Wales Farmer 8


DIARYdates February


4th-9th: Brecknock YFC Drama Festival at Theatr Brycheiniog, Brecon. Featuring drama, atime to shine, One Plus, photography and ballroom dancing competitions. 4th-9th: Pembrokeshire YFC Drama prelims. Preliminary rounds of Welsh and English drama competitions. Welsh prelims on 4th and 5th at Theatr y Gromlech, Crymych, at 7pm. English prelims on 6th, 8th and 9th at Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Fishguard, at 7pm. 9th-16th: Montgomery YFC drama festival. To be confirmed. 11th-15th:


Carmarthenshire YFC drama competition, St Peter’s Hall, Carmarthen. 15-16th: Pembrokeshire YFC drama finals. Welsh final to be held on 15th at Theatr yGromlech, Crymych, at 7pm followed by English final on 16th at Ysgol Bro Gwaun, Fishguard, at 7pm. 24th: Curre and Llangibby point to point, Howick, near Chepstow.


March


2nd-3rd: Wales YFC Entertainment Feast and Junior and Senior Member of the Year, The Swansea Grand Theatre. English and Welsh drama finals. 9th: Brecon and Talybont point to point, Llanfrynach, near Brecon. 10th: Sir W. W. Wyn’s point to point, Bangor on Dee Racecourse, off A525 between Whitchurch and Wrexham. 16th: Curre and Llangibby point to point, Howick, near Chepstow. 16th-17th: South Wales Game and Country Fair Fonmon Castle, Barry, CF62 3ZN. 17th: Tivyside Hunt point to point, Cilwendeg, Boncath. 23rd: All Wales public speaking finals, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. English and Welsh finals for junior reading, junior speaking, intermediate and senior competitions. 23rd: Glamorgan point to point, Ystradowen, Vale of Glamorgan. On A4222 between Cowbridge and Pontyclun. 23rd: Welsh Beekeepers Association Convention, Royal Welsh Showground, Llanelwedd, Builth Wells. Contact 01545 561 635. 30th: Monmouthshire point to point, Llanvapley, near Abergavenny.


OPINIONS February 2013


Effective system must not go down the drain


By Debbie James


after all. That dubious honour belongs to the year 2000, but that’s not to say that there wasn’t enough moisture to float an ark last year. Large areas of the country have been underwater for weeks, washing away many winter crops. The volume of rain we get is beyond our


S


o, 2012 wasn’t Wales’ wettest year on record


control, but what we do have power over is the drainage systems


in the Welsh countryside. In the 1970s there was much time and money spent on maintaining these systems. Rivers were dredged to enable any deluge of water to drain away. But this is avery different story today. Although multi-million pound flood protection schemes do get established, flooding episodes in other areas are managed, rather than money and effort being spent on preventing them.


Even those of us with limited knowledge of engineering know that for water to drain efficiently and effectively drainage systems must be maintained. Extreme weather events look likely to become more commonplace in the future and if that is the case, the Welsh Government and the new natural resource management body must concentrate on effective drainage. For farmers whose


We want to hear from you! WALES FARMER CONTACTS


we want to hear it – straight from the horse’s mouth! You can send your sto- ries and pictures on any agricultural- related matter, from showing success, top mart prices and diary dates to your equestrian or countryside news. In the upcoming editions we’d also like to feature your readers’ letters, so if there’s something you want to get off your chest now’s your chance. To get in touch, email wfeditor@walesfarmer.co.uk or call the Wales Farmer newsdesk on 01437 761759. Please note, photographs should be sent as .jpg files, at least 1MB in size.


H PLANNING matters Entrepreneurialgrowthin2013


2013 looks set to be afas- cinating year in the world of planning and develop- ment. Araft of consulta- tions


opment rights foroffice build- ings –thereare currentlynone. Newpermitted development


undertaken


throughout 2012 are slowly coming to fruition, all geared to assist streamlining the planning system. So what treats


might be in store? In late 2012 aseries of recom-


mendations were tabled by an advisory board, supported by the Welsh Government. Some of the recommendations included extending permitted develop- ment rights forhomeowners and businesses to allowsome forms of development to takeplace without the need forformal planning permission. Aconsul- tation paper fornon-domestic rights waspublished in late 2012, however it wasdisappointing thatagricultural enterprises were omitted from the consultation.


In his regular column for Wales Farmer, WAYNE REYNOLDS, director of Atriarc Group, explores recent consultations on extending permitted development rights for businesses and dwellings.


Don’t despair.With an ever- increasing range of farmdiversi- fication practices occurring in the countryside,manybusiness enterprises arelikelytofall with- in the remit of the statutory changes–expected mid-2013. Some of the changes currently proposed include: extending per-


mitted change of use classes (commonlyknown as land desig- nations) between industrial use classes (B1, B2 and B8 cate- gories); revising the criteria for extending business premises (altering height and square meter parameters); and creating anew class of permitted devel-


For the latest Wales farming news: walesfarmer.co.uk


rights forrenewableenergy tech- nologies came into forcein October 2012. Part 43 of the amended GPDO (1995) regula- tions (in its simplest form)allows forthe installation of: solar pan- els on flat and pitched roofs; stand alone solar panels; ground source heatpumps; water source heatpumps; biomass heating system flues; and combined heat and powersystem flues. However,itisworth noting


thatprior notification proce- dures continue to applytoagri- cultural enterprises under part 6 (Agricultural Operations) and part 7(Forestry Operations) of the amended GPDO (1995) and thatthe regulations onlyextend to outbuildings thatstoreequip- ment or associated fuel and waste (as long as the fuel or waste is produced on the agricul- tural or forestry land by the boil-


er or system in place). Greater restrictions continue to applyin conservation areas or on lands within the vicinity of alisted building. The consultation on extending


permitted development rights for residential dwellings is due in early 2013. While the extent of the changes proposed is not yet known, manycouncils arepoised to see areduction in planning applications forminor exten- sions,which mayassist efficien- cies fordetermining larger plan- ning applications. However,with alikelydropin


fee income from minor planning applications,manycouncils are beginning to charge forpre- application advice to assist departmental budgets,which could cost developers morein the short term. Forfurther


details or


enquiries please contact Wayne Reynolds on 07855 646586 or email wayne@atriarcgroup.com.


AVE you got any farming news? If so,


Publisher: Nigel White nigel.white@


walesfarmer.co.uk


Managing editor: Holly Robinson holly.robinson@ walesfarmer.co.uk


Farmer editor: Rhiannon Llewellin 01437 761759 wfeditor@


walesfarmer.co.uk


Reporter: Debbie James 01646 661395 info@debbiejames media.com


Advertising: Anthony Couzens 01437 761775 anthony.couzens@ walesfarmer.co.uk


● Interested in becoming a community farming correspondent? Email wfeditor@walesfarmer.co.uk or call 01437 761759 to find out more.


land falls within Wales’ Internal Drainage Boards and Districts, management of these areas is critical to flood defence, as is the management of the rivers and ditches within them. Farmers must not have their ability to produce food compromised by land becoming too wet to be productive. It is important that the boards and districts are retained and that landowners are strongly represented on them.


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