Planning applications: Calderdale family wanting to build permanent home on their smallholding told 'no'

Using vertical and aquaponic growing techniques via their company UpPlant Farm, the Robertson family grows and sells food locally, with minimal food miles, said a ward councillor supporting the application for Strines Wood, New Road, Blackshaw Head.

UpPlant also custom designs growing solutions and runs workshops and provides education material to groups, schools and families about aquaponics and “regenerative” growing.

The company had applied to build a farm workers’ home and also sought permission from Calderdale Council to extend a poly-tunnel and wanted to install photovoltaic solar panels at the site.

They argued that there was a need for a permanent home to replace a temporary one, which only had time-limited permission from the council, as they needed to be on hand at all times.

Planning committee councillors heard aquaponics techniques use fish, whose waste is nutrient-rich and acts as a fertiliser, and they were very susceptible to temperature changes.

There was a need for someone to be on-site as a result.

If conditions are not right, the fish could die, they said.

However, planning officers recommended the application be refused.

The site was in the council’s Area Around Todmorden development policy document and a new development here was not considered appropriate unless that need could be demonstrated, and in their view it had not been demonstrated, they said.

Officers said the site is only 15 minutes’ drive from nearby Todmorden or Hebden Bridge, although the family also argued property prices in those towns were an issue as they had invested their savings into a business that was proving successful.

The council had granted the initial temporary accommodation permission seven years ago for them to be able to show it could be successful, and this they had done, they argued, creating a “modest but workable living on marginal land, providing food locally.”

They asked councillors that if the proposals were rejected “where does that leave us?” in terms of a home.

Council officers were also concerned about the access to the site being single track.

Nine letters of support and two of objection had been received by the council and Blackshaw Parish Council was split and unable to come to a recommendation, briefing papers said.

Coun Sarah Courtney (Lab, Calder) spoke in support of the plans as a ward councillor and said there had historically been a home on the site before although traces of it were now gone.

“I believe we should be encouraging sustainable buildings and businesses.

“It’s really lovely, a sustainable family, crops sold to other places with minimal food miles.

“They are being enterprising – and isn’t that something we celebrate in Calderdale?” she said.

Support came from Coun David Kirton (Con, Hipperholme and Lightcliffe) and Coun Steven Leigh (Con, Ryburn), who proposed the committee go against officer’s recommendation and approve the application.

Coun Kirton said: “We really should support people with an enterprising approach with small businesses like this.”

But an amendment to back the officers’ conclusions gained more support and a majority agreed to refuse permission.