Pair seek permission for off-grid cabin in the woods to set up new enterprise

Two people working to set up an agroforestry project in Broadwoodwidger near Holsworthy want permission to live in an off-grid cabin in the woods for three years to establish the enterprise.

Torridge District Council is being asked to approve a temporary rural worker’s dwelling for Damon Palmer and Lindsay Smith as well as retrospective planning permission for a packing shed.

The goal by the applicants is to restore ancient woodland and establish Wolf Valley Woodland Farm in the 11-hectare Slew Wood, south of Roadford Lake.

They will integrate woodland management, organic food production, and off-grid living principles, in line with their commitment to low-impact development, planning documents say.

They plan to produce high-value timber, harvest charcoal, raise livestock such as goats and sheep and grow wild mushrooms.

Horse-powered timber extraction would be used to minimise the use of machines.

A woodland management plan is being developed with the aim of enhancing biodiversity, improving carbon sequestration and regenerating soils through productive land use.

Once approved by the Forestry Commission, the site will be managed with a focus on sustainability.

The applicants say the proposed temporary dwelling will enable them to continue developing the enterprise in a way that is ‘ecologically regenerative and economically viable’.

They said many tasks require attention outside conventional working hours and a temporary home for three years would support the early stages of the project, allowing them ‘to demonstrate the long-term viability of the enterprise and potentially justify future applications for permanent accommodation’.

Mounted on blocks for easy relocation, the cabin would have solar panels with battery storage, rainwater harvesting and a compost toilet.