Pioneer Roundhouse vindicated September 18, 2008
Posted by Graham in : General , trackbackThe community of Brithdir Mawr in Pembrokeshire Coast National Park, Wales, has finally won the right to stay on the basis that the residents are living “low-impact” lifestyles and earning most of their living from the land.
This is where Tony Wrench built his famous cordwood roundhouse- the inspiration for my own.
This landmark decision by the planning authorities vindicates the 10-year struggle of Tony and his neighbours to earn the right to live a sustainable, environmentally conscious lifestyle as responsible stewards of the natural resources they earn their living from.
Mr Wrench, 62, who has been pioneering the concept of “permaculture” for decades, found his lifestyle being hailed as a model for sustainable living. The park authority amended its rules to allow “low-impact” housing, and yesterday he was told that the roundhouse is no longer condemned.
In a way, this issue is a good example of the difference between much of environmental policy which tends to have a “conservationist” ethic- setting the natural world apart from humans as a museum- and a permaculture ethic- which sees human and the natural world as being mutually supporting- from this perspective, the national parks could be better cared for if people could live in them and earn sustainable livelihoods in low-impact dwellings.
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