A NEWPORT family is celebrating after their dream of building an eco farm on the slopes of Carn Ingli was given the green light last week.

Charis and Matthew Watkinson’s application to build a zero carbon dwelling is the first One Planet Development to be granted in the Pembrokeshire National Park.

The application was approved by a single vote at the Development Management meeting on Wednesday, subject to conditions, and the policy states that 65% of the family’s food must be produced from the land.

Matthew said: “There are still more people in the world who have stood on the moon, than there are successful applications for One Planet Developments in Wales, but ours has been approved.

“We feel a bit pioneering, as we are the first to get approval under this type of policy with the National Park.”

The couple have already established a small eco-holding on the three acre Golwg y Gwenyn site with storage, poultry arks containing 240 chickens, 19 beehives, quails, ducks and a healthy fruit and vegetable crop.

Income will be generated through the sale of eggs and, beeswax cosmetics, honey and pumpkins, microgreens and mushrooms long with a natural hot tub rental and educational courses.

Newport Town Council recommended refusal, and a number of letters of objection and support plus a 151 petition was sent to the National Park.

Objectors raised concerns about a “huge daily disturbance” at the site with a ‘random sprawl’ of tyres, sheds and duck ponds.

They also raised concerns about noise from people and livestock, the impact on the landscape, access and drainage issues, and the possibility of the development setting a precedent.

However, supporters said they were ‘impressed with the applicant’s thorough research and realism’.

The officer’s report stated: “It is considered that the applicant has taken account of the natural landscape characteristics, and has chosen locations and features that would respect the open landscape setting at this location.”

Food produced on the farm will be sold locally in shops and cafes, and the couple says that supporting local business is important to them.

Bamboo and willow are being grown for firewood and to minimise the visual impact.

The straw bale house will have a greenhouse and work spaces and a compost heating system.

Matthew said: “Self reliance is an attractive thing, so you’re not reliant on big supermarkets or big banks, we have to feed ourselves and produce our own fuel.

“We also wanted to create a whole habitat system that works together. It’s about mimicking nature’s way of doing it.”

The couple are both vets, and started growing their own food and keeping chickens while living in a large town with a small garden.

Matthew added: “We want to honour this place, we understand that it’s somewhere special, and will happily live here for the rest of our lives.

“We have now got five years to make it work.”