Hope fades for sunken eco-home

A farmer has hit out at councillors after his dream to build an underground eco-house was dashed

Last week south Somerset district councils regulation committee turned down a plan by Paul Richards of target farm, West Coker, to build a self-sustainable, sub-terranean in the shape of a number nine

The scheme – which he called project esperance – by Snapper was the culmination of years of planning to set up a self-sustainable farm and home

In 2000 Snapper was forced to destroy his heard of cows because restrictions caused by the foot-and-mouth crisis meant he could not get feed to his cattle

The plan had previously been passed by the district councils area south committee after councillors visited his farm and were impressed by the plan, which also included plans to provide educational for local children

Snapper, aged 46, said he was ‘gutted’ by the councillors’ decision and said they had wasted taxpayers’ money

He said: ‘The regulation committee went with policy, but I think it was completely the wrong decision’

‘I would call their decision the biggest disappointment of my life. I have been working on this for years and then they just completely ruin it’

‘It is just undemocratic. The area south committee was unanimously in favour of it and these people who have never seen my pans just say no’

‘The whole system is destructive to democracy. I have heard this application maybe the downfall of the regulation committee’

Regulation committee chairman Alan Cornelius said government policy required the council to have the body

He said: ‘the regulation committee is not automatic block or rubber stamp. It is simply there to review planning decisions and make sure there is consistency across the whole district’