Enviromental conservation life..More bother than it's worth?

[Jedadiah]

Hey peep,

i'll try to keep this short, in a few years time i am going to lose my job and this means i'm going to have the opportunity to change my life, hopefully for the better. I have been getting more and more into ecology, recycling and a more responsible way of life and decided it would be a good idea to (after discussing it with the long haired colonel and Jed jnr) pursue happiness and responsibility rather than the filthy Lucre.

While i was doing my research, i found out about 'Low Impact Housing' and thought it would be right up my street. However, the more i looked into it, the more dicouraged i got.

Just have a look at this link http://www.lammas.org.uk/proposal.htm

All i wanted was to find a small wood or copse or something like, build a low impact house and live as enviromentally friendly as possible. All the good stuff, you know, no mains electricity, no mains water, no mains sewerage, just a composting toilet, solar paneling, possibly a wind turbine, filtered rain water, organic veg, locally produced meat, teach Jed jnr about his responsibilities to the environment and how to love and respect nature.

Now it seems that you cannot build on or in woodland at all, if you want to join an 'ecovillage' you have to have a eco friendly, low impact, self sufficent buisness plan, shell out at least £25,000 for a 20 year lease and be able to speak Welsh.

I'm getting more and more disillusioned with society and the lack of consideration and social responsibility and i'd like nothing more to have limited contact with the powers that be who like nothing more than taxing hard working people out of existence, charge a small fortune in council tax and then spend it all on a second rate statue of a third rate politician.

Your thoughts and alternative suggestions would be welcomed!

 

[Matt Weir]

That sounds sad Jed but not surprising. I can imagine all the sweaty palms in government if more and more people decided to opt out of the human farm, rat race that they have us trapped into and started losing more and more tax revenue be it income tax, VAT, savings etc.

The government have the citizens in their grip and want to keep it that way. That grip is tightening with the introduction of more legislation that restricts and binds us often in the name of national security and anti-terrorism laws, but as is often the case, the tighter the grip the more people resent it and wish to make a break and live a different way.

I hope you find a way out as I hope to myself one day.

 

[Richardpotts]

It makes sense that building housing within woodland, no matter how eco friendly, is heavily restricted. It does verge on the idiotic at times – such as in this case: http://www.indymedia.org.uk/en/2004/02/285904.html



But given the shortage of woodland in the UK compared to the massive demand for housing (8 buyers for every hours if the Daily Mail is to be believed), if woodland was not protected then the land would be bought up in an instant, and not all people would undertake to be as eco-friendly as you!



There are ways around the system though – just look at recent success stories such as Hugh Fearnley-Whittingstall’s River Cottage Farm (www.rivercottage.net) and the BBC2 documentary ‘Going Green’ following a family creating a self-sustaining house, both show that sustainable development can work and be taken to the level of a viable business and beyond.



The obvious solution is to buy land that is not woodland, or buy a property that adjoins woodland as part of the plot. You could then convert the house into a solar powered, wind turbined masterpiece of sustainability and have the woodland as a resource on your doorstep. You can pretty much build non-residential ‘buildings’ within woodland without planning permission – take a look at this site (which also sells woodland so you might find a deal too!): http://www.woods4sale.co.uk/planning_legislation.htm



Finally, I say that if this is your dream then don’t be deterred! I am sure with enough advice and plenty of looking about you will find a solution, although all the red-tape and governmental clap trap you’ll have to wade through in the meantime might make you want to end it all :-D



Keep us posted on how you get on!

 

[Fluxus]

Jed,
Sadly its illegal to be a peasant in 20th century britain. You are among many who desire such a simple life but find that it is (usually) illegal to just go and do it even on your own land. You might be interested in the work of Chapter 7 who campaign on land issues on the UK. Getting in touch with them may lead to an invitation to visit some of the low impact living projects that still exist after years of hard planning battles. Tinkers Bubble in Somerset, Steward Community Woodland in Devon and Tony Wrench's place in Pembrokshire are all good examples which are not at all like the Lammas proposal.
I guess you've seen Ben Laws Place in Sussex.
There are lots more inspirational examples - you could go to the big green gathering in the summer and visit the permaculture area and sustainable homes areas to meet people with lots of experience and expertise and have a right good time while you are at it.
Hope it works out for you
Flux

 

[Dougster]

Did you see Grand Designs last night? In Wales you may be more lucky with a berth - there were almost no rules on building a house boat which may give you more freedom to pursue what you want. If you could get a berth near a town and an allotment you may have most bases covered.

 

[troyka]

it can be done, but it needs a lot of effort, a year or so ago i visited the folks at tinkers bubble near yeovil, this is a site http://www.economads.com/log20020524-20020531.php with some info, google tinkers bubble for loads more..

 

[torjusg]

I have a suggestion: Emigrate.

 

[hammock monkey]

do a massive amount of research and you'll settle on the right plan for you.
a bit of so-called 'hardship' (not quite tropical heating etc) is nothing. 40yrs of 'if only' is a terrible thing.
hasnt british red done this? maybe have a word?
i dont know him but he seems a very friendly chap, i'm sure he'd be very helpful.

document the whole thing - maybe even try to get a tv channel into it - they may pay for a certain amount of the project, but more importantly lend weight to planning permission apps etc?...milk the system you say..? well...maybe half a glass full!

 

[Jedadiah]

Hey Fluxus,

oh to be a peasant in the 21st century! I laughed so hard, my tea went down the wrong way! It made me think 'We don't have a Lord, we're an autonomous collective!"

Replies so far are very encouraging, but that is what i have come to expect from this forum, do you think that an essential bit of bushcraft kit is optimism?

Cheers people, keep 'em coming!

" 'ere denis, there's some lovely filth down 'ere!"

 

[Marts]

You might find it interesting to check out Ecovillage Network UK too.

http://www.evnuk.org.uk/

 

[Marts]

it can be done, but it needs a lot of effort, a year or so ago i visited the folks at tinkers bubble near yeovil, this is a site http://www.economads.com/log20020524-20020531.php with some info, google tinkers bubble for loads more..

What were your impressions of it? Everything I've ever read seems to imply that they've had a real hard time of it esp. with Environmental health and the planners.

 

[troyka]

What were your impressions of it? Everything I've ever read seems to imply that they've had a real hard time of it esp. with Environmental health and the planners.

they did have a hard time, planning was a real battle, and some of the origional group gave up and left, but those thsat stayed worked hard. its an interesting community, its not static as people come and go, but a core group seem to stay. its great to see what can be done and how they use technology, especially the eater powerd water pump which pumps the water back up the hill.

if your serious about this kind of living its worth dropping them a line and asking if you can visit. (remember its not a tourist attraction) the people i met were happy to share info and tell the story... also check out the big green gathering normallly over the aug bank holl.here are lots of people trying to do the same, or better, actually doing it.

 

[Venger]

You might also find this interesting, depends on your budget (same as everything else I suppose!)


http://www.earthship.org/build/hybrid.php

 

[twisted firestarter]

Jed,
Sadly its illegal to be a peasant in 20th century britain. You are among many who desire such a simple life but find that it is (usually) illegal to just go and do it even on your own land. You might be interested in the work of Chapter 7 who campaign on land issues on the UK. Getting in touch with them may lead to an invitation to visit some of the low impact living projects that still exist after years of hard planning battles. Tinkers Bubble in Somerset, Steward Community Woodland in Devon and Tony Wrench's place in Pembrokshire are all good examples which are not at all like the Lammas proposal.
I guess you've seen Ben Laws Place in Sussex.
There are lots more inspirational examples - you could go to the big green gathering in the summer and visit the permaculture area and sustainable homes areas to meet people with lots of experience and expertise and have a right good time while you are at it.
Hope it works out for you
Flux

I completely agree with Flux on this. The Green gathering is the best place to find out about eco homes. I would also recommend a visit to Brithdir Mawr to stay in their eco hostel http://www.brithdirmawr.co.uk/ It is also where Tony Wrench lives in that fantasic roundhouse which was mentioned earlier. I have been there many times over the last 10 years and have watched his battle with the planners. I also know several other folk who have built eco dwellings without planning. I personally believe the best way to do it is to build without permission because they will not sign off anything without concrete foundations anyway! if you decide to do it I would also suggest contacting Simon Fairlie at Tinkers Bubble who has an encyclopedic knowledge of eco homes and the law . I really wish you the best of luck and urge you to go for it, I will be very, very jealous

 

[locum76]

does anyone know of earthships in england or wales at all?

 

[wentworth]

Great thread. I hope you find a way to pursue your goal, Jed. It sounds a worthwhile way to live!

 

[demographic]

Considering the fact that its hard to build a house in woodland but you can build a house in lots of other places, is it not possible to build a house and plant the woodland around it?

A mates parents planted about 7000 trees on their land about 12 years ago and its surprising how well they have come up.

 

[Jedadiah]

What a cracking idea! I wonder if you can buy part grown trees and plant them? Thats thinking outside the box for you, or is it reverse engineering?

 

[Glen]

does anyone know of earthships in england or wales at all?

Earthship Brighton http://www.lowcarbon.co.uk/eb.html is the first that comes to my mind, seem to recall last year finding a sight listing a bunch but alas it doesn't seem to be in my bookmarks.

 

[Glen]

What a cracking idea! I wonder if you can buy part grown trees and plant them? Thats thinking outside the box for you, or is it reverse engineering?

Even better if you can find somewhere that's got a few mature trees, but not enough to count as actual legally defined woodland, them supplement them with planting part grown ones.

Actually it might be worth trying to find out what sort of tree density/diversity makes something count as woodland, from a planning permission point of view, and if there're any loopholes that are worth exploring.