[sanman]

I started a community smallholding about 6 months ago.  We lease 7 acres of land from a local landowner and we are currently raising pigs and turkeys for meat and have hens and ducks for eggs and are growing veg.

The land we have is bordered on one side by about 7 houses so we have kept the animals as far aware from them as possible.  In fact the area closest to the house (about 3 acres) we intend to keep as pasture for sheep.

This hasn't stopped two of the neighbours lodging a petition with the local authority accusing is of animal welfare issues, infringement on the green belt and complaining about effluent.

None of their complaints has any foundation but it has caused great concern and anger amongst the group.  I wondered if anyone had similar experiences and could offer some advice.

[carl]

Hi Mark,
I am amazed by the way some people react to what can only be a gos thing. do you think it is a bit of envy?. surely agricultural use has been carried out on those fields for generations, long before those neighbours were there. If the owner had caried on using the fields himself would he have been able to do what he liked, or would they have complained? surely the local authority will put them right. Have they bothered discussing any issues with you all, or have they just jumped in all guns blazing? I wish you luck, as we all need good neighbours. There could be a lot worse things than having you next door.
Carl

[sanman]

Hi Carl

We went round all the neighbours to talk to them about what we were doing, these didn't want to discuss it.  They haven't talked to us at all but have gone straight in to try and cause us problems.

Interestingly enough I am working to try and get a peice of recreation ground developed into more of a community space with trees and shrubs planted etc.  We had the first batch of fruit trees planted this week with involvement from the local primary school and he even complained about that.

The field in question has been agricultural land for hundreds of years.  I'm sure any farmer wouldn't think twice about doing whatever they want and these people wouldn't complain.  However because we are a small community group people seem to think they can interfere with what we are doing!

Never mind, the group is strong enough to ride this out.

Cheers
Mark

[r+lchick]

Did the farmer ever do any muck spreading on this field and did they lodge a complaint then.  We have some new houses built in our cul-de-sac and they are right next to a field.  It looks very picturesque but I know for certain that this farmer muck spreads every year, I think even twice a year.  It is a "good earthy smell" from 5 houses away, but if you are on top of it, well we all know that smell.  I am hoping that your local council will send someone out with some common sense and it will not go any further.  Good Luck.  Ros   

[carl]

I can smell the muck now, as my neighbour has been busy for a week, spreading the stuff in the next two fields. not a briiant smell, but we knew what we were coming to as i have lived most of my life in this environment.
I would bet that this neighbour would complain at anything, and is just a whingeing pomme type.I would imagine he or she or both, read the daily mail and believe it. stick to your plans and let them worry.
How are your piggies doing?and the turkey poults.
Keep the faith.
Carl

[Hilarysmum]

Years ago in Dorset my friend owned some land, he kept pigs, goats and fowl, and to be honest was not the best of farmers, (although his livestock was ok), nor the tidiest.  For years he went on bothering no one.  Then some people bought land at the bottom of his land.  No problem, they built a house, still no problem.  Then they bought horses and asked if they could ride over his land to access the woods as this cut out a huge dog leg and a road.  Friend was agreeable.  Within 6 months they were complaing about the mess, the junk (it was a lot but it was his junk) his caravan and worst of all his pigs. 

The fact they were riding over his land by his kind permission seemed to escape them, suddenly it was a right of way which they wanted pigless!!!

You just cant please some people.

[marigold]

I work for the council in the arts and absolutely everything i do has somebody comlaining. A few years ago we worked with a communty group in a local village to create a grass labyrinth on the local common. When I say common it was a piece of ground on the border of the village which had legal status as common ground but was really underused. So we ran an extensive consultation, hosted a planning meeting to which all residents were invited in the village hall, put notices in the paper etc etc. On the morning we started a neighbour came and shouted the odds. This is where all the previous consultation evidence was really useful and no matter how many telephone calls to the police or council he made, there was a record of numerous invitations for him to be included and a majority in favour of the work.
Some people just can't stand to see anyone else doing something interesting. Keep going but keep the evidence of all the positive feedback. I bet it would swamp the grumpy bu**er.

[sanman]

It amazes me the amount of effort some people will put into stopping the majority doing something constructive.

Marigold, I know exactly what you mean.  I ran extensive community consultation hand delivering an appraisal to over 900 homes and collating all the results to see what residents of the village wanted.  Yet we still get complaints about what we are doing and have even had stand up arguments with a local councillor because the village wanted a recreation area developed on one peice of land when his personal preference was another!

Hilarysmum, words fail me 

I find this sort of hassle really demoralising however its not going to stop us making a success of this.

Carl, pigs are doing well.  We get spent mash from a brewery which they absolutely love.  I've found the best way to get over the stress is to just give a pig a scratch!!  Turkeys are growing quickly, the stags are alreday displaying.  Its a good job they are growing as one is due to be dispatched early, he has an appointment with a TV personality!! and will be featured in a program.

We are having an open day on the 31st, you are of course invited nd I'll send your invite shortly.

[Rosemary]

Some folk are just serial complainers. When I worked for the Council, we used to get continuous complaints from a small group of folk who lived opposite one of our secondary schools. Despite the fact that the school was there when they moved in. The Council built a new school on another site and want to turn part of the old one into a gymnastics centre with a community facility and library, and refurbish the swimming pool. Wow, light blue touch paper and stand well back - that's set them off again.

Ignore them and get on with your project. Council officers can generally see through this kind of cr*p.

Good luck with what your doing - sounds brilliant.

[sandy]

You carn't please all the people all the time"""""""""" So who is the celebraty? I have had lot's of Social jobs where I meet people from all walks of likfe the the one thing that did surprise me is, a lot of people hate change, even if it's good!!! I love change and what would the world be like if nothing changed? we would still  be in caves!!

[marigold]

Well said Sandy! 

[sandy]

Just shows how much I change, I don't keep still enough to remember spellings, still carn't spell, even with a spell check

[marigold]

It was the ethos i was admiring - not the spelling. I think that spelling often deteriorates as the ideas get stronger.
We need more passion and less correctness.

[sandy]

Ohhhhhhhhh, I'm full of passion, not much correctness

[carl]

said the hedgehog to the hairbrush