‘Hands off the farm shops’
Saturday 27th August 2011, 3:00PM BST.
Economic Development should have responsibility for farm shops, says Mr Willing
BUREAUCRATS should not be interfering in how commercial entities are run, according to the author of an official review into the Island’s farm shops.
Bruce Willing is recommending that oversight for farm shops be transferred from the Environment department to Economic Development.
The former Army brigadier, who conducted the review free of charge on behalf of the Planning and Environment department, says that the current approach towards planning consent for retail outlets on farms is inconsistent and ‘flawed’.
He has urged that all current farm shops be given planning consent for what they already have, in order to give them future certainty.
And he says that by transferring responsibility to Economic Development, a farmer who wants to set up a commercial entity would be able to access proper business development advice.
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Too right:- less bureaucracy and all will run more smoothly. Get the States out of business, and just collect reasonable taxes.
Also can we have more free reports?
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The bigger question is who is Bruce Willing and why has he become involved in this by offering his services free of charge? What’s the hidden agenda?
I note he’s written a glowing reference for Freddie Cohen in the post and now we see he offered his services to Freddie to do a review of Farm shops all for the fun of doing it.
Why?
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bonkers (2) why has he become involved in this by offering his services free of charge? ,,, a glowing reference for Freddie Cohen
A sycophant in search of paid employment?
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This not surprisingly seems a very one sided pro-business report.
The main objective of business is to make profits and this will almost always not compatable with the needs of the Jersey population as a whole, so buisnesses must be regulated by government.
The countryside especially must be protected and farm shops should have to comply with the same planning and enviromental laws which prevent our countryside from being spoiled.
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Seems to me that notionally supporting the rural economy is a licence to enter any line of business one pleases. We have a dog kennel and tea room combination in one instance.
The whole point was to preserve the quaint rural lifestyle and enable farming to flourish but what we have now are farms being turned into distinct businesses which, quite naturally, will then be sold-off and will not remain to support the farm. Businesses just don’t operate to subsidise other businesses.
The longer-term looks bleak for what remains of the farms. Nobody can blame the farmers (if that’s the right name for them)but it is questionable whether it has been thought-out.
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If Bruce Willing honestly believes that, for example, Holme Grown is a farm shop and not a supermarket, I know someone who will provide him with a free eyetest.
As always has been and always will be in Jersey, it’s who you know not what you know!!!
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#2 ‘…who is Bruce Willing and why has he become involved in this by offering his services free of charge? What’s the hidden agenda?’
#3 ‘why has he become involved in this by offering his services free of charge? ,,, a glowing reference for Freddie Cohen
A sycophant in search of paid employment?’
Running for well paid employment in the States, I suspect. He has already tried once before, unsuccessfuly, via the Constable route.
He’s an O.V.with the right sort of establishment connections.
I’d say “Watch this space”.
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Oh no!
I see the name Bruce Willing appearing again. After a laughable defence of Freddie Cohen, he’s now getting involved in Economic Development.
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“The whole point was to preserve the quaint rural lifestyle and enable farming to flourish but what we have now are farms being turned into distinct businesses which, quite naturally, will then be sold-off and will not remain to support the farm. Businesses just don’t operate to subsidise other businesses.”
That is not true at all. Often one part of a business does not make a large profit or may make a loss but it works in concert with the rest of the business.
Charge free if you stay in credit current accounts are not very profitable for UK banks but they make the money back on credit cards, extra services sold, etc.
I can give you free toast if you buy bacon and eggs and really the toast is not free!
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Let’s see, farmers get a subsidy from the states (taxpayer)
Farmers supply supermarket chains in the UK resulting in the said items being half the price we pay here
We go to our local supermarket to purchase the exact same items at double the price plus gst
We go to the farm shop and still pay over the odds..
Basic arithmetic these lot are taking the proverbial and employ cheap labour at our expense ten times over basically when you take into account these workers need hospital care, schools for their kids etc etc
Is there any one over here not taking the piss??
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Dave (4) “not compatable with the needs of the Jersey population as a whole”
Dave I am not ‘pro-business’ however Jersey and the horticultural industry in particular face some very real challenges, which no amount of rule writing will solve. Hence my anti-regulation and ant-bureaucracy stance.
The tomato industry is all but gone and the great mass of greenhouses erected at great expense in the 1970′s are now all but redundant. Better a farm shop that people want rather than more houses or a builders yards that nobody wants; the fate of the greenhouse in the vicinity to the farm shop which is the focus of the report and JEP illustration.
Jersey has become skewed by the ‘finance industry’ at the expense of the Jersey population as a whole. A building bubble fuelled by inflated prices that few can afford, with a population in fear that the day is fast approaching when we will all be left in negative equity.
The Jersey population as a whole needs real industries with real jobs for real people; not shell companies which pay no tax and give work for only a select few.
Beaumont (8) Too true.
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The man does a review for free, it’s a conspiracy, he charges £100k for the same job and his is ripping off the system and public.
Damned if they do, damned if they don’t.
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Mark, I agree that there has to be a balance, but if farm shops were completely unregulated, to maximise profits we would get ‘shops’ the size of supermarkets, with huge car parks, staff accomodation, tea rooms, bars, visitor attractions and childrens adventure playgrounds. These would sell little local produce and employ cheap immigrant labour.
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Dave (13) I agree, balance. However that balance need to cover everything.
Holme Grown is at lease growing and selling some local produce, nearby greenhouses house Geomarine a civil engineering, geotechnical and marine works contractor. What has that got to do with either agriculture or horticulture?
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Damned if they do damned if they don’t. What if they just closed the farm shops chucked all the people out of work and couldn’t be bothered. The amount of interference I get in my business from rip off Social Security I feel like chucking in the towel. The States have no place in business.
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@ #4 Dave
You say: “The main objective of business is to make profits and this will almost always not compatable with the needs of the Jersey population as a whole, so buisnesses must be regulated by government.”
Others might argue that the profit motive is the only reason many hundreds of businesses, large and small, exist in Jersey to provide you and me with the products and services we want and need to buy. To state that the profit motive “will almost always not compatable with the needs of the Jersey population as a whole” is a bit naive.
Without the profit motive, there would be no businesses. Without businesses, there are no jobs, services or products. Unless, of course, you want a full-blown planned economy where the state provides all jobs, products and services. I’d suggest that business is better at that job than the States of Jersey!
It’s time for Jersey to start seeing that “business” is an integral part of our society, that we’re all dependent of a successful private sector for our public services, and that “people” and “business” are indivisible.
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Matthew I have no problems with business making profits, but they must do so within certain parameters.
I am sure for instance, that Dandara would have liked to build their apartments at Portelet four times as high as they were allowed to and make more profits.
Having large farm shops sprouting up in the countryside could spoil the countryside for everyone, have a negative impact on tourisim and lead to some established shops elsewhere going out of business.
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Pip Clement #9 You’re missing the point. Loss-leaders are part and parcel of almost every business but that stops when you have unassociated enterprise. “Buy a cream tea and leave your dog here for free” doesn’t really work.
There’s nothing to stop the new business from being sold and any property it occupies which will mean that it is no longer there to support the less lucrative other elements of the business. That isn’t in the spirit of the change of use but there’s nothing to stop it.
If there were covenants or regulations in place to protect the interests of the farms so the new businesses could not be asset-stripped then that may be a different matter.
I do not believe that farmers will plough profit from other ventures such as dog kennels into keeping the countryside looking tidy or sustaining the special way of life for others. It simply will not happen and that’s why I say it has not been well thought-out.
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I think I have a solution, have a definition for “Farm Shop” for instance: a shop that is part of a farm and sells produce that is produced on that farm as an integral part of its business.
Then that is the basis upon which the license is granted.
Making farmers dependant upon supermarkets to sell what they grow creates slewed markets and reduces the profits farmers can make.
Making the countryside profitable is the best way to stop development.
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Yipee for him, he did this FREE of charge (what you expecting pat on the back for that, I think not).
Leave the Farm Shops alone, what is this, sour grapes that they didn’t think to do this before, well toughies they are here and we love them!
The ones that are established leave alone.
Next you’ll tax the little farm stands with the honesty tins!
The States make enough money on backhanders, so leave the Farmers to make what little they can on their produce/buildings. If you didn’t buy items from overseas to import here, then they could make a decent honest living.
Mr Willing go bury your head in the spud field in shame!
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@20 Most of our states members have families or land sales and other business interests that apply to a lot of farming land etc over here silly billy. Its called conflict of interest and Jersey has a lovely reputation for it worldwide, homegrown brutality to be precise, and our states members are first prize winners of the most conflicting bunch of money orientated hypocritical morons on this side of the hemisphere!!
I dont mind honesty boxes or buying veg off the wall, they have always been around and don’t rip people off, you can stick your overpriced farm shops where the sun doesn’t shine!! Other than the one up st peters that sell classic herd the rest quite frankly I couldn’t give a toss about.
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19. the future
This is already in place but it has been ignored. I’m all for letting a local man make a local profit but some of these have got out of hand – some play by the rules and some don’t. We have regulations for a reason and a planning process where everyone could make their voice heard.
Farmshops are often down minor roads and the traffic alone is a big issue.
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This would be the same Bruce Willing who has just written a letter praising Freddie Cohen?
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Catherine
I can see your reason in all aspects apart from traffic. These cars are not being driven from St Helier to the country to do shopping and anything that keeps traffic out of St Helier is good for me.
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The true facts are that neither Rondels, Holmgrown or Homefield are proper farmers anymore. Go see how many tractors they have! They set up retail operations without planning permission, ignored existing building regulations and now sell whatever they like. After a while they will turn them into large retail centres if they are not brought under proper control. If anyone else broke the planning rules like this they would be prosecuted. Everyone has to follow rules and so should they.
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simple if you don’t like them or agree with them UMMMM don’t go to the them!
@21
Not quite true there Vikki, a lot of our farms have nothing to do with States members/family owing them! we had had them for generations!
Maybe they have bought a couple for land dev, once they have made sure we cannot do what we want on them, and then we have no other option but sell!
Cheers for comment on St Peters farm, Quenault family, especially Darren ,he has worked very hard on the farm, and doesn’t overprice, following there in his beloved father’s steps.
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Yes very true sorry to say, have a good look at all the names of our states members for the last eighty years silly and some of my relatives were at it too greedy little parasites, don’t fob off me of all people
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Jan@25
Homefield do grow most of their own and heavily supply a large part of the wholesale market as well. i actally think Homefield are a good example of what a farm shop should be like.
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