[bazzais]

Hi all

I have been reading the forum for a while and thought it was time to make my first post to say hello.

My name is Barry and I live in north Pembrokeshire on Cemaes Head.

After spending a good few years living in built up areas at uni and working for 'the man', I have moved back to my rural 'home' town and few months ago I moved to my own farm land.

Ta

Baz

[Hilarysmum]

Good morning and welcome.  What are your plans for the future?  Looking forward to reading your posts. 

[HappyHippy]

Hello and welcome from me in South Lanarkshire 
I made a return to my 'roots' too - 5 years ago, with kids in tow.
It's a slow process for me - but one that never stops bringing me joy 
Good luck and I look forward to hearing more from you.
Karen x

[jameslindsay]

Morning Barry welcome from Fife. The snow we had yesterday is almost gone so fingers crossed there is no more.

[sandy]

Morning, welcome from Clackmannan...any spelliong mistakes are due to my pups and my keyboard, honest How nice it is to work on the land and for yourself...beats office politics and the rat race, even though you never seem to have enough money and you work x as hard.....

[bazzais]

Thanks all for your kind welcome.

At the moment I am still working two jobs, here on the farm and on the internet.

I moved to the farm to try to sort out some serious physical side effects from working on the PC for long hours but as youve said its a costly business running a smallholding so I have had to keep on working in the evenings on the PC.

Slowly though business is suffering on the net as there is not enough time to finish everything so I have had to think long and hard on how to make cash off the land or at least grow enough to survive.  I have found that watching monty's 'my dream farm' very inspirational and am thinking that now is the time to get some pigs in and start to dig some vegetable patches as I have been here nearly a year now and the cleanup operation is nearly finished. (the guy we bought the farm from didnt throw anything away in the rubbish but did in the hedges!)

At the moment I have 3 rams and 48 ewes with 27 having had 38 lambs so far and another 9 to lamb.  Its been a long month and two weeks as when I bought the flock the rams were in with the ewes so the timing has been a little spread out!! Next year its sponges, timing and later lambing.

My other half has welsh ponies and cobs which in the summer we show around the place, personally I dont know a jot about horses, but I do find the beer tent in most shows and enjoy tire kicking the tractor stands

We have a small campsite on our land which I have been bringing upto spec with the help of my family - but I am struggling getting planning permission for a new toilet block off the National Parks and also getting a licence off the council seems to be a never ending task with them losing the paperwork all the time and so many people changing jobs in that department.

The National Coast Path Walk goes right through my front garden and we have stile 1 of the walk as our front gate so I am hoping to tap into the tourism business to help generate some money, its truly a beautiful location that I count myself so lucky to have and I am proud to share with walkers and visitors.

Ta

Barry

[little blue]

hello and welcome, sounds like plenty to keep you busy!

[Rosemary]

Hi and welcome.

[Helencus]

Hi Barry from NW Leicestershire, it sounds fab. Eventually we plan to head for Wales probably Pembrokeshire or around Cardigan area. If you have a camping and caravaning club site I don't believe you need permission, guess you would still for the toilet block but I did hear councils were meant to look kindly on applications where tourism opportunities are involved. Good luck.

[JulieS]

Hello and welcome from Devon 

[bazzais]

Hi

Yes Helen, they are supposed to look lightly on applications that promote local tourism, are a benefit the local economy and do not have an adverse effect on the local environment and views etc

But to put it bluntly if I have been working on a short term business plan - I would be out of business this year or seriously in the red.  The wheels of bureaucracy seem to turn very slowly - far too slowly for my liking.  I dont 'think' they object to the plan (I hope!) as we have changed them to the officers 'way' its just the time that its taking for them to grant permission thats the key.

We did hope to have the toilets built over the winter ready for the summer but now we cant start again till next winter, this is mainly because they (or rather she, as its only one person who fundamentally decides) wants the new blocks on the footprint of the old ones rather than in the new location that I chose.

I am rather disappointed that the planning officer has dragged things out for so long, though its not an isolated case when I ask others who have gone through the process.  I was especially disappointed though they could drag it out even though its not an effort to just build a new holiday home but to just improve the infrastructure of our little campsite (asbestos loos at the moment!) that will not only brings visitors to the area but currently also employs 4 other members of my family.  Its clear to me now that farming is a non-profit job but a love for the outdoors - but to sustain this I need to looking to tourism and incomers with wonga to spend.  Its also clear that the parks dont actually care whether its good for the local economy through employment of local people as they never even asked anything about my business, its turnover, its employment or had even been down to the farm previously before we spent 6 months tidying it up so didnt have any idea of our efforts so far in improving the start of the National Walk.

If you ask me then they should include the rangers opinion in planning applications - ie the people on the ground who look after the park, its footpaths and its animals rather than decisions being made by people who have never actually visited the area.

Cardigan is a lovely market town with lots of local traders still holding on, which is a stark comparison to my 'home' town fishguard (goodwick) which seems to be suffering really badly through the recession and the town councils miss management.

Ta

Baz

[Helencus]

I feel for you Baz. I'm having problems with planners myself and it took 2 yrs to get permission for a wooden stable block. Right now I've been told I'm not allowed to grow veg in a field.. Long story but if you read many posts on here you will see you're not alone many of us have had troubles with the planners. Bunch of tin gods I'm afraid.. Keep plugging away you'll get there.

[Wizard]

hello Helen and to you Baz The way I see it they are bluddi fire proof .They do not appear to be accountable to any one and if they take a dislike to you your planning takes ages.Reading your post Baz its on her whim the block is moved .Why? Don't bother appealing it takes ages Sorry

[jameslindsay]

Baz you should never give up fighting for something you believe in.

[Helencus]

I agree don't give up you will get there in the end so long as it's not against local plan etc. They just like to make things difficult to justify their jobs I'm afraid..