1. I am the working manager for the ELF trust which is responsible for some 42 acres of land.
2. Since 1996 I have had various agreements to manage some 9 acres of  SSSI with English Nature, currently I have Wildlife Enhancement Scheme for which I am paid to keep some 1.5 Kilometres free from invasive plants and a further 6 acres of marsh land. This entails regularly digging out Giant Hogweed, Japanese Knotweed between February and September each year.
3. In 1996 I established a working relationship with the forestry commission to plant trees to help regeneration of native woodland. This was for some 2 to 3 acres initially.
4. I initially I had another  3 acres of woodland to manage, this has increased to about 9 now.
5. There is over 4 kilometres of stone hedging to manage and at least 1km of wire fencing to maintain.
6. There is some 10 acres of largely grassland that I crop from time to time for composting. See pictures
7. Initially with 5 trustees and friends helping dozens of full size 30ft apple saplings were planted, which I now struggle to maintain  with the occasional help of one person.
8. The grass land and other fields have to be kept free from  Ragwort due to many neighbours having grazing animals.
9. Reeds are sometimes harvested for compost and plant bedding : see picture.
10. There have been a number of allotments over the years with two still going, one which provides for a single family the other being mine which provides a substantial part of my land based income including all my own vegetables and fruit.
11. I spend a few days keeping the communal track suitalbe for vehicles even though I do not use any.
12. I do not spend my time on the land entertaining people and rarely have visitors. Those few that do come to the land are in the main trustees or beneficiaries of aspects of the trust.
13. The office of the trust is on the land. It was once in a tent (1997/8 to 2000/1) but the computer couldn't cope with the humidity and cold and some of the paperwork started to deteriorate despite having a large stove lit occasionally. After being lent a caravan for a year I bought one to use as an office and as the tent fell into greater disrepair I more often used it to sleep in.
14. The caravan is some 16ft x 6ft and the has now lining, it is just a shell. The roof has split and is covered with cloth to keep the rain out. There is a stove inside which is kept alight from about October to March, to  keep the computer and other office materials dry and to provide a dry and secure place for electrical tools etc. and as a seedling germination space in the spring. It can also be used as a rest and refreshment space during most of the year although this is not essential as alternative are sometime used.
15. Generally speaking my main residence is on the land and the caravan is used as if it were available for full time accommodation as and when needed and has a berth to lay upon.
16. There are no services except the telephone line.
17. Electricity is generated from photovoltaics. There is a possibility of a diesel backup for heavy duty tools.
18. Rain water is collected for drinking, watering and washing and there is also access to the agricultural supply provide by SWW.
19. All human and vegetable waste is dry composted with woodpiles.
20. There is little or no off-site waste disposal. I do not use consumer items, that are not reusable or recyclable except maybe for shoes and wellies.
21. All consumables are from plants and can be composted.
22. In the spring I get up once or twice, some times more to picks slugs of the young crops as I do not use methods that would kill them. I also have to be alert at other times for the increasing amounts of wildlife that compete for the enhanced environmental benefits produce by my management and agricultural, products. The late summer brings the squirrels to eat the corn, later the deer knock the apples from the trees. Spring and Autumn the pheasants dig up small seedlings and east the greens and lettuce the carrots and more. The mice and rats help the squirrels with the corn and partake of carrots and squash.
23. However an increasing problem is the human creature. I have had guns shot across my head, parts of land fenced off by neighbours hell bent on increasing the size of their property, boundary disputes, water access and rights of way disputes. Allegations and harassment that I am surviving on benefits and supplement my income from dealing drugs. Local councillors warning me not to mix with certain people or I won't get any support. Claims that I am polluting the river and the general environment. And of course the LPA's prolonged challenge that I could not possibly be working and making a living from the land in such a lawful way that my presence here somehow unacceptably affects some public amenity or the existing use of the land.  No doubt supported and instigated by the same local people and their likes that have nothing better to do than to threaten  my efforts to make a real difference to the way I live and sustain myself. All this human harassment is worse that all the other pests of the natural environment.
24. I have on occasion had to stop other people from trying to live on the land.

This is a general outline of the work I do and the infrastructure required to do it. The residence is solely as a matter of convenience as nearly all my time is spend working on the land. I could not carry out this work with any degree of efficiency if I had to live elsewhere. Bio-diversity and low-impact living requires an enormous amount of time. Cutting acres of grass, felling trees thinning woodland, rebuilding walls, managing the river bank and growing crops for food and fuel by hand takes forever.

I do not have time to do enough of the land base work I would like.  The LPA's acknowledgement that my residence is ancillary to these outlined land-based lawful and gainful operations would free me of continuing concern and substantial costs in time and finance.

So would you please consider my explanation and enquire further if you have any doubts about the facts and degree or if you think I have mssied some important considerations. I live the most careful life I can to ensure that I have as little detrimental impact upon the rest of the environment and use minimal resoures. I could not acheive this without having a love for all live and a land based business to immerse myself in.

Roger Lovejoy