Gary Taylor MBE, FICHort
18th November 2015
Issues Covered
• Farming from yesteryear
• Growers of the Lea Valley (a condensed history)
• The NPPF and FEZs
• The local plan
• The challenges of a planning application
• Collaboration is key
• The work of the LVFTF
• Summaries and conclusions
Too many hats but which one to wear
Horticulture and Farming of Yesteryear
The Lea Valley Growers a
Hundred Years of History
One of the most Important Horticultural,
Glasshouse & Protected Crop area within the UK
The growers of the Lea Valley a condensed history
• First Glasshouse in 1877 in Cheshunt
• A days horse and cart ride from London (12 miles to central London)
• Good Soil and Water Supply
• 1911 LVGA formed (Local branch of the NFU for horticulture)
• 1913 Cheshunt Research station formed
• 1930 Represented 25% of the nations produce
• 1940 the glass covered an area of 1,000 acre
• 1950 1,200 acres 6,000 workers representing
33% of the glass in the UK and the largest in the world
The growers of the Lea Valley a condensed history
• Two crops dominated, tomatoes and cucumbers
• Production of Food crops compulsory during World Wars in the
Lea Valley (Tomatoes & Cucumbers)
• Today 300 acres producing more than 1,200 acres.
The arrival of the Sicilians in the Lea Valley
The changing Crops
Crops/Years
1951
1962
2012
Cucumbers
200
300
273
Tomatoes
700
200
20
Roses
100
100
0
Carnations
60
100
2
Aubergines
0
0
5
Sweet Peppers
0
0
50
Today’s Lea Valley
• Protected Horticulture receives little or no Government funding
• £1bn farm gate, £3bn Retail value to the UK economy
• 2,000 jobs in the Epping Forest District (2.5% of total jobs)
• 75% of the UK’s Cucumbers (80 Million ) 2 million cucumbers
from London Nurseries
• 50% of the UK’s Sweet Peppers (70 Million)
• 90% sold through the retailers 10% London’s Wholesale &
Farmers Markets
The need to increase self sufficiency
ROW
Planning to G
…….or is it going to
Second line of text
Third line of text
Planning to Grow…..
Second line of text
Third line of text
…….. plan well
Policy paper
National Planning Policy Framework
From:
Department for Communities and Local Government
First published:
27 March 2012
Part of:
Planning system
Applies to:
England
The National Planning Policy Framework sets out government's planning policies for England
and how these are expected to be applied
Document
National Planning Policy Framework
Ref: ISBN
9781409834137 PDF, 870KB, 65 pages
Food Enterprise Zones
News story
The Food Enterprise Zones already allocated
•Somerset
•South Downs
•Cornwall
•Cumbria
•Lincolnshire (3 FEZs)
•Worcestershire
•Leicestershire
•Cheshire
•West Sussex
Food Enterprise Zones created to drive growth
From:
Department for Environment, Food & Rural Affairs and The Rt Hon Elizabeth Truss MP
First published:
12 February 2015
Last updated:
19 February 2015, see all updates
Part of:
Food and farming industry
This news article was published under the 2010 to 2015 Conservative and Liberal Democrat coalition government
There has been a disconnect with the local plan
• Why does the local plan often top trump the national policy
There is a clear steer that gives added weight to food production
even in the green belt…. for once I didn’t mind being called a
farmer.
• FEZs (Food enterprise Zones)
This should be the ultimate top trump
• Raising the planning issues on various levels
Local level joined up across all local councils (workshop)
Government level in the house of commons
Collaboration between NFU local, national
The Challenges of a planning application
• The Cost (Budget 100K actual 1 million +)
Application (not significant but still a cost)
Securing a good planning specialist (RPS)
Archaeological considerations
Ecological considerations (Greater Crested Newt)
Flood mitigation
Natural England
• Where were the obvious grower focused ones
Sustainability
Green solutions energy, water, labour utilisation
Landscaping (integrating a 8 meter high glasshouse on
a 2 meter bank.)
Levelling the land (moving 150.000 m3)
Why buy a 15 acre lake, the rational
Collaboration is key
• LVFTF (Lea Valley Food Task Force)
8 Local councils, growers, Epping College, local and
county councillors, LVPRA trust, Essex University
DWP, NFU local, regional, national, Produced in
Kent, Capel Manor, University of East Anglia, GLA
• LVRPA (Lee Valley Regional Park Authority)
Mission statement….. Just say NO ??
• Valley Grown Nurseries Planning Application
Two applications, two appeals eventually a successful
application… then came the bombshell….. a judicial review
Two representative government bodies using public money
The work of the LVFTF
• Visibility, positioning, delivery.
• Planning policy consistent across local councils
• Zonal coherent joined up approach
• Skills, developing qualifications for careers progression
• Employment bridge, reflecting local communities
• Institute for food security new partnerships for innovation
• Horticultural strategy, clear vision for horticulture
In conclusion
• The future is bright ….. The future is green ish
• The nation needs it …… customers want it
• Unlocking the potential for the coalition of the willing
• Clear in what we need to do……. Make our contribution visible
• Be clear what we can bring
• Develop new opportunities for delivery
• Don’t forget the EU and the LEPS
Thank you for your attention