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Going off-grid: 'How do we square the circle and address climate change?' Going off-grid: 'How do we square the circle and address climate change?'
(3 months later)
Tucked away down a farm track in Somerset, a small group of people are putting their hearts and souls into a project that they hope will act as a catalyst for an era of low-cost, off-grid rural living. At the moment, however, all they have is a field, a barn, and a fat sheaf of planning application forms. The dream – drawn out in detail in the documents – is of an entire off-grid community. Those already exist, of course. But the Plotgate off-gridders hope that they will be the first group to establish an off-grid community with full pre-granted planning permission.Tucked away down a farm track in Somerset, a small group of people are putting their hearts and souls into a project that they hope will act as a catalyst for an era of low-cost, off-grid rural living. At the moment, however, all they have is a field, a barn, and a fat sheaf of planning application forms. The dream – drawn out in detail in the documents – is of an entire off-grid community. Those already exist, of course. But the Plotgate off-gridders hope that they will be the first group to establish an off-grid community with full pre-granted planning permission.
A few years ago Somerset council sold off a few of its farms. This one - Plotgate Farm - was bought for £142,000 by Chris Black who has already enabled several off-grid settlements in the area. It was Black who bought the land for Tinker’s Bubble, a 40-acre off-grid settlement in woodland that won its own planning battle after it was launched 20 years ago. "I want to make living in the countryside available to people who would not otherwise be able to,” he says. After living at “the Bubble” for a while, he bought himself a house nearby, and invited a number of bus dwellers to drive their vehicles on to his land. Having tired of this novel way of annoying the neighbours, Black bought another field, known as Kingshill, and to his surprise managed to persuade his many guests to decamp there with their vehicles. Even more surprising the bus dwellers managed to win planning permission, at the European court, on grounds of human rights. A few years ago Somerset council sold off a few of its farms. This one - Plotgate Farm - was bought for £142,000 by Chris Black who has already enabled several off-grid settlements in the area. It was Black who bought the land for Tinker’s Bubble, a 40-acre off-grid settlement in woodland that won its own planning battle after it was launched 20 years ago. "I want to make living in the countryside available to people who would not otherwise be able to,” he says. After living at “the Bubble” for a while, he bought himself a house nearby, and invited a number of bus dwellers to drive their vehicles on to his land. Having tired of this novel way of annoying the neighbours, Black bought another field, known as Kingshill, and to his surprise managed to persuade his many guests to decamp there with their vehicles. Even more surprising the bus dwellers managed to win planning permission, at the European court, on grounds of human rights.
So will Black make it a hat-trick with Plotgate and its 23 acres of rolling farmland? That largely depends on Amy Willoughby and Dan Britton, the pair who are leading the Plotgate project. The vision they have sketched out, the dream which they have putting before the local council, envisions eight new homes at the top of the land, running along the perimeter hedge closest to the village behind them, and looking across the valley down the slope of the land. So will Black make it a hat-trick with Plotgate and its 23 acres of rolling farmland? That largely depends on Amy Willoughby and Dan Britton, the pair who are leading the Plotgate project. The vision they have sketched out, the dream which they have putting before the local council, envisions eight new homes at the top of the land, running along the perimeter hedge closest to the village behind them, and looking across the valley down the slope of the land.
The residential section of the top field occupies about two acres in which the small family homes will be self-built by the eventual occupants. The construction methods will vary – some will be straw bale, and others might be made from standard wooden frame construction with sheep-hair insulation. All will be made from sustainable materials with low embodied energy. There will be a limit on car transport, and rules prevent home heating being carried out with fossil fuels; Plotgate currently offers access to agricultural land for both commercial and community production of local food. The residential section of the top field occupies about two acres in which the small family homes will be self-built by the eventual occupants. The construction methods will vary – some will be straw bale, and others might be made from standard wooden frame construction with sheep-hair insulation. All will be made from sustainable materials with low embodied energy. There will be a limit on car transport, and rules prevent home heating being carried out with fossil fuels; Plotgate currently offers access to agricultural land for both commercial and community production of local food.
In the future Plotgate will also offer spaces for small-scale businesses. Each housing plots will have small private gardens averaging 600 sq m. These plots would have the option of including workshop or office space. In addition there will be one community building no bigger than 250 sq m. This would contain a kitchen, communal dining area, meeting hall, laundrette and office with computer facilities. And right at the heart of the development will be a children’s playground, with view of all the houses. In the future Plotgate will also offer spaces for small-scale businesses. Each housing plots will have small private gardens averaging 600 sq m. These plots would have the option of including workshop or office space. In addition there will be one community building no bigger than 250 sq m. This would contain a kitchen, communal dining area, meeting hall, laundrette and office with computer facilities. And right at the heart of the development will be a children’s playground, with view of all the houses.
In order to be off-grid, they will start from the principle of using as little energy as possible. These houses will be heavily insulated and double-glazed; if all goes according to plan they will consume about 25% of the energy of an ordinary house. They will use LED lights for background lighting, and low-energy bulbs for reading. They will have rainwater harvesting systems plus composting toilets. And they’ll use a combination of solar thermal and wood burning stoves for heating. They will have solar panels to produce most of their electricity, and generators for back up when absolutely necessary. The little community will have a micro-grid in place so that when one house is over-producing, the other houses can make use of it.In order to be off-grid, they will start from the principle of using as little energy as possible. These houses will be heavily insulated and double-glazed; if all goes according to plan they will consume about 25% of the energy of an ordinary house. They will use LED lights for background lighting, and low-energy bulbs for reading. They will have rainwater harvesting systems plus composting toilets. And they’ll use a combination of solar thermal and wood burning stoves for heating. They will have solar panels to produce most of their electricity, and generators for back up when absolutely necessary. The little community will have a micro-grid in place so that when one house is over-producing, the other houses can make use of it.
The technical and design mastermind of Plotgate is Britton, 42, who graduated in Engineering from Strathclyde with a specialism in Naval Design. That means he knows all about pumps, which is coming in handy here in the Somerset levels, where the gently sloping land descends to a marshy nadir. The technical and design mastermind of Plotgate is Britton, 42, who graduated in Engineering from Strathclyde with a specialism in Naval Design. That means he knows all about pumps, which is coming in handy here in the Somerset levels, where the gently sloping land descends to a marshy nadir.
“I was a support teacher and a technician in a secondary school but I found the whole beauracracy of the system was about tick-boxing and control – it left me jaded,” he said as we sat outside a 6-metre solar-powered container which houses his workshop. “I read about Climate Camp on the front page of the Guardian and it was a revelation – it made a huge difference to my life. I always wanted to establish my own school, and Plotgate is an educational project as well as everything else.” After leaving the education sector, Britton had a successful career as a tree surgeon and tree sculptor – carving his abstract works with a chainsaw and chisel. His public art commissions included a sculptural bench for Bishops Itchington parish council and tree carvings for Leamington council.“I was a support teacher and a technician in a secondary school but I found the whole beauracracy of the system was about tick-boxing and control – it left me jaded,” he said as we sat outside a 6-metre solar-powered container which houses his workshop. “I read about Climate Camp on the front page of the Guardian and it was a revelation – it made a huge difference to my life. I always wanted to establish my own school, and Plotgate is an educational project as well as everything else.” After leaving the education sector, Britton had a successful career as a tree surgeon and tree sculptor – carving his abstract works with a chainsaw and chisel. His public art commissions included a sculptural bench for Bishops Itchington parish council and tree carvings for Leamington council.
He did his last tree surgery jobs in late 2013 – “It was part of developing the skills I needed to engage with the land. I am looking for a way to square the circle – how do we address climate change?He did his last tree surgery jobs in late 2013 – “It was part of developing the skills I needed to engage with the land. I am looking for a way to square the circle – how do we address climate change?
“Local food is really important, and off-grid living – low-cost, low-impact homes as a strategy to mitigate the damage we have done to the planet.“Local food is really important, and off-grid living – low-cost, low-impact homes as a strategy to mitigate the damage we have done to the planet.
“That quest led me here and its given me a feeling of being part of the real world – I see people going to work in their cars and coming home to watch TV – I am engaged with the reality of life – it's so much deeper.”“That quest led me here and its given me a feeling of being part of the real world – I see people going to work in their cars and coming home to watch TV – I am engaged with the reality of life – it's so much deeper.”
Britton has thrown himself into the project. Like Boxer the workhorse in Animal Farm he is working 14 hour days – digging trenches, planting trees and using his off-grid inventiveness.Britton has thrown himself into the project. Like Boxer the workhorse in Animal Farm he is working 14 hour days – digging trenches, planting trees and using his off-grid inventiveness.
His technological solutions have to be solar-powered and they have to be cheap. For example, he found a very old caravan pump, the sort that is built into a tap and pumps water the moment it is turned on. He connected this to a solar panel and a charge controller, laid down 500 metres of black piping. And presto – he was pumping the flood water from the bottom of the land up to holding tanks at the top of the land – the beginnings of an impressively complex irrigation system.His technological solutions have to be solar-powered and they have to be cheap. For example, he found a very old caravan pump, the sort that is built into a tap and pumps water the moment it is turned on. He connected this to a solar panel and a charge controller, laid down 500 metres of black piping. And presto – he was pumping the flood water from the bottom of the land up to holding tanks at the top of the land – the beginnings of an impressively complex irrigation system.
While Britton is making great progress with his plans for appropriate agricultural technology, Willoughby, 36, is focusing on the planning application. She currently works for a community supported agriculture project in Leamington as leader of their care farm which helps children and adults with learning difficulties. (She is an architecture graduate with a father and brother who are also architects, so she has plenty of advisers.) Why does she want to forsake her comfortable home and steady job for this new venture? “I want to find a way of living that is more sustainable, does not damage the environment and gives me a greater sense of connectedness to nature,” said Willoughby. “The self-reliance involved in producing your own food is my reaction to the agribusiness and the supermarkets. It’s a group self-reliance – a shared responsibility and shared resources, shared knowledge – it’s just much more exciting doing it with other people.” While Britton is making great progress with his plans for appropriate agricultural technology, Willoughby, 36, is focusing on the planning application. She currently works for a community supported agriculture project in Leamington as leader of their care farm which helps children and adults with learning difficulties. (She is an architecture graduate with a father and brother who are also architects, so she has plenty of advisers.) Why does she want to forsake her comfortable home and steady job for this new venture? “I want to find a way of living that is more sustainable, does not damage the environment and gives me a greater sense of connectedness to nature,” said Willoughby. “The self-reliance involved in producing your own food is my reaction to the agribusiness and the supermarkets. It’s a group self-reliance – a shared responsibility and shared resources, shared knowledge – it’s just much more exciting doing it with other people.”
Willoughby’s task over the coming months is to win over the local community and the planners – and that will be tough. One resident who asked not to be named was concerned about increases in traffic, and also about safety. The group has been determined, from the start, to do things by the book. So it is extremely unfortunate that they have already gone a bit of course, by building a barn in the belief that because it was permitted development they did not need to apply for permission. Willoughby’s task over the coming months is to win over the local community and the planners – and that will be tough. One resident who asked not to be named was concerned about increases in traffic, and also about safety. The group has been determined, from the start, to do things by the book. So it is extremely unfortunate that they have already gone a bit of course, by building a barn in the belief that because it was permitted development they did not need to apply for permission.
Permitted development laws require that before the building goes up, the council needs to confirm that the proposed building qualifies. Once it has been built the only option is to apply for planning, which they are now doing. Neighbours are opposing the granting of planning permission to the barn on the grounds that the current activity is the start of incremental developments which will lead towards the desire for residential permission. The Plotgate team say they have never hidden their intention to apply for houses to be built. The council’s objection so far is that the disputed barn is, as described in their committee decision, “an inappropriate and incongruous form of development to the detriment of the character and visual amenities of the locality". Permitted development laws require that before the building goes up, the council needs to confirm that the proposed building qualifies. Once it has been built the only option is to apply for planning, which they are now doing. Neighbours are opposing the granting of planning permission to the barn on the grounds that the current activity is the start of incremental developments which will lead towards the desire for residential permission. The Plotgate team say they have never hidden their intention to apply for houses to be built. The council’s objection so far is that the disputed barn is, as described in their committee decision, “an inappropriate and incongruous form of development to the detriment of the character and visual amenities of the locality".
One part of the land does already have permission for a giant greenhouse – a 6-acre section which has been sublet to one of the residents of Tinker’s Bubble. But that project is in parallel and not part of the Plotgate collective.One part of the land does already have permission for a giant greenhouse – a 6-acre section which has been sublet to one of the residents of Tinker’s Bubble. But that project is in parallel and not part of the Plotgate collective.
Why a collective, I asked Britton? Do you really want to spend hours in group meetings to agree details like whether to buy another cow?Why a collective, I asked Britton? Do you really want to spend hours in group meetings to agree details like whether to buy another cow?
“It’s to develop our ability to co-operate and find harmony in our society,” answers Britton, “instead of our destructive consumption habits which pits us against each other.”“It’s to develop our ability to co-operate and find harmony in our society,” answers Britton, “instead of our destructive consumption habits which pits us against each other.”
Nick Rosen is editor of off-gridNick Rosen is editor of off-grid
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