UK Family Faces Jail Or Eviction From Farm For Living ‘Off The Grid’

[villager]

UK Family Faces Jail Or Eviction From Farm For Living ‘Off The Grid’

The Mason family purchased an abandoned orchard and moved out of public housing. Their self-sustaining lifestyle has baffled local authorities however, who have ordered them to give up their property or face jail time. This Is Devon writes:

A family living an “off-grid” lifestyle say they face prison unless they move from their own land in Willand and return to a existence. Stig and Dinah Mason bought Muxbeare Orchard after a sudden windfall allowed them to quit their impoverished lives on a Hertfordshire council estate two years ago.

The Masons have transformed what they described as a derelict four-acre plot into a haven of self-sufficiency boasting a 400 sq m allotment, a polytunnel and greenhouses to grow fruit and vegetables, chickens for egg production and an orchard they have regenerated by planting around 14 new apple trees of various species. Dinah was bequeathed money from the sudden death of her aunt and £47,000 was spent on the land to create the smallholding where wood burners and solar panels provide their energy needs.

The couple, who have two boys, aged eight and nine, say because they moved onto the site in order to work the land, Mid Devon District Council is turfing them off as officers do not consider them to be conserving an agricultural area.

Dinah’s income currently provides the family with everything they need which they cannot grow themselves but is unlikely to stretch to cover kennelling costs for their dog, Moo. They say they currently receive no state hand-outs but by giving up their “off grid” way of life, they fear they will end up in a council house, claiming housing and council tax benefits, as well as seeking grants to help pay for high utility bills.

<snip>

John Clarke, planning enforcement officer, said: “To get planning permission to move onto agricultural land, you have to prove first there is a need for someone to live there, for example, to tend livestock and look after crops, and second, that the enterprise can provide living income for at least one worker.

<snip>

http://www.disinfo.com/2011/08/uk-family-faces-jail-or-eviction-for-living-off-the-grid/

[provis99]

1. At this point, we need worldwide revolution.

Fuck the rich, whether they're liberal or conservative.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. I am betting this is enclosed land

a characteristic of british law going back to the 14th century

[dipsydoodle]

10. Something like that

if you mean enclosed as opposed to common but more associated with it being classed as agricultural and hence subject to relevant planning restrictions. If they were living elsewhere and and simply using the land for either agricultural or horticultural purposes the issue would not have arisen. The issue is them living on it in the absense of there being a "house" whatever already in situ in which case the land would've cost considerably more. They would've known this and as such are hardly likely to be surprised at the outcome.

[handmade34]

3. I have had the pleasure

of "living off the grid" and often people do not understand... so troublesome

[Kalidurga]

4. What would the charges be???

Not buying electricity???

[ZombieHorde]

5. This seems so fucked up. nt

[ixion]

6. how dare they try to eek out a simple life

back into the trenches with them! :sarcasm:

[dipsydoodle]

7. There is something missing here

unless I've not spotted it in the article - where are they living ?

Here's another link from their local rag : http://www.thisisdevon.co.uk/Injunction-end-month/story-12812676-detail/story.html That includes this para : John Clarke, planning enforcement officer, said: "To get planning permission to move onto agricultural land, you have to prove first there is a need for someone to live there, for example, to tend livestock and look after crops, and second, that the enterprise can provide living income for at least one worker. The OP also mentions wood burners and solar panels which unless they're for heating greenhouses further indicates they are living on the land.

For the benefit of anyone not UK reading this - you cannot live on agricultural land here other than in existing homes which don't include barns , green houses whatever which are classed as agricultural building. This isn't something recent - we've always had such planning laws.

[intaglio]

8. Unfortunately the conversion of Agricultural land

is problematic. Whilst this family may be fine, most attempts at change of use come from the wealthy who wish to build mansions or high price estates hence there are planning rules.

The problem is not this family living "off the grid" (there are lots of folk who do that) it is the failure to apply for planning permission and provide plans as to what happens to waste water, grey water and what refuse disposal and storage systems they have. They will also be abstracting water from the local aquifer which will have an impact on other farms, even ignoring the potability.

[dipsydoodle]

9. Can you imagine how it would be here

if anyone could simply buy cheap agricultural land and build on it ? Yes - hence our planning laws.

:hi:

[adhd_what_huh]

11. correct...the UK has to maintain a certain amount

of air-able land not developed for human living. In America we have such a surplus of land it is hard to comprehend the UK land issue.