Lynton and Barnstaple - Operations and Development

What's to stop farmers putting up large agricultural sheds? If they need them, they will put them up under permitted development rights. Farmers don't, in fact, tend to erect buildings that they do not need for their business (and just because non-farming members of the public do not understand that need does not mean it is there). The fact that Parish councils and Council planning departments do not understand farming, and in their ignorance attempt to stop farms from modernising at all is exactly why farmers have been granted these permitted development rights.

Do you really suppose a farmer is going to look over the hill enviously at some preserved line's new carriage shed and think "ooh, I want a shed like that and then I can go and buy a load of rusty balers to keep in it..."

Ross
(farmer, parish councillor, engineer & former Railtrack/NWR land management)

 

Adoption of the Exmoor National Park Local Plan is item 9 on next week's ENPA meeting.

Full details here -
http://www.exmoor-nationalpark.gov....ts/exmoor-national-park-authority/04-jul-2017

 

Thanks to those who responded to my post re:TWAO.

Just to clear things up as there seem to be conflicting opinions over the situation of the L&B extension as a whole, is the following correct?

1. Planning permission has been granted by North Devon Council for the section south of Blackmoor Gate.
2. Planning permission has not been granted by Exmoor National Park and is not expected to be granted before September. The ENPA decision (by public admission of at least one of their officers) may have a high likelihood of legal challenge.
3. The proposed ENPA local plan supports the reinstatement of the railway, but the recent inspector's report which has been trumpeted by the L&B is not a report on the planning applications.
4. The L&B Trust has acquired some of the trackbed between Killington Lane and Wistlandpound but not all.
5. Some of the land between Killington Lane and Wistlandpound is owned by Exmoor Associates, whose shareholders agreed last year to lease the land to the L&B.
6. Sites not yet purchased include the majority of Parracombe Halt, Parracombe Bank, Blackmoor Gate station and a long stretch between Blackmoor & Parracombe Bank (part of which was recently on the market and purchased by the L&B Trust, another part of which was recently on the market and not purchased by the L&B Trust). Some of the remaining landowners object to the scheme and do not wish to sell their land.
7. Construction can start on land owned by the L&B once planning permission has been granted, but not on any land not owned by the L&B.
8. Construction can not start on any crossings of a public road until a TWAO has been granted.
9. Compulsory purchase powers may be required as part of a TWAO but there is no guarantee these will be obtained.
10. "Consensus opinion" (whose consensus?) is that less time will be required to obtain a TWAO than has been required for planning permission.

 

Trewyn

My suggestion would be to join the L&B Trust (if you have not done so yet), and ask some of the officers for private, confidential, updates on some of these points.

 

You'd be surprised at the number of planning applications received by rural councils for large agricultural buildings - anaerobic digesters and the like. Permitted Development rights only apply to buildings under 450 sq m, and in a National Park (as is the case here) prior approval is needed for any building.

Simon
(Town planner, former Conservation officer etc etc)

 

Agreed. Former parish councillor.

 

Good news travels fast - at 10:40 AM today the Exmoor National Park Authority adopted unanimously their new Local Plan which includes policies supporting the re-instatement of the Lynton & Barnstaple Railway within the National Park.

One would hope that having unanimously approved and adopted the Local Plan which supports the reinstatement of the railway, it would now be difficult to refuse the planning applications (subject to all the agreed amendments). Hopefully it won't be too long now - I think 5th September is the next ENPA Planning Meeting.

 

Is the whole of the proposed reinstated L&B within the Park?

Robin

 

The section North from the crossroads at Blackmoor Gate is within the National Park.
South from here falls within the jurisdiction of North Devon Council including the section already granted planning permission as far as Wistlandpound.

 

Speaking as a "retired" unitary councillor (I say retired, I am only 29), you'd be surprised at the logic of things authorities can refuse despite being in their local plans, core strategies etc. Not that I'm saying it would, as strategically it's vital for the ENPA, but I wouldn't be surprised if they didn't do something ridiculously illogical

 

agreed. Medmbers of a group of lads in the pub

 

Were you in the pub when you wrote that?

Sawdust.

 

yesh

 

Terrible spelling that drunk!

 

Lucky sod!

Sawdust.

 

if I sober up in time, I will be at Woody Bay next week. (dependent on whether my 30 yr old Camper can make it up Porlock Hill again.

 

Better be sure you can get down safely before you even try. Once saw a car with its brakes on fire in Lynmouth car park.

PH

 

down isn't a problem....up is OK too so long as noone gets on my way (Pontypool and Blaenavon is pretty bad too....and longer)

 

If weight/width restrictions aren't an issue, try one of the two toll roads up the hill from Porlock - both good drives and possibly better views than Porlock Hill itself.

 

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