Lower Shaw Farm in Swindon - Should not be for sale

A note from the editor -We only get involved with a few campaigns on selfsufficientish as, unfortunately, there are so many out there that we could support and our site would end up being just about campaigning. I was appalled to hear about future plans for Lower Shaw Farm in Swindon UK as my home town of Northampton has been changed beyond repair by developers. I felt that if we could help in any way we would - Stewart (a good friend) first posted this article on our forum and brought my attention to it is plight. The eleventh hour has not yet approached and you can still make your voice heard to save this little oasis in Swindon.

Lower Shaw Farm

Lower Shaw Farm is three acres of magic in Swindon. Like me, you may have visited it during its 30 year history. But if you don't know about it, allow me to introduce you http://www.lowershawfarm.co.uk . I'd just like to offer a few words of personal reflection about the place.

If you talk to anyone who has been there, the words they will use to describe the place will invariably include

welcoming beautiful warm magical friendly inspirational unique open-hearted creative educational

People will talk about the opportunities it offers for children to learn and develop in a unique, safe environment that doesn't need to be over-supervised. Most will tell you that adults benefit in the same way, too.

It was originally set up as a community of several families in the 70s, on a former dairy farm. On a shoestring budget (usually less) the cowsheds were converted into sleeping chalets, old pallets turned into into beds, the milking shed and barns became community centres, organic vegetables were grown, and goats kept. They converted it into a facility where people can learn about crafts, about other people, about shared values, and about a ton of other things that can only happen when people gather in an open hearted environment. It is a few years now since I last visited, but the place continues to have a treasured place in my heart. I have no doubt that the underlying ethos that carries the place through each day remains the same.

At weekends, people run courses on cooking, yoga, co-counselling, creative writing, music, permaculture, circle dancing, DIY, personal development, hedge laying... or there are WWOOF weekends*, children's projects and holiday clubs. It is a place where urban children can dig up worms, feed chickens, and climb trees, or a place to just go and chill out for a few days.

Anyone attending will be, from the first moment, made to feel welcome. Conversations will flow, stories will be told, and songs sung. Try and be shy at Lower Shaw Farm, and see how long that lasts for. The food is always fantastic, and it is now the hub of the Swindon Festival of Literature, too. It is a facility well used by local people, but also attracts visitors from around the world. It recently won Swindon Borough Council's Quality of Life Award for its contribution to the community.

In the 80s the rural farm was completely surrounded, submerged almost, by a huge housing estate and corporate developments, turning it into a rural oasis in the middle of the expanding town. Yet those precious three acres retained the vibrancy of before, unphased by the encroaching houses and busy roads.

Over the years it has been through many changes in personnel, and is now run by a family, rather than a community. That family have been involved from the beginning, giving it 30 years of continuity. Matt and Andrea are indefatigable in their efforts to make visitors feel welcome. Right from the start they will take an interest in your story, and help you make the best of your visit. The place may be a little ramshackle, and show every sign of its shoestring budget, but the warmth of the people there overshadows such minor discomforts.

Stupidly, I have always assumed that, somehow, the place would always be there. But now it seems that the local council, the farm's landlords, have decided they want to sell off the place for yet more housing. They reckon that they are not getting good value out of the land. Those three acres are apparently worth a couple of million pounds, and the council budget is short. This would seem to bring up a whole range of issues regarding what constitutes 'value', how much something is 'worth', and what an 'asset' is. The LSF Trust pay a peppercorn rent for the place by today's standards, and now the council want their money's worth in the form of the capital value of the land.

But consider how much the land is worth under a park, a museum, some allotments, or a library. Consider how much of an asset those things are, beyond the monetary worth of the land. Would the council be right to sell off those things too in order to get better value, or is a town better enhanced by keeping them, regardless of the land value? LSF doesn't actually cost the council anything to run; as an asset, it is entirely the result of the vision, enterprise and sheer hard work of those people that live there, and volunteer to support it. Arguably, the land only has such a high value because the council allowed development of the surrounding green fields. It is not LSF's fault that the council budget is deficient, so why should they be made into a victim of the increased land value?

In much of the debate that has surrounded this issue, some Swindon people have said that they are unconcerned about the plight of LSF, have no reason to support it, and would be better off if the land was sold and their council tax subsequently lower. Councilors have pointed out that whilst they have been inundated with protests, many of them originate from outside Swindon, and so are irrelevant.

But it seems to me that something which attracts outsiders to the town, imparts a positive image of the place, encourages people to spread the word and to return, is a valuable ambassador that deserves support. The visitors will be putting money directly into the local economy. Even if they don't venture out of the grounds of LSF, they will need food and other provisions while they stay, and fuel for their journey. Others will make use of local facilities, pubs, leisure centers, theatres, shops... This all contributes to employment and local prosperity. But it doesn't stop there; people who visit LSF will, without fail, come away feeling better about themselves, and about the world. In a small way, the fabric of society will be enhanced, too. To restrict opinion about the future of LSF to local people, based on a simplistic assessment of 'value' seems disastrously short sighted.

And in any case, how long will £2 million last in the hands of the council - that amounts to a few yards of new road, doesn't it? Selling is a once-only, short term option, and once LSF is closed down, it will be gone forever.

I realise that all this is something that may not be immediately relevant to many of you, but as a one-time regular visitor to the place, I'm much saddened by this plan for its end. I have spent many happy days there, finding out more about others, about the world, and about myself. People there have supported me through bad times, and shared my joy at good times. The thought of its demise is incomprehensible, and I thought it merited a bit of coverage here. Whatever the future turns out to be, I would encourage anybody to get in touch with the place, and visit it while you still have the chance. I promise that your life will be better for it.

Stewart H.

Contacts and info:

Lower Shaw Farm,
Old Shaw Lane,
Shaw,
Swindon,
Wiltshire,
SN5 5PJ
Tel: 01793 771080
enquiries@lowershawfarm.co.uk
www.lowershawfarm.co.uk

Press coverage:
http://www.swindonlink.com/php_article_show.php?id=184
http://tinyurl.com/yf9447
http://tinyurl.com/ya6bzq

Video coverage:
http://www.swindonlink.com/video/lower-shaw-farm.html

Online debate:
http://tinyurl.com/yegjk2

Decision makers (Swindon Borough Council):
Councilor Roderick Bluh, Leader of the Council, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1
E-mail RBluh@swindon.gov.uk

Gavin Jones, Chief Executive, Swindon Borough Council, Civic Offices, Swindon SN1
E-mail GJones@swindon.gov.uk

Councillor Nick Martin, Lead Member for Finance, Civic Offices, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1
E-mail Nmartin@swindon.gov.uk

Marie Rosenthal, Director of Resources, Swindon Borough Council, Euclid Street, Swindon SN1
E-mail: Mrosenthal@swindon.gov.uk


* willing workers on organic farms

_________________
Stew