Welcome to the Black Eight Newsletter
- Yarlington Manor Farm Planning Application – decision delayed again
Following communications with the chief Planning Officer, Simon Fox, it seems that any decision on the application will not be taken until early 2025, with the likely date the end of February. It is possible there will be more submissions, which will need to be consulted on, hence the further delay.
We will continue to monitor the planning website and have made more submissions ourselves, which we detail below.
- Landscape and Visual Impact Assessment (LVIA)
As part of the application, Emily Estate has submitted an LVIA. We commissioned a review of this LVIA by The Landscape Partnership which highlights numerous errors and omissions in their methodology and the contents of their Assessment which weakens the planning application even further.
We have submitted our LVIA Review to the planners, but you can read it here.
- Lily Farm Planning Application
There was widespread dismay that the Lily Farm development in Shepton Montague has been approved, despite assurances that no decision would be made until the Section 19 Flood Prevention Report had been completed. The development – which converts the former organic farm into holiday lets and a restaurant (for the exclusive use of guests) is symptomatic of what we are opposing: the wilful destruction of farms and communities in the area by The Newt, which is oblivious to the concerns of local residents.
- Bad Press for The Newt
The Newt is finding its way into the national press for all the wrong reasons, with The Mail, The Times and The Daily Telegraph reporting on the growing discontent in Castle Cary. The Times gave a scathing review of the The Creamery at Cary Station, while the Mail and Telegraph have picked up on the rising indignation in Castle Cary over The Newt’s acquisition of The George Hotel and several other prime commercial premises.
- Land Alive Conference
We were surprised to note that The Newt was not present to contribute to the conversations at the Land Alive conference at the Bath and West showground this weekend; a conference which sought to “make the case for a more localised, regenerative farming and food system”.
It is strange the Newt was not a part of the discussions, which were aimed at developing farming to “boost local economies, make healthy food accessible, and build resilience into our food system”. Even more surprising, as, in their Community Matters newsletter on 12th November, they had been excited to tell us that their farm manager, Cameron Knee, would be there to help play his part.
Although the omission seems curious, the point could be made that The Newt’s plan to pour concrete on their best and most valuable land to build a needless new farm, would suggest they are not really committed to improving the environment.
On the conference website it says, “Living Soils Hold The Key”. Not much chance of that if they are buried under 22,000 M² of concrete!
From all of us at Black Eight, thank you for all your support in 2024, we hope you all have a great Christmas and we look forward to a positive outcome in 2025.
