Up & Up & Away
Hillyfield is a hidden valley. When you, the land spreads out to greet you.
Beautiful image of undermanaged woodland. We are actively restoring our woodlands at The Hillyfield
Up & Up & Away
PLANNING FILES and LINKS
Here are some of the documents we have prepared for our appeal, as well as the appeal decision and the proofs of evidence submitted by DNPA and their experts.
It’s a lot to wade through but if you are involved in small local forestry business (and planning), or want to try to understand the full picture and read in depth how our model of woodland enterprise fits with both national and local policy there might be something useful for you.
There has been massive community support for our woodland project with 180 letters of support by interested parties being written in to the Planning Inspectorate for our appeal. As far was we know DNPA have not yet made these publicly available online. Following the appeal it looks like the in-house minutes have been filed as 'legally sensitive' and not made accessible to the public or press.
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Hopefully this record provides a clear and accessible resource for those interested in small woodland restoration and the trials and pitfalls of restrictive planning decisions.
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We are very pleased that from this work we were able to agree with Dartmoor National Park the reasonable necessity and permitted development rights for
1) A timber drying barn
2) A machinery store
3) A welfare and Workshop space where we can add value to timber grown on site
4) A compost toilet
and set a precedent for Residential Development for two single-unit caravans for the use by forest workers (volunteers) helping deliver the work set out in our Forestry Commission Approved management plan.
Somehow all of the above had been in a grey-zone of planning, so to achieve this success at public inquiry, and in a national park, is of great importance for those of us trying to establish sustainable woodland enterprise in the UK.
IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DONATE PLEASE OFFER SOMETHING AT www.savehillyfield.co.uk THANK YOU. This appeal has cost us considerably in both time and money and although public support has been staggering it has not covered our costs.
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APPEAL DECISION - read here Thank you Jessica Graham for your deep listening, understanding and care.
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Proofs of Evidence and Supplementary Information provided for Public Inquiry by The Hillyfield and expert witnesses.
Proof of Evidence - Doug King-Smith
Proof of Evidence - Guy Watt, Forestry. (John Clegg Consulting)
Proof of Evidence - James Shorten. Planning. (Geo Ltd.)
Proof of Evidence - Lyndis Cole. Landscape
Environmental Report - Land & Heritage
Professional Support - Royal Foresty Society
Professional Support - Forestry Commission
Professional Support - Chris Marrow Forest Management
Professional Support - Mike Gardner (Woodmanship)
Professional Support - Jeremy Ralph (Timber Strategies)
Letter of Support - Sarah Wollaston MP
Letters from Foresters
Letters from Volunteers
For Appendices to Hillyfield Proofs or other reports please contact directly. They are large files and too much to upload here.
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Proofs of Evidence from Dartmoor National Park and expert witnesses
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James Aven - Team Manager Enforcement DNPA
Charles Dutton - Forestry advisor to DNPA
Peter Lever - landscape advisor to DNPA
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The following documents have been submitted to the national park as part of our application process, and now appeal.
Letters from Interested Parties
With over 100 such letters written by the public, professionals, customers, volunteers, and neighbours, I felt that they should be available online, so with the support of friends we are now providing them here, and have sent them in to DNPA. They still aren't published.
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Planning Policy Review Suggestions
to support Small Woodland Restoration (Supported by Small Woodland Association,
and with support in principle from The Royal Forestry Society)
Application 0259/15 for the timber drying barn and machinery store - now agreed
to be permitted development
The timber drying barn drawing
The Hillyfield Forestry Commission Approved Woodland Management Plan
Report by Guy Watt, John Clegg Consulting
CV of Mr Guy Watt, John Clegg Consulting
Officer Report pt1 Officer Report pt2
Response to Officer report by Guy Watt, John Clegg Consulting
Letter of Support from Forestry Commission
For the Appeal for the barns (now agreed as permitted development)
Statement of Case - Appeal UPHELD
DNPA Statement of Case
DNPA Supplementary Statement of Case
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Enforcement
Warning Letter with approval for Prior Notification for Machinery store
Letter requesting for meeting with DNPA to resolve any issues
Vision Statement submitted to DNPA
Appeal to Enforcement Notices (as part of our agreement we dropped our appeal against the enforcement notices given that with the permission for the permanent structures we need, the temporary structures are no longer necessary)
Letter of Support by Timber Strategies Jez Ralph
Statement of Case by Hillyfield
Final Response to DNPA Statement of Case by Hillyfield
Response to the DNPA statement email
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Approved Hardstanding Application 0040/17 (Click Here to visit DNPA website)
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Refused Prior Notification 0001/17 for Barn (now agreed as permitted development) to replace Welfare field kitchen & covered workspace (Click Here to visit DNPA page and insert number 0001/17 to see application)
Appeal for Prior Notification Refusal, Hillyfield Planning Statement APPEAL UPHELD
Refused Full Planning 0438/17 for Barn as above plus to replace forest workers caravans by including accommodation above welfare space. (click Here to visit DNPA website) Planning statement as above.
