AVRA: An article in the Daily Telegraph (27th March 2008) concerning a couple's home which flooded because of a blocked drainage ditch mentions that this work could not begin until after a survey for newts. "However, the survey cannot begin in spring because the newts may be breeding, while birds in hedges and trees along the ditch may be sitting on eggs. It is estimated that the survey will not start until June and that any work to remove any newts could have to wait until autumn".

Will the same attitude be adopted for the Fisheries planning application ? Or will the one-day "survey" - undertaken in winter - be accepted ???

What the h*** is going on ? Is this right that HC have accepted a planning application for the retention of the Sewage Treatment Works at Brierley ? And this in the face of the Inspector's and Secretary of State's decisions that it should be removed ?? What a wretched procedure we have if nothing is accepted even after going to central government. Or is this just more wrangling for time from the grower concerned ?

P. Smith 26th. November 2007

Well done AVRA (and the council) re central government's decision about the horrible campsite. Justice at last ?

P. Smith 14th. April 2007

Hooray, fairness at last. Funny how all the talk seems to be of putting the growers out of business just by the costs of getting planning. What about Leyland and other failed companies - they still had to get planning for this and that. And they were not making anything like the profits being made out of soft fruit.

L. Rosencrieff, Oxford 23/3/07

Dear Sirs, Following the letter of the 13th. February (see below), I am absolutely delighted for Herefordshire that recommendations to the council have finally decided that polytunnels need planning. Good for the council, AVRA and other groups -- so long as the decision is properly implemented with no unnecessary use of "expediency" or cries that the planning department is being overloaded and cannot do its work in time.

All we need now is for the vast caravan sites to be similarly brought under the planning system. What is going to happen here ?

Via web (confidential please) 15th. March 2007

All the arguments about polytunnels and caravans needing planning and will ruin the UK soft fruit industry are rubbish. While the application may take some of their vast profits/govt. grants etc. - the more acceptable, smaller and environmentally friendly fields will be granted planning.

ANON, Gloucestershire 27th December 2006

AVRA, I had to have a good laugh when I read this piece from the NFU following the Waverley decision:

"The industry has shown it is sensitive to concerns raised by members of the public by developing a national code of practice for the use of all types of polytunnels in the soft fruit industry. From January 1, 2007, all growers will be required to comply with the code as it becomes a part of the assured produce guidelines."

In N. Herefordshire I do not think that the grower has been at all sensitive about the local community; and as for the so-called "Code" - it is only being pushed through by the supermarkets to gain some acceptability for their strawberries. As I understand it, it has no legal standing at all.

G. Davies, Herefordshire 27th. December 2006

Dear Sirs/Madams, On reading the Waverley Borough Council's Press Release from your web, I read:

"In addition, the inspector ruled that the habitation of caravans by up to 250 farm workers for 10 months at a time also require planning permission as it constituted a change of land use from agriculture".

Why is this the case up there, but not in our own home county ?  Brierley is a caravan site and is clearly a change of use from agriculture. Or is every agricultural workers home (in Leominster, Hereford or wherever) classified as "agricultural" and not subject to Planning and Building Control -- and the Council Tax ?

J. Jones, S. Herefordshire

AVRA: There is an interesting "Leominster Blog" on the web which could be useful to those living in, or visiting, the Leominster area. Click here to visit.

Dear AVRA, I hear that a planning application for Spanish-style "permanent" polytunnels at Marden has been refused by your local county council. Thank goodness. But surely most of the arguments against these "permanent" polytunnels must also apply to the acres of "temporary" ones in N. Herefordshire. Why does the council allow these to get by without a full appraisal by the Environment Agency and other bodies. It surely cannot all be left to a so-called "Code of Practice" which has no legal standing ?

W. Oggman, Gloucester 26th. October 2006

AVRA: Herefordshire Friends of the Earth (FoE) share many of AVRA's concerns - do have a look at their local website

AVRA, Why all the ho-ha in Herefordshire about the proposed gas pumping station ? It will only cover 0.000000000001% of the county to use the NFU's arguments. Albeit in an AONB.

B. Hemsley, Camden, London 13th. September 2006

Dear Poly Protestors, While I agree with most strongly with everything you are trying to do, bringing in Planning Permission for polytunnels may not solve everything in Herefordshire if what I read is true. Planning officers in the county - afraid of losing any appeal from large companies- appear to be recommending for approval anything a developer wishes to build even retrospectively (in the latest case - Wimpey builders in Bullingham Lane). I guess only us small fry must follow the rules & regulations.

Thank goodness there are some councillors who are prepared to speak out clearly on what needs to be done to strengthen Herefordshire's planning, and planning regulations in general.

Hereford resident, Hereford, 4th. September 2006

AVRA: He/she is referring to a local case in Hereford - see this link for further details

I wonder if others question the state of Hereford's Planning rules as I do. On reading this week's Hereford Times I see that:

- A dog kennel needed planning permission in an AONB after "eagle-eyed council officers" noticed it. Planning Officer Peter Yates said "officers had to follow strict guidelines when dealing with developments of any size in areas of outstanding natural beauty".

- National Grid's plan for a pipeline across England and Wales has problems in Herefordshire. They cannot build a compressor unit in Peterstow. "Councillors said they could not allow the beauty of the Herefordshire countryside to suffer at the expense of the pipeline - even though they recognised the project was of national importance."

Oh that the officers took the same view when it comes to polytunnels - in AONB's or elsewhere for that matter.

J. Smith, Ross-on-Wye 15th July 06

Dear Sirs, I was astounded to read in today's local newspaper that Graham Dunhill of our local council claims that "whether a polytunnel is put up in Herefordshire, Hampshire or Hertfordshire, the same planning legislation applies". This does not agree with much of my experience - including Sevenoaks and Waverley which you mention on your web. Or are all these other councils misapplying the planning regulations ??

Mr G. Anon, Ross-on-Wye, 6th. July 2006 (via e-mail)
AVRA: For confirmation - see Waverley Council's Press Release under "Other Areas" on this web site. And there are many other examples - all of them being nothing like the scale of these in Herefordshire.

Dear AVRA, Good to see that the NFU and the local soft fruit growers have put together a web site (welcometoherefordshire.com) to help the thousands of foreign workers in Herefordshire.
OOPS - have just had a look at it and see that it is produced by Herefordshire Council - presumably at ratepayers expense.
Mrs. Jones, Hereford 23/6/06

AVRA: We were delighted to see that Bill Wiggin's comments raised National coverage of the strawberry fiasco this week (week of 5th. June 2006). There was coverage in The Guardian, The Times, The Mail, The Express, Daily Telegraph -- to name just a few. However, we were very sorry to see the article "Strawberry tunnels for ever" by Ross Clark in The Times on 6th. June in which it came out very clearly that the key issues are still not appreciated by those from the big cities:-

1. House prices is not one of our complaints - despite Bill Wiggin's statement that many in the county are worried

2. AVRA and others in Herefordshire are not trying to "drive the strawberry farms out of business"; we are only seeking to get some form of democratic control over these enormous developments. Not many years ago, chicken houses did not need Planning but now they do; and yet the UK still has a thriving chicken rearing industry !

3. Most counties now require Planning Consent for Spanish-style polytunnels; Herefordshire post-code lottery appears completely out of line

4. Environmental issues (land, rivers, air pollution from plastic burning etc.)  and the effects of a local tourism industry are also key.

Etc. (see elsewhere on this web)

We were delighted to read the recent article from the Leominster Journal on your web concerning Bill Wiggin. Finally he has made his opinion on these ugly erections public. Let us hope the NFU and others listen to him and decide to do something.

Mr & Mrs .... Stoke Prior, Leominster 24th. May 2006

AVRA: We were pleased to see that Sevenoaks, Kent required Planning Permission for a 14 acre (5.63 ha.) temporary polytunnel site - and that this decision was reached post the Tuesley appeal (April 2006). We must all agree that Sevenoaks - unlike Herefordshire - have appeared to follow the right processes. Oh that Herefordshire would be as democratic.

The application was refused on 19th. April 2006.

But the case continues (June 2006) ! See link

Driving from Leominster to Hereford everyday, I notice that the plastic covers have again gone up over the Spanish style polytunnels at Wharton Bank. From all the publicity last year, I thought that this site was being used as a trial for growing strawberries with no polytunnels. Anyway, who believed that a "trial" was necessary anyway to grow them as they have been grown for years ?

However, thank goodness all the plastic coverings in the county are now in green plastic, it is much less offensive to the eye.

Still, guess one cannot believe all the publicity coming out in favour of these polytunnels.

Name Withheld, Leominster 11th. May 2006

AVRA: AVRA has written to Graham Dunhill of HC to determine the planning status for the Spanish style polytunnels over the strawberries at Brierley Court Farm (see link to letter). We would urge all members to write along similar lines to establish the situation.

Isn't it time that AVRA and your council demanded planning permission now that the ugly polytunnels over the strawberries at Brierley and elsewhere have been there over two years ? Isn't that what your local code says ?

W. McCallath, Cheltenham 25/3/2006

AVRA has now published its proposals for Planning Requirements for Polytunnels. These proposals are written in everyday language and, we believe, should form a basis for Herefordshire Council to develop a planning policy for polytunnels as per many other councils. Comments are most welcome.

In a world that is growing increasingly short of fossil energy, and with an ever increasing population, I suggest that any increased contribution from "natural energy" for our food production must be considered in a positive light.

A. Stobart, Ludlow  2/2/2006

AVRA Comment: Strawberries are hardly part of the staple diet; we could all live without them (or at least eat only those grown naturally).  How much energy is required for manufacturing the steel hoops, plastic sheeting, irrigation pumps, roadways, water towers etc.? Not to mention all the energy of flying/busing some 4000 students from Eastern Europe and back to pick the fruit.

If we really are worried about fossil energy then surely the land should be put back to grow products which thrive naturally (eg potatoes and hops) and which would reduce the imports from Egypt, Germany etc..

The Tuesley Farm decision has been made and it is clear that the Planning Inspectors of this land appreciate that plastic polytunnels (and the other buildings involved with them) are subject to planning. Hopefully your local council will soon change its crazy Code of Practice and follow the directive given by these inspectors. Kent, too, needs to change its policy if it is to stay "the garden of England". This will not place these growers of strawberries, cherries, asparagus etc. out of business tomorrow (they surely were in business before polytunnels) but allow an open review of their "factories" in the same way as for other industry. If a babies nursery or creche needs planning, why not these enormous developments.

J. H, Kent Dec. 2005

Having followed the "caravan & polytunnel" saga from almost the start, well done. I am not surprised to see that the company concerned will appeal  - guess he can use the facilities while awaiting the case which will make them even more money at the county's expense.

Mrs. W. Credenhill 8/11/2005

Wow !!!! You did it - congratulations!!!!

Great to hear the news, we are so pleased for AVRA and everyone involved with the campaign. We wish we were there to help you celebrate, but we will open a bottle of wine and toast your success!! Good old John Prescott - Old Labour hasn't done too badly this time?
S & M Stour, France 4th. November 2005

I was appalled to read about the student strike at Brierley in your Press Reports. What view of Britain does their alleged treatment give these youngsters from abroad - many of which are probably out of their own country for the first time?  What are the relevant government authorities going to do to ensure that these students have the same employment protection as our own workers ?

Fred W  Manchester 19/8/05

Dear Sir,

I think this is a landmark case. Our countryside represents a beautiful natural heritage which must be protected and defended at all cost Every effort must be made to stop this abomination of the countryside otherwise the message will go out that this sort of practice is acceptable and more will follow. It is the thin end of the wedge and we must act if we want to have a countryside worth living in.

All the Best

James McBrien, London

Herefordshire coordinator of the Campaign to Protect Rural England, David Tilford, writes in the Hereford Times:

"We believe the people of Herefordshire owe a debt of gratitude to Arrow Valley Residents Association and our councillors for their efforts to halt the industrialisation of the countryside.

"S & A Davies has attempted to exert crude economic pressure on the council by completing large-scale, unauthorised, development before obtaining planning permission, a practice abhorrent to all fair-minded people. It must be resisted if planning regulations are not to become totally ineffective in Herefordshire.

"The planning system aims (not always successfully!) to protect everyone in the community, not just a tiny handful.

"S and A Davies has done untold and unjustified harm to the reputation of the great majority of other fruit growers in the county who, in the way they run their businesses, recognise their responsibilities for social and environmental sustainability.
When will the major supermarket chains show some real interest in the practices followed by their suppliers?"

Dear Sir

I have followed this case with interest, as it represents a worrying precedent for us all if this ludicrous proposition is allowed to go ahead.
There is no justification whatsoever for such transparent commercial greed to be allowed to scar the beautiful countryside of Herefordshire, or anywhere else for that matter. Add to that the contingent nightmare of a shanty town of caravans being erected to accommodate the migrant workers and you present a problem that is not about NIMBYISM, but rather a real cause of alarm for anyone who cares about the countryside.

Your campaign has my full support

David James, Edinburgh

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