Lammas Newsletter, April 2009

On the land...

Over the last 10 weeks, prospective Lammas residents have been getting busy on the land at Tir-y-Gafel.

They have planted about five thousand trees as well as many other jobs including repairs to fencing, drainage and trackways and starting coppicing work in the woodland.

Lammas News


Lammas Plot Opportunity

The Lammas ecovillage project revolves around nine familes and their smallholding plans. As you can imagine, the ongoing planning delays have been quite challenging for most of the families. There is one family in Lammas who have indicated that they are planning to step back from the project, in which case their plot (plot 5) will need to be re-allocated.

In addition we are seeking to have a reserve list ready should anyone else choose to step out or to cover alternative eventualities.

If anyone is interested in becoming a Lammas smallholder, the main ingredient is enthusiasm. The plots are being offered for £35,000. There will be an additional fee of £2,500 to cover the costs of the planning process to date. (Lammas is hoping to be able to offer 12 month loans of up to £17,500).

Please e-mail paul.wimbush@lammas.org.uk for application guidelines.

The future of low-impact policy 52?

The new Local Development Plan for Pembrokeshire is currently being written. This document will control all development in the County of Pembrokeshire from 2011 – 2021. We at Lammas are very concerned by the strategy being proposed. It would appear that Pembrokeshire are trying to ‘drop’ the low-impact policy (policy 52). In our opinion this would be disastrous for the low-impact movement. Pembrokeshire is currently the only county within the UK to have a comprehensive low-impact policy.

You can help.

The ‘preferred strategy’ is open for public consultation until May 6th. We have provided a part-completed response form on our website for people to simply add their name and address to and e-mail to Pembrokeshire planners. Please visit the campaigns page of the Lammas website to get involved:

Planning Appeal

The Lammas Planning Appeal is now lodged. Having originally been designated as a written appeal it has now, after being lobbied by Pembrokeshire, been restarted and designated a ‘hearing’.

Thankyou to all of you who have written in support of the project. We now have over 1,300 letters of support.
The hearing will be open to the public and we would really welcome your support on the day. Details of when and where the hearing will follow shortly.
We have been advised that we should receive a decision by August 27th.


On The Web

Car share website for coordinating lifts:
www.mylifts.com

A brilliant 12-minute animation on Climate Change, and in particular the concept of a global ‘tipping point’ which has huge implications on how we view the challenge before us:
www.wakeupfreakout.org

Low-Impact Events

“Opening the door to affordable housing”
Thursday 7th of May 2009 Shrewsbury.

This conference brings together practitioners from across the construction industry, lenders, the community sector, and housing providers who are all actively working with us and our Community Land Trust projects to deliver affordable homes.

You can view the programme and book online at www.landforpeople.co.uk

Poem
by Paul Wimbush

The world economy has moved into recession,
dependent on ever increasing consumption of ever dwindling resources.
The leaders from the20 richest nations across the world meet in London today
Surrounded by violent protests.
One man, hemmed in by police barricades, dies.
Our leaders assure us that they will pull out all the stops, giving it everything that they have,
$1,100,000,000,000 to get the credit flowing again, to kick start the world economy.

Whilst all around us our ecosystems show signs of collapse,
Our fellow species struggle to survive in a changing world
And all the signs point to an irreversible tipping point,
Beyond which there is little hope.

And our government clings to an old-world system,
financing mining, meat farming, deforestation, aviation, weaponry, car production, and bonuses for the bankers.
Seemingly unable to rock the boat, to speak the truth, to undo what must be undone.

There is another way. There is a new world waiting. Hope budding. Potential bursting.

As a Lammas member you will recieve email updates like this one.
If you would prefer not to recieve these emails please reply with the subject 'remove'.