Hobbit-style eco village in Pembrokeshire saved from demolition
Hobbit-style eco village in Pembrokeshire saved from demolition
A secret eco-village in Wales has been saved from demolition. Authorities at Brithdir Mawr ruled that the hobbit-style settlement, which was only discovered during an aerial survey, can stay.
An aerial survey in 1998 revealed the sustainable village in
Pembrokeshire, where inhabitants had been living unnoticed in timber-framed
roundhouses with turf roofs, reports The Guardian.
Following the discovery of the settlement, villagers were threatened with eviction and the authorities at
Brithdir Mawr said that the
eco-friendly houses, constructed of straw, timber, recycled glass, clay and manure, must be torn down.
A ten-year battle to save the village ensued, and, following numerous hearings, court cases and enquiries, the villagers finally emerged victorious last week.
The village was eventually given the green light by the
Pembrokeshire Coast National Park Authority after it adopted a new policy on sustainable, low-impact developments. A spokeswoman for the authority explained that the village would have to make a "positive environmental and social/economic contribution to the area".
The village generates all its electricity via solar power and a wind turbine, and villagers farm the land and carry out crafts such as woodcarving for a living.
The decision will be reviewed by the authority in three years.
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