At a Glance
- One Planet Development (OPD) is a Welsh planning policy for genuinely low-impact development.
- It can provide a route to living in the open countryside where a conventional new home might struggle to gain planning permission.
- You need to demonstrate that your project can meet your basic needs for income, food, energy and waste within five years.
- It is not a loophole for building a cheap rural home. OPD comes with strict requirements and ongoing commitments.
If you’re interested in living off-grid in Wales, you may have come across One Planet Development.
It can sound almost too good to be true. A planning route that can allow people to live in the Welsh countryside while producing food, generating renewable energy and running a low-impact lifestyle?
There is some truth to that. But OPD is considerably more demanding than simply putting an off-grid house on a piece of land and calling it sustainable.
What Is One Planet Development?
One Planet Development is a specific Welsh planning policy for development that, through its low impact, enhances or does not significantly diminish environmental quality. It can apply to individual homes, cooperative communities and larger settlements, including developments in the open countryside.
For someone hoping to live off-grid in Wales, the open-countryside element is particularly interesting.
Rather than trying to convince the planning authority that your rural house should be allowed simply because it is environmentally friendly, you are proposing an entire low-impact way of living that is connected to the land.
That distinction is important.
What Does an OPD Need to Achieve?
An OPD needs to demonstrate that the occupants can meet their minimum needs through the development.
This includes income, food, energy and waste assimilation, with the management plan showing how this will be achieved within no more than five years of starting work on the site.
That can involve things such as:
- Growing food on the site.
- Developing a land-based business.
- Producing income from products grown or raised on the land.
- Generating renewable energy.
- Harvesting and managing water sustainably.
- Managing waste and recycling.
- Using sustainable, low-impact construction methods.
- Reducing reliance on fossil fuels and high-impact consumption.
The project also needs to have a genuinely low ecological footprint. The current guidance uses 2.4 hectares per person as the initial benchmark, with a clear trajectory towards a lower footprint over time.
In other words, installing solar panels and building an attractive timber cabin isn’t enough.
The Land-Based Enterprise Is Important
One of the biggest differences between OPD and simply wanting to live sustainably is the emphasis on land-based income.
An established OPD is expected to generate a modest cash income from products derived from land-based production. Food production is also part of the model.
That could potentially involve horticulture, livestock, woodland products or other activities that genuinely make use of the land.
This is why buying a beautiful rural plot and deciding afterwards that you’ll somehow make it work probably isn’t the best approach.
The land needs to be capable of supporting the lifestyle and enterprises you propose.
You’ll Need a Management Plan
This is where OPD becomes considerably more serious.
Your planning application needs to be supported by a management plan explaining how the development will operate and how it will reach its targets.
It needs to demonstrate that your plans are realistic rather than simply describing the lifestyle you’d like to have.
The ecological footprint is also monitored. The OPD ecological-footprint guidance requires applicants to estimate their footprint at first habitation and review actual progress at years three and five.
So this isn’t a case of writing an impressive document, getting planning permission and then forgetting about it.
It Comes With Ongoing Commitments
This is probably the biggest thing to understand before considering an OPD.
The development is expected to continue operating according to its agreed principles, with annual reporting of progress forming part of the OPD framework.
That means you need to be comfortable with the lifestyle you’re proposing.
If your real plan is to build a nice rural home, install some solar panels and carry on living much like anyone else, OPD probably isn’t the right route.
If, however, you genuinely want to grow food, work the land, reduce your environmental impact and build your life around a low-impact rural enterprise, it becomes much more interesting.
Could One Planet Development Work for You?
One Planet Development is potentially a fantastic option for the right person.
It offers something that conventional planning permission often doesn’t: a recognised policy route specifically designed around low-impact development.
But that doesn’t make it an easy option.
You’ll need suitable land, a viable land-based enterprise, realistic plans for meeting your needs, an appropriately designed home and a management plan that stands up to scrutiny.
You’ll also need to be prepared to monitor your progress and continue meeting the principles of the development.
So rather than asking:
“Can I use OPD to get planning permission for my off-grid home?”,
a better question might be:
“Can I genuinely create a viable, low-impact way of living from this piece of land?”
If the answer is yes, One Planet Development could be one of the most interesting planning options available to people wanting to live off-grid in Wales.
One Planet Development Checklist
- Is the land located in Wales and potentially suitable for OPD?
- Can the land support the activities you are proposing?
- Do you have a viable land-based enterprise?
- Can you demonstrate how you’ll generate sufficient income?
- Can you produce enough food to meet the relevant requirements?
- Have you considered renewable energy, water and waste systems?
- Have you calculated your ecological footprint?
- Can you produce a realistic five-year management plan?
- Are you prepared for ongoing monitoring and reporting?
- Have you discussed the proposal with the relevant Local Planning Authority before buying land?
Planning policy and legislation can change, so always check the current Welsh Government guidance and speak to the relevant planning authority before making financial commitments.
If you’re more interested in learning if an off-grid home is viable in England, you may want to read this article instead.
Looking for more practical advice on off-grid living and self-sufficiency? Explore the Homes Off Grid Reading Room for more guides, ideas, and project inspiration.