Tir y Gafel

The Tir y Gafel ecovillage is Lammas' first ecovillage development.

It aspires to be a

replicable model for

'low-impact development'

Lammas recently attained planning permission to build an ecovillage in Wales which combines the traditional smallholding model with the latest innovations in environmental design, green technology and permaculture.

The proposal is for a new settlement of 9 eco-smallholdings, a campsite and a community hub building. It is sited on 76 acres of mixed pasture and woodland next to the village of Glandwr, Pembrokeshire. Construction began in the autumn of 2009.  

The Houses

Low-impact architecture uses a combination of recycled and natural materials. The project is essentially a self-build affair consisting of five detached dwellings and one terrace of four dwellings. There will be a combination of building styles including straw bale, earth sheltered, timber frame and cob. The houses will feature the latest environmental technologies and design techniques. The dwellings will blend into the landscape. Indeed they will be largely made from elements of the landscape (for example turf roofs, cob walls, timber cladding).

One of the house designs for the ecovillage

One of the house builds in the ecovillage

Services

The Ecovillage will be completely independent of all mains services. All water will be sourced from the site using a combination of an existing spring for drinking water and rainwater harvesting from rooftops. All electricity will be produced on site using renewables. Fortunately there is an existing water turbine system on site which Lammas plans to renovate. All organic waste will be composted on site using a combination of compost toilets, wormeries and compost heaps. Fuel, in the form of coppiced willow and elephant grass, will be grown on site.

Livelihood

In accordance with Pembrokeshire Planning Policy for Low Impact Development, residents will need to demonstrate that they are substantially meeting their household needs directly from the land. In practice this means that the people involved will need to be working the land to good effect. Lammas residents are proposing a range of livelihoods from the land including woodland crafts, horticulture, tree nurseries, livestock and woollen crafts.

Lammas is creating an ecovillage in Pembrokeshire which will aims to become a demonstration model for low impact living.

It is designed to be the first of its kind

Transport

The settlement will monitor and manage all vehicles using the site. There will be car sharing schemes and restrictions on private car ownership in place. All deliveries will be co-ordinated to minimise traffic. Visitors will be encouraged to use public transport and Lammas will finance a minibus service to and from the local towns.

Structure

The project will be managed by Lammas Low Impact Initiatives Ltd, a cooperative registered under the Industrial and Provident Society Act. A comprehensive management plan has been compiled which sets out how the project will be established and run.

The smallholdings will essentially be agricultural leaseholds which are conditionally tied to requirements as set out in the management plan. Thus the objectives of the project will be assured in the long term. The requirements will cover issues such as livelihood, transport, services and monitoring.

community hub model

The Community Hub and Campsite

The community hub building will act as an administrative and social centre for the development. It will house the office, meeting room and cafe. The various employed staff will be based here. The building will also act as a service hub for the adjacent seasonal campsite. The campsite’s primary role is to provide accommodation for working guests and people attending courses.

The Community Hub has been designed by architect Robin Campbell from Air_Architecture. The building is a sophisticated living structure which will showcase low-impact building technologies at their best.

Research

Lammas has already commissioned a number of reports exploring the site and locality as it is. These include a habitat and species surveys, a geology report, soil surveys, a local economic analysis and historical essays. It is with this background that Lammas aims to quantify the progress of the project in terms of its environmental, economic and social contribution.

Weaving willow

Agriculture

The residents of the project have developed well researched plans for their livelihoods. In addition to sourcing fuel, water, electricity and food from the site, the 9 households will also run small-scale farm businesses producing a wide range of quality goods including hazelnuts, smoked ham, soft fruit, woodland crafts, vegetables and cooked foods. The produce will be marketed through a variety of outlets including local shops and a Lammas market stall.

Common Land

Some areas of the project will be managed in common. There is an area of existing broadleaf woodland on site which will be conserved for its wildlife value. The existing conifer woodland will be managed and harvested as a resource for building. There will also be shared grazing and fuel crop areas as well as a millpond and village green.

Millpond

Monitoring

The project will produce an annual report in which it will evaluate its progress using performance indicators such as ecological footprint assessments, vehicle trip generation numbers, soil health and agricultural productivity calculations.

The Vision

Lammas aims to establish a thriving example of low-impact development, providing an educational resource pointing the way for truly sustainable rural developments of the future. The project has been designed to run on permaculture principles. The land will be developed to improve the synergy of the different habitats across the site, simultaneously enhancing bio-diversity and leading to an increased but sustainable yield from the land. Where there is currently degraded agricultural pasture, Lammas plans to create a landscape of vitality and abundance.

A plot at Tir y Gafel ecovillage

Interested in living low-impact?

If you are interested in living in an ecovillage, the best place to start is to join Lammas. In that way you will be able to access information and advice about planning, research, logistics and you will recieve regular updates and news about Lammas projects.

Want to know more?

• To watch episodes from a mini series about the project, click here

• To read more about the ecovillage, click here

To support the project:

• by becoming a friend, click here

• by buying a share, click here

Thankyou