Housing vision needs local consent

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17 October 2024

We must build many more affordable houses in this country. I lived in Stevenage until I was nine years old. My parents moved there from London to have a family, after leaving Northern Ireland a few years earlier to enjoy the swinging sixties. The new town of Stevenage was a triumph of central planning, but it took many years to become a vibrant, settled place.
The genesis for Stevenage was in the post-war years of reconstruction. The story of the Labour minister breaking the news to the townspeople in a small, crowded hall remains recognisable today. As the then Minister of town and country planning, Lewis Silkin, stood before the anxious residents, he announced a bold vision for Stevenage – the first of the new towns designed to solve the post-Second World War housing crisis and urban congestion. The initiative was part of the broader New Towns Act of 1946, which aimed to create self-contained communities with adequate housing, jobs and amenities, reflecting the utopian ideals of the era.
Silkin was lucky to get away from the meeting without injury. The angry residents let down his car tyres, hurled abuse at him and changed the signs on the town to “Silkingrad”. I have no doubt that Angela Raynor is just as robust, but times change and people are even less inclined to defer to authority today.
There is renewed talk of new towns. Not here in North Dorset, but Stevenage illustrates that bold visions do not become reality without top-down direction and overcoming objections. Labour proposes to rekindle that spirit and suppress NIMBYism. They say they are prepared to be unpopular.
That’s all fine … but I am confident that without the consent of affected communities, the targets will not be met and the outcome will be at risk.
That is why Liberal Democrats prefer to agree to support good development and oppose bad development. We want great homes for people and we adopted higher targets than Labour, because that is what younger people demanded and so clearly need. The difference between good and bad development depends on swift engagement, genuine exploration and transparent decisions between local and national government and communities.
Our planning system is rightly cited as a major blocker to development: but the question of what is in it for the affected community must be answered, and the consequences understood. I know that Nick Ireland and the Liberal Democrat controlling group at Dorset Council have set out a vision for future housing in Dorset, and we look forward to the community engagement that will secure more houses while retaining support.
We need to give more people the chance to enjoy our Dorset life and build their future here. We need to do that by urgently building community consent and backing the vision for good development.
Gary Jackson
North Dorset LibDems

Mixing it up with the seeds

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Editorial team

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16 October 2024

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From cover crops to clever seed mixing, George Hosford is balancing the harvest chaos with new technology and sustainable farming practices

When we move the sheep between paddocks, there’s always someone who insists on going the wrong way! Luckily, help was at hand from willing volunteers who just happened to be passing

It seems so long ago that we started harvest, way back in mid July – it turned out to be one of those long drawn out affairs, very much stop/start due to the weather. We started with cutting the plot of turnips destined for sowing again this year as seed in our cover crop mixes, swiftly followed by the crimson clover plot for the same purpose, and then the phacelia. Since they were all sown in autumn, they ripened much earlier than the buckwheat, vetch and camelina, which need to be sown in spring as they rarely survive the harsh winter cold.

Staying on the cover crop theme, we have ramped up our seed mixing system a good deal this year. We have purchased a selection of Tote Bins that each hold up to 1.5 tons of grain or seeds, and a brand new pan mixer (usually intended for mixing concrete!). These additions have revolutionised the set up. Formerly we were hand-blending purchased bags of seeds into a feed barrow, then bagging up 20kg at a time … all a bit tedious after the first 20 bags! Now we are mixing 600kg at a time, using mainly home-grown seeds which have been combined, dried if necessary, placed in a Tote Bin, then weighed directly into the mixer. The mixer sits on a pair of weigh bars, which are another essential ingredient for this new system. Once mixed, the blend – often containing up to drying, which I had hoped would shrivel them smaller and make them easier to remove, far too many remain. A cleaning charge will have to be faced, as running over a gravity separator off-farm may be the only way to clean them out.
Modern farmers will be yelling at the screen right now, asking why on earth did we not use more weedkiller to solve the cleaver problem? But the simple answer is, we couldn’t, because the contract we have with Wildfarmed for combination crops stipulates no weedkiller or fungicide, and only limited amounts of artificial fertiliser.

The bicrop seed was run over this old Rutherford cleaner to be separated

What are cover crops?
‘We plant cover crops, also known as “green manure”, in fields that will be left fallow over the winter before a spring crop is sown,’ says George. ‘These crops protect the soil from harsh weather and absorb any remaining nutrients from the previous crop, preventing them from leaching into watercourses.’

However, early gross margin calculations are showing that these two particular combinations have performed significantly better than any solo spring bean or linseed crop, and in fact compare favourably with our other crops, apart from the first wheats.
The winter wheat with beans blend, however, was awful: riddled with disease and very short on yield, despite having looked strong for much of the season.
The lateness of sowing the spring wheat/bean blend put the lid on our yield hopes, but we hoped it would be better than the winter blend. We were very pleased, then, to find the wheat met quality standards, and should get the full premium, leading to a useful margin compared with our other crops.
The millet looked fantastic throughout the summer, but knowing when to cut was a challenge, as the leaves were still very green when the seeds were beginning to turn.
As I write at the end of September, I am still drying that darn millet: it’s now had six runs through the drier. I think we cut it a bit early due to trying to beat forecast rain.

On school visit days, I always like to ask the children who they think is the more curious: the brightly coloured and rather noisy inhabitants of the trailer, or the waggle-eared, damp-nosed, tail-swishing munchers of herbage in the field?

Homemade pig porridge
Three very greedy young pigs were with us for the summer, enjoying an entirely home-grown diet for the first time. Our local mobile feed wagon called in to mill up some wheat, barley, peas and beans, to which I add 10 per cent protein-rich rape meal from which we have already squeezed the oil, and mixed the lot into a yummy porridge. They appear to approve the recipe, anyway, slurping it down in seconds. And they are certainly growing well on it – they look like they will perform at least as well as their predecessors who were fed on purchased weaner pellets (which no doubt contain imported soya from who knows where).

You may by now be thinking that I am a little obsessed with cover crop seeds and grain store activity. But that is the nature of harvest for the old man left in the farmyard while everyone else swans

around in super-cooled hi tech cabins with satnav doing all the steering …
Read 15 years of George’s monthly farm diary on
viewfromthehill.org.uk

The Conservatives must choose the right leader

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Editorial team

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16 October 2024

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The Conservative leadership contest is down to its final four candidates: Kemi Badenoch, Robert Jenrick, James Cleverly and Tom Tugendhat. The Tory MPs will decide who the final two candidates are – Simon please choose well if you’re reading this – and then the party membership will vote for their leader. I have no skin in the game here, but I do care about our country, and a strong country requires not only a strong government but also strong opposition. It’s vital the Tories break the habit of the past half-decade and choose the right leader this time.
Let’s review the past three leaders of the Conservatives. There was Boris Johnson, who had a moral compass akin to a real compass in a solar storm. Liz Truss who delivered ‘a true Tory Budget’ which wiped £30 billion of the UK economy … that’s £666m for every day of her premiership.
Finally, Rishi Sunak – who promised integrity, honesty and accountability on day one … and then several hours later reinstated Suella Bravermen as a minister, just days after she resigned due to breaking government rules.
Let’s leave these standards in the past. The country doesn’t need an opposition leader like Robert Jenrick, who oversaw the covering-up of children’s cartoon murals in UK asylum centres. How devoid of empathy must one be, to deny children a brief moment of relief during such a traumatic time?
I want the Conservative Party to return to a place where people like Rory Stewart or Anna Soubry are welcome – both were culled in 2019. While I might disagree with some of their ideas, I know they come from a place of rational thought and compassion. I don’t want the Conservatives’ gambit to be winning back voters from Farage’s Reform party by demonising immigration, or to withdraw from the ECHR – something which was conceptually endorsed by that little-known British Conservative Sir Winston Churchill.
I want the Conservatives to offer sensible policies: not those deemed likely to win a demographic of voter, but those which can be backed up by data, approved by experts and which are morally just. I have faith in Sir Keir Starmer’s government to deliver real change to the country and give us a platform where we can solve the issues brought about from 14 years of Tory government.
However, I believe the best version of government occurs when there is also the best version of opposition. Proper opposition will hold a government to account and offer fair scrutiny of its actions.
So, to anyone with a vote on who the next Conservative leader will be, please vote for the candidate that will return the Conservatives to sensible politics, and not the candidate who wants to appease the far right, or wants the UK to leave the ECHR, because that is the politics of division. As a reminder to you, we’re the United Kingdom.
Guy Perkins
North Dorset Labour

Brenton West (The Repair Shop) and Raj Bisram (Antiques Roadshow) to Host an Evening of Conversation and Fun at the Exchange in Sturminster Newton!

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Editorial team

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16 October 2024

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Stour Hall, The Exchange, Sturminster Newton – 2nd November 2024

Brenton West (left) and Raj Bisram (right). Credit: All-Electric Productions

Prepare for an unforgettable evening with much-loved TV personalities Brenton West and Raj Bisram, as they take to the stage at The Exchange on 2nd November at 19:30. Join them for a captivating night of personal stories, behind-the-scenes insights, and plenty of laughter!

This special event offers a rare opportunity to hear Brenton and Raj discuss their fascinating careers, share heartwarming tales from their childhoods, and reveal what life is really like in the public eye. Expect an intimate atmosphere as they talk candidly about their experiences, the challenges they’ve faced, and the defining moments of their television journeys.

Event Highlights:

Engaging storytelling about their early years and the influences that shaped their careers
Exclusive behind-the-scenes anecdotes from their time on popular TV shows
A meet and greet, where fans can ask their burning questions

Tickets are on sale now and can be purchased online from The Exchange. Don’t miss this chance to enjoy an evening of fun and conversation with two of the nation’s favourite TV stars!

Event Details:

Date: 2nd November 2024
Time: 19:30
Venue: Stour Hall, The Exchange, Old Market Hill, Sturminster Newton DT10 1FH

Bring your friends and family along for a night of laughter, nostalgia, and unforgettable moments. Book your tickets now and enjoy an evening in the company of Brenton West and Raj Bisram!

Tickets:
Available online at The Exchange – Purchase here

Wild Woodbury celebrates three years of rewilding success

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Editorial team

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15 October 2024

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From free roaming cattle to thriving wetlands – rewilding efforts at Wild Woodbury are enhancing biodiversity and water quality

Wild Woodbury – Dorset Wildlife Trust’s community rewilding project at Bere Regis
Image: James Burland

Three years into Dorset Wildlife Trust’s rewilding project at Bere Regis, Wild Woodbury has become a beacon of environmental restoration and community involvement. The site is thriving thanks to its pioneering initiatives, including the introduction of free-roaming livestock, transformative river restoration and inspiring community efforts, the site is thriving.
One of the standout achievements has been the introduction of free-roaming livestock. In partnership with a local farmer, Wild Woodbury has welcomed Hereford cattle, Exmoor ponies and Mangalitsa x Berkshire pigs to the 170ha. They all play a key role in the natural management of the landscape. Their grazing, rootling and browsing creates a dynamic habitat, enhancing biodiversity and allowing a wide variety of plant species to thrive.

Common snipe taking advantage of the wetter landscape at Wild Woodbury. Image: Seb Haggett

Wild Woodbury has recorded an astonishing increase in wildlife, with more than 1,900 species now identified on-site – an uplift of 600 species since the project began – and small mammals like harvest mice and water shrews have flourished. The small mammal abundance has in turn benefitted reptiles and birds of prey, and we have now recorded four out of the UK’s six native reptiles on site: slow worm, grass snake, adder and common lizard.
The ambitious Stage Zero* river restoration work carried out in year two has allowed water to follow its natural course, creating new wetlands across Wild Woodbury that support species such as frogs, dragonflies and wetland birds like common snipe and lapwing.

This nightingale is just one of the 40 different species ringed at Wild Woodbury in 2024
Image: Seb Elwood

In fact, all birdlife at Wild Woodbury has thrived. Regular bird-ringing sessions revealed that 40 different species were ringed in the third year alone, including nightingales and pied flycatchers. Birds of prey such as red kites, sparrowhawks and peregrine falcons are now frequently spotted, drawn by the increase in small mammals.
The project has also improved the water quality. Regular water testing, conducted through taking monthly water samples across the site, has shown that levels of nitrogen, phosphorous and suspended solids have decreased across Wild Woodbury, helping to prevent these nutrients from entering the watercourse which feeds internationally-significant Poole Harbour.
It has been wonderful to witness the local community actively engaging with Wild Woodbury. A new car park and 13 hectares of open-access land have enhanced public accessibility, allowing more people to explore the site. Guided walks and educational tours about rewilding have proved hugely popular, helping visitors to connect with nature and understand the principles behind this ground breaking project.
Three years in, Wild Woodbury stands as a shining example of how rewilding, supported by community efforts, can restore landscapes and create rich, biodiverse ecosystems.

To learn more about Wild Woodbury, three years on, visit: dorsetwildlifetrust.org.uk

A happy pair of Wild Woodbury’s free-roaming heritage breed Mangalitsa x Berkshire pigs. Pigs are widely used to improve the biodiversity of land where a few species have come to dominate. They can also help eradicate invasive species, without the environmentally damaging effects of heavy machinery and chemicals. Image: Rob Farrington

*Stage Zero restoration works to restore a waterway to its natural floodplain, stream processes and ecosystem, producing remarkable benefits to river health, heritage, wildlife, sustainability and resilience.

Grooms required at Ferne Park, Berwick St John

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Editorial team

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15 October 2024

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Two positions available: one full time and one freelance

Freelance Groom

Professionally-run family yard with excellent facilities with international showjumpers and hunt horses. Beautiful sole-use accommodation can be provided.

General yard duties and riding possible for the right candidate. To cover certain dates in December to early January, working alongside a friendly small team.

Please WhatsApp: 07540 994244 or email [email protected] to enquire further.

Date: December 2024/January 2025
Berwick St John Nr Shaftesbury

Full Time Groom

The ideal candidate must be able to complete general yard duties, pay attention to detail and be willing to learn with a can do approach to everything. Riding possible for the right candidate. Five day working week and competitive salary.

Live in or out position. Beautiful sole-use accommodation can be provided.

Start Date: January 2025
Berwick St John Nr Shaftesbury

Please email CV and covering letter to: [email protected] to apply.

Dismay and delays – Dorset Council’s post-Covid planning debacle

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Editorial team

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15 October 2024

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Seth Dellow considers the rise in non-determined applications as councillors demand a louder voice in decision-making

Recently completed development in Dorset

In recent months, the government’s Planning Inspectorate has approved two sizeable housing developments in north Dorset, for 67 new homes in the village of Marnhull and 41 retirement flats on the site of the former Shaftesbury Cattle Market.
It is the Inspectorate’s latest intervention, necessitated by Dorset Council’s failure to reach a decision within the minimum time frame of eight weeks.
The technical term “non-determination” refers to a local authority’s failure to determine a planning application within the statutory deadline. Those deadlines range from eight to 16 weeks, depending on the type of development under review.
Between July 2023 and 2024, nine planning applications (including those at Marnhull and Shaftesbury) were not determined by Dorset Council within the relevant time frame. This is an increase of six from the previous year. While not every applicant appeals to the Planning Inspectorate, the majority do.
Although such an appeal is free, it’s a lengthy process, which can take more than a year.
Objectors are concerned that appeals risk invalidating the issues raised by local residents, who submit comprehensive comments.

A catalogue of problems
However, Dorset Council’s planning system is by no means in the same situation as it was after the pandemic.
In 2021, the local authority issued an unprecedented public statement, explaining that its planning services were ’struggling with Covid demand.’ Only 72 per cent of planning applications had been decided in time, compared with the national average of 82 per cent.
This ‘pandemic backlog’ was further compounded by the exodus of 12 planning officers – those people charged with deciding the bulk of delegated planning applications, from tree felling to property extensions.

Dorset Council is also grappling with extensive delays in the publication of the county’s controversial Local Plan. Originally expected to be adopted in 2023/24, the plan is years behind schedule and is not now expected to be formally adopted until 2027. A draft local plan, published in 2021, outlined the need for 30,000 homes in the county by 2038.
In the interim, a Liberal Democrat administration has taken over Dorset Council and new proposals may be expected.

Being heard
Aside from delays, the local authority is also facing dismay from councillors. The latest disapproval stems from councillors’ complaints that their views are not being heard.
Currently, if any councillor – representing ward, town or parish – objects to a planning officer’s recommendation, a nominated officer may make the final decision. Pre-Covid, the application would have gone before the appropriate planning committee. At the heart of this issue is representation – or the lack of it. This is precisely why the new LibDem administration, led by Nick Ireland, in July proposed a recommendation, unanimously approved, that gives councillors ‘a stronger voice in triggering the referral of an application to a planning committee.’
All major applications may now be referred to the planning committee, when a councillor’s recommendation is different from that of the planning officer.
At present, only around two per cent of all applications go to committee – a fraction of the more than 12,000 planning decisions issued since Dorset Council became a unitary authority in 2019.

The site in Marnhull where 67 homes have been given the go- ahead by the Planning Inspectorate

Challenges and questions
The problems in Dorset are symptomatic of a sluggish national planning system.
‘The latest Housing Pipeline Report from the Home Builders Federation, containing data supplied by Glenigan, shows that in the 12 months to March 2024, the number of new homes and sites given planning permission has continued to plummet. The year to March 2024 saw the fewest new housing sites consented than during any 12-month period since the data collection began in 2006, showing that the housing pipeline is significantly smaller now than it was even during the aftermath of the global financial crisis.’ – according to the HBF (Home Builders Federation) website.
An overwhelming majority of house builders – 93 per cent – cite the delays in securing planning permission as a major barrier to growth.
Does the new Labour government have the answers?
In its manifesto, Labour has promised to deliver 1.5 million new homes over the next parliament. Restoring mandatory housing targets, updating the National Policy Planning Framework and taking a brownfield-first approach are all part of the plan – along with the need for ‘tough action to ensure that planning authorities have up-to-date Local Plans’. But perhaps most significant for Dorset is the new government’s willingness to reform ‘nutrient neutrality’ rules – requiring measures to mitigate the
impact of the nutrient load from new developments as well as waste water – which currently prevent thousands of homes from being constructed.
A government spokesperson has indicated that ‘protection of the environment into the long term, investment in waste water treatment, green infrastructure and thinking at landscape scale is planned … Nutrients solution cannot be at the expense of
the natural environment,’ said the spokesman.
In a county with many new councillors and MPs from across the political spectrum, the political landscape this year contains new opportunities as well as challenges.

Dorset Council was approached for comment, but did not respond.

North Dorset’s frustration with politics

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Editorial team

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14 October 2024

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Our re-elected MP Simon Hoare has praised North Dorset voters for not falling for Labour and Lib Dem election promises – but the Labour and Lib Dem candidates between them received more votes than he did. In reducing Simon’s 2019 majority by 93% this time, most voters clearly remembered the past 14 years of scandal-ridden Conservative chaos, corruption and incompetence.
Worryingly, almost a third of the North Dorset electorate opted not to vote this time. No doubt many of them are disillusioned with the way the First Past The Post electoral system fails to provide a parliamentary voice for the majority of us.
Simon was chosen to represent North Dorset by just a third of those who voted: likewise, Labour gained their landslide victory with just a third of the national votes.
The new All Party Parliamentary Group for Fair Elections focuses on three key areas: replacing First Past the Post with a proportional voting system, eliminating dark money from politics and countering disinformation in public debate. Good luck to them in their search for an electoral system that works better for everyone.
Labour hasn’t made a great start so far, especially with the clumsy scrapping of the automatic winter fuel payment for pensioners. Revelations about various donations and services they’ve received have left them open to the criticism that they are no better than the Tories in that respect. Labour actually declared more donations during the general election campaign than all the other parties combined. It has increasingly strong ties with the financial sector, and before the election campaign it received a £4m donation from a tax-haven-registered hedge fund with shares in fossil fuels, private health firms and arms manufacturers. This surely raises questions about what influence such donors hope to get in return.
The one topic that unites a majority of us is a growing concern for the environment and the worsening effects of the changing climate, and here there is a glimmer of hope. The new Foreign Secretary’s recent speech demonstrated a clear ambition to urgently address these issues. However, actions as ever speak louder than words, and we wait to see what actions the government actually takes.
Ken Huggins
North Dorset Green Party

Cluckonomics revisited: Farm Tales

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Editorial team

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13 October 2024

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Is it time to import, asks Andrew Livingston, as welfare standards force British chicken farmers to cut stocking density

It was only in April of this year that I wrote in the BV of the mounting pressure for legislation to change the stocking density of chickens on British farms (See Cluckonomics here – possibly one of my finest headlines – Ed).

Since then it’s all changed. Interestingly, however, it wasn’t led by the government. It is the supermarkets who have changed the game.
Just to recap: as it stands at the moment, the law states that you can have a maximum of 38kgs of chickens per square metre in a housing unit. However, the majority of the main poultry producers in the country are only stocking their shed to 30kgs per square metre.
It’s pretty boring maths, but it has huge ramifications for the amount of chicken that we can produce in this country. The move from 38kg to 30kg is a reduction of around 20 per cent – so that’s around a fifth of the poultry grown in this country gone from the market.
As a nation we aren’t eating less chicken, so where is it going to come from?
The simple answer is to just build a fifth more chicken sheds to grow the birds in. But it is nigh on impossible to get planning permission for poultry housing, due to the perceived effect of the environmental damage that growing the birds causes (a debate for another column, I’m afraid).
So, perhaps we should bin off eating 20 per cent of our chicken dinners? Nice idea, but not going to happen. To me, poultry is the fastest and most efficient meat to provide protein. The only meat that is more efficient is insects (I wrote about bugs as food back in 2021 here!), but I still don’t think we are ready to stomach it!
The real answer? Imports.

We can’t do it
I attended the Poultry Meat Conference at the beginning of September (yes, it’s exactly what it sounds like: a conference where we all sit around and talk about poultry meat), and the 30kgs number was the big talking point. Everyone had an opinion to share.
Around 200 of us were sitting in a swanky hotel, waiting for the first speaker, when the chairman of the event – who happens to also run one of the largest producers of chicken in the country – told the room: ‘As an industry, we now can’t be afraid to import chicken.’
I thought it odd that a poultry producer would want to encourage poultry producers from across the world to get an invite into our market and trade …. as the saying goes, it’s a bit like turkeys voting for Christmas! He suggested that the UK should import the chicken for all of our frozen breaded chicken needs. At first, I hated it: ‘My kids aren’t eating Polish chicken nuggets!’ I thought (but thankfully didn’t scream out mid-conference).
But then I realised.
I had finally given up the dream.
As a nation, we can’t have the highest welfare standards for our animals, be completely carbon neutral and have huge forests and estates that are left for nature and biodiversity, while trying to be self-sufficient.
We simply can’t do it all.
We are too densely populated.
So I concede – start importing the meat. But let’s make sure we leave the best bits to be farmed here in Britain. I don’t need to have lamb chops from New Zealand, but, if you want to mince up their rubbish meat, then maybe I’ll squish some on a stick in the summer and do some Kiwi lamb koftas. Then, in a few years time, once the technology has taken another leap forward and food becomes more efficient to make, we’ll be food secure and self-sufficient and we can tell the foreign muck to go home. Either that or we’ll all be eating British grasshopper kebabs.