The Summer Berry Company’s ability to produce home grown strawberries at a commercial quantity throughout the year and place strawberries of Wimbledon week quality on supermarket shelves over Christmas 2024[1] is the culmination of a horticultural breeding programme combined with a Farm Development Plan that has been guided and assisted by Rural Planning Consultants at the Douglas Briggs Partnership (DBP) who operate from Flint Barns, Ham Farm, Bosham, West Sussex.
From 2006 to 2023, 16 planning applications were required to obtain approval for a total of over 160Ha of polytunnels[2] and a further 10 for associated infrastructure[3] to provide The Summer Berry Company (TSBC) protected cropping area for cultivating, growing and developing strawberry, blueberry and raspberry crops on their two farms[4] between Chichester and Bognor Regis, separated by the A259.
Glasshouse facilities were acquired at three adjacent nurseries[5] South of the A27 at Chichester where The Summer Berry Company repurposed 18.7Ha of existing glasshouses adding a further 4.7Ha of glasshouses to develop growing methods and specialist varieties of strawberries available earlier and later in the season.
DBP obtained planning permission in 2012 for a further 4.8Ha of glasshouses with growing lights[6] and additional vernalisation and storage facilities[7] on the glasshouse nursery site with permission granted in 2016 and 2019 for a further 9Ha[8] of polytunnels to expand TSBC’s specialist cultivation facilities within the glasshouses and provide protected areas for hardening of new varieties of strawberries and blackberries for use in TSBC’s farm production along the A259.
In further developing the Glasshouse sites, Douglas Briggs Partnership assisted TSBC in obtaining permission for; Photo Voltaic (PV) installations on existing buildings[9]; Thermal storage tanks[10] and; in 2023 with the assistance of Ebtech Energy Systems Ltd, Air Pollution Services, Sound Planning and GPM Ecology, repurposing an existing farm building for use as an Energy Centre for the 23.4Ha glasshouse site[11].
The Energy Centre provides heat and electricity from a combination of PV, Heat Pumps and Combined Heat and Power (CHP), capturing CO2 from the CHP plant to enrich the glasshouse atmosphere and boost crop production.
The following planning issues related to protected cropping of soft-fruit in glasshouses and polytunnels were resolved:-
Landscape (strategic tree screen and hedge planting)
Access (on farm tracks to minimise use of public highways)
Traffic (Improved farm access, widening and passing places on key roads, travel plans and routing agreements for HGVs)
Water (winter water abstraction and storage reservoirs[12])
Noise (Attenuation of CHP Plant and packhouse / farm yard operations from noise sensitive receptors)
Flooding and Drainage (drainage, attenuation, storage reservoirs and rainwater harvesting)
Ecology and Wildlife farm wide programmes of wildlife habitat enhancement and management of water courses with substantial biodiversity gains
Farm Buildings repurposing and extensions to existing farm buildings[13]
Packaging / processing New packhouse and cold-store facilities[14] with Lorry Docks and access to A259
Seasonal Labour permission for year-round retention of on-farm caravans[15] for 800+ seasonal workers
Offices Provision for 100 full time staff.
When councillors and Local Planning Authorities are considering agricultural development an established pattern of Farm Open days and community involvement organised by enterprises such as The Summer Berry Company (TSBC) has some influence in decision making.
Together with their contribution to reducing imports of foods and economic contribution to the local economy as significant employers in the farming community and commitment to growing regimes and farming practices that protect the wildlife habitat and promote improvements in biodiversity on their farms, with the right presentation and assistance from Rural Planners (DBP) Agricultural and Horticultural enterprises can be successful in obtaining significant development in rural areas including sites within National Parks.
Local communities and planning officers were made aware of the strategic value of the Sussex Coastal Plain with increased light levels, favourable climate and excellent ground conditions that makes the South Coast Plain a national asset for food production in the UK and has seen the continued and sustainable growth of Horticulture in the Chichester and Arun areas
As a result of careful management of farming projects and community involvement the significant contribution that agricultural and horticultural enterprises make to the local economy and environment has been recognised by local communities and established goodwill has garnered local support for development projects that strengthens rural enterprises ability to pioneer new products and innovations such as The Summer Berry Company’s, Christmas Strawberries.
[1] ‘Berry Christmas’ - The Sunday Times –by Louise Eccles October 6, 2024, Page 3
[2] Colworth Manor Farm: 06/03438/FUL, 07/05011/FUL, 17/00034/FUL, 20/02087/FUL, 22/02324/FUL, BE/8/23; Groves Farm: 08/02777/FUL, 09/00433/FUL, BE/81/10, 11/02610/FUL, BE/77/12, 12/02266/FUL, 16/03431/FUL, 17/00073/FUL, 19/02696/FUL, 23/02043/FUL
[3] Colworth Manor Farm: 10/00900/FUL, 16/03014/AGR, 19/01450/AGR, Groves Farm: 08/03495/FUL, 12/04720/FUL, 14/03621/FUL, 16/03621/FUL, 20/00794/PNO, 22/01500/FUL, 23/00840/FUL
[4] Colworth Manor Farm and Groves Farm
[5] Leythorne Nursery, Marsh Farm, Donaldsons Nursery
[6] Marsh Farm: 12/03582/FUL
[7] Marsh Farm: 16/01751/FUL
[8] Kives Farm: 16/01147/FUL and 19/03156/FUL
[9] Donaldsons Nursery: 22/02842/PA14J
[10] Marsh Farm: 14/00097/PNO
[11] Marsh Farm: 24/00397/FUL and 24/00450/FUL
[12] Colworth Manor Farm: 16/00764/PNO; Groves Farm: 19/01229/AGR; Kives Farm: 19/01228/AGR
[13] Groves Farm: 20/00794/PNO and 22/01500/FUL
[14] Groves Farm: 07/06145/Ful and 22/01500/FUL
[15] Groves Farm: 08/03495/FUL, 12/04720/FUL, 13/03633/FUL, 14/03621/FUL, 16/03284/FUL, 23/00840/FUL, 23/02043/FUL