Inside the Landmatters settlement

by Jonathan Morris
BBC News South West

Landmatters accommodation consists mainly of benders In pictures

The Landmatters community, a co-op fighting to stay on its Devon site, appears at first sight to be like something out of The Hobbit.

Trails of smoke emerge from the pole and canvas-built "benders" - tent-like structures - which fringe a three-acre field at the centre of the community at Allaleigh.

Landmatters, a "permaculture" community of 18 people, bought the land for about £50,000 after an appeal in 2002 by Totnes teacher Dr Christian Taylor to start an environmentally-friendly community on the land.

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It now faces a planning appeal against eviction by South Hams District Council after a retrospective application was rejected last year.

But the community believes planning laws should be changed to allow similar communities which have a low-impact on the environment.

Each bender has its own vegetable patch and most have solar cells and a wind turbine to give power.

The site's only loo is a compost heap under a lop-sided hut downwind of the residential field.

There is even a borehole built after a controversial £4,000 grant from the National Lottery.

Until it starts working, drinking water is harvested from roofs and directed into containers which feed pipes around the encampment.

Living accommodation is designed to have a low impact on the environment, but there is also a pragmatic side to the community.

The group drives a Land Rover and brought in heavy machinery to make a track to the site.

Gas bottles provide cooking fuel when wood is too damp and there are petrol-driven chainsaws to help cut timber.

Several residents also commute to Totnes to work, including Rooh, 37, who works at a whole food store.

"We are trying to be self sufficient," she said.

"But we are in transition at the moment."

She added: "I believe we live simply, but well.

"As people see what we can do, we hope they will be inspired to do something themselves."

The group has even started hosting corporate team-building events and had recently welcomed a group from London.

We want to work with planners to develop a low-impact policy Charlotte Oliver

Back inside one of the well-insulated benders, a wood burner is creating a fug of warmth for a new arrival.

Two couples have had babies since they took occupation of the land and as we arrived new dad Richard Bains was leaving to see his partner and new-born baby in hospital.

Evening meals are held communally in a large bender where meetings take place to discuss the forthcoming planning appeal in which Landmatters will be fighting eviction and refusal of a planning application by South Hams District Council.

The final date for representations to the Planning Inspectorate is 21 March and the appeal is expected a month or so later.

The group is drawing on the expertise of Chapter 7, the planning office of The Land is Ours, which campaigns for a planning system which actively encourages sustainable, low impact and affordable homes.

Charlotte Oliver, 45, said: "We want to work with South Hams planners to develop a low-impact policy.

"It would have stringent criteria and give local authorities the tools to monitor these kind of developments."

In the meantime there are vegetable patches to be tended, windbreaks to be built and wood to be collected.

Oli Rodker, 37, said: "You spend more time on the basics of life, but it makes you value your resources.

"If you have pushed a barrow of wood up the hill, you really value the heat it gives."

He added: "Sometimes I think we must be mad to live like this. Other times I think we must be mad not to.

"I just feel that the future is going to be very different and we have to learn new skills, nurturing the land instead of exploiting it."