we had been granted temporary planning permission! It really became reality after a visit to the post office to collect a registered letter containing the full decision: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/appeal_success.htm

As you may imagine we were surprised and overjoyed. The day was spent organising a press release http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/appeal_success_PR.htm and discussing other immediate issues. We put off the full celebrations until our campfire music evening on the 20th which we were holding as part of the Moretonhampstead carnival.

The Third Appeal (not ours this time)

At their next meeting the DNPA resolved to seek leave to appeal to the High Court http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/dnpa_to_appeal_PR.htm against our new permission. The hearing was set for the 20th January, in the Royal Courts of Justice in London, but unfortunately the judge was ill, and the case was postponed until the following week. The DNPA's barrister put forth their case in the morning, facing much cross examination from the judge, which is apparently how these things work. At the end of the 2 hour session the judge said he did not need to hear the defence (presented by the Government's Treasury Solicitors, defending the Inspector's decision), and would give judgement after lunch. We slowly realised that this meant we had won, and that our planning permission was safe.

Sure enough, at the end of a very long judgement Justice Sullivan dismissed the DNPA's case, saying that the Inspector had fully thought through his decision and that he felt that in pursuing the word of the planning guidelines the DNPA were losing sight of the policies behind the policies, as he put it, they did not see the wood for the trees... He felt that the Inspector was justified in giving weight to the ideas of sustainability that the Government must support through Agenda 21, that the project was exceptional, and provided 'a net gain' to the surrounding environment and community, and therefore should be allowed to slip through the rigid planning policies in the National Park. Which we thought rather splendid. http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/highcourtsuccessPR.htm - press release.

The End?...

Background information.

* Our public inquiry: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/enquiry.htm

* Proof of evidence, for the appeal, by Dan Mills: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/evidence_dan.htm

* Low Impact Development - a book by Simon Fairlie, essential reading: http://www.stewardwood.org/resources/lowimpactdevelopment.htm

* Some of the letters of support sent to the DNPA: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_letters.htm

* About the planning system in the UK, and how it relates to this project: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_background.htm

* Section 106 agreements, our suggestions to the DNPA for conditions that could be applied to any planning permission: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_conditions.htm

* A letter to the planning authority seeking clarification on how and when the Section 106 agreements would be negotiated: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_l4.htm

* Our initial letter to the planning authority informing them of the proposal and requesting their advice and assistance in putting together an application: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/planning_l1.htm

* Our successful appeal decision: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/appeal_success.htm and press release: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/appeal_success_PR.htm

* Our press release about the DNPA deciding to appeal: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/dnpa_to_appeal_PR.htm

* High Court success press release: http://www.stewardwood.org/planning/highcourtsuccessPR.htm

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Steward Community Woodland Index

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What's new
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Resources
DIY guides

Contacting us
Visiting
Getting here

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Contacting You

We are happy to keep you informed of the latest project news, courses events etc. and send you our newsletter http://www.stewardwood.org/newsletters/index.html if you join our mailing list http://www.stewardwood.org/mailinglist/index.html

Contacting us

Affinity Woodland Workers Co-op
Steward Community Woodland,
Moretonhampstead,
Newton Abbot
Devon TQ13 8SD

Tel: 0845 458 1926 ( a local rate number )

Link to this website: http://www.stewardwood.org

Email: community @ stewardwood.org