It is not unreasonable to think we are exactly the kind of industry any government of the modern age should be falling over itself to grow. And a national planning framework would do exactly that, writes British Berry Growers chairman Nick Marston
Haygrove, The New Forest Fruit Company and Bucksbury Farm are just the latest planning applications to have been turned down by local councils or courts, decisions which are bad for business.
These decisions are on top of widely acknowledged national planning inconsistencies which mean councillors across the country can all come up with sometimes radically different responses to relatively benign planning requests.
This is why planning has been so central to the lobbying I and my team have been carrying out this autumn at the Lib Dem, Labour and Tory party conferences. It is a major, major issue for a significant number of our members.
The government is having consultations about a national planning framework, which can’t happen too soon for those of us in the berry industry.
We need planning permission for polytunnels, new reservoirs and other elements which help berry growers grow their business. Growing businesses, should anyone need reminding, are A Good Thing; growing berry businesses means more employment, more sales, more exports, more money to the Exchequer and greater UK food security.
We have a world-class berry industry in the UK, as confirmed by an independent audit carried out this year by auditors Ernst & Young. We contribute billions to the UK economy and are aiming for 50 per cent increase in production.
Not an increase in production of ultra-processed, emulsifier and additive-laden ‘baddies’, but of fresh, healthy, packed-with-vitamins and minerals strawberries, raspberries, blueberries and blackberries.
It is not unreasonable to think we are exactly the kind of industry any government of the modern age should be falling over itself to grow. And a national planning framework would do exactly that – at no cost to the Treasury.
We understand that these developments will often be on green belt and that some local councillors may see them as unnecessary. But when looked at from a national perspective, these developments are nearly always in line with the government growth agenda for rural areas.
We urgently need to ensure we see positive decisions wherever appropriate so that our industry can reasonably grow. This means giving local officials clear guidelines which will lead to consistent applications of rules – every grower will know exactly what is and isn’t permitted, where and why. And local councillors will have a clear framework to apply.
Given the crucial need for reform of the planning system to assist our berry growers, this is a drum we will all happily and noisily beat until we see change.
