This is a transcription of an open day held at West Wight Alpacas on 3 October 2015

Taken from recording of the event, original recording at https://archive.org/details/wwa-consultation

Transcribed by David Walter 24/11/15.
Note: At the beginning only a half a dozen people had turned up.
Mr Payne.: This is a little disappointing I was hoping they were going to be a few more people here. I
think probably the best format is... I just say to start with if you respect us Michelle and I will respect
you, so we are getting a little fed up with sniping and we are very happy to answer whatever questions
you have including any questions about our future plans that we have and I'll be as open and honest as
I can unless there's something I don't feel I can talk about for commercial reasons in which case I will
say that. I'll be absolutely as open and honest as I can about our future plans and what we intend to do
here. What do you do with that it's up to you if you want to take it away and rev up opposition to it then
fine but if you come here to listen then thank you very much it's just a shame.
Mr Payne: Now we'll take a walk around The farm.
Mr Payne: As of this morning we've got 73 Alpacas and 10 llamas.
They are all on the site at the moment.
This is the number that we can cope with and the number we want to keep to.
II wrote to a man who owns this 20(?) acres and (plus) another section in the village, I can't remember
his name, I asked if I could rent the 20 acres from him and I got a letter back saying actually we want to
sell it. It wasn't the right time for us but when there is a piece of land that comes up next to you and if
you could do it you've got to buy it. I didn't want it all I only wanted to buy this 13 acre field but he said
I'd have to take all 20 acres and the land in the village which they perceived to be valuable because of
its development potential. That, as I'm going to tell you all in a minute, I'm going to put on the market.
Shortly. So if people want to get together and buy it they can do but it's going on the market. It's got a
footpath running through it. The footpath runs to the other side and there is a stream there. Youll
noticed that it is 5 foot fencing rather than 4 foot fencing there is a lot of dog walking goes on along that
footpath. I've already instructed an agent but it's the access application.
Regarding the access application Stuart Hutchinson said there was some concern because it's a great
big commercial type access. It is as highways said traditional field access were holes in hedge and
they don't meet modern highway standards. I'd rather put a hole in the hedge because that would be
incredibly cheap. I hope I don't even need to do the access I hope to get to the planning to put the
access in and then whoever buys the field can put the access in themselves. I don't want to get
involved with it.
Public: Why not get the people who are buying the field to put the access in?
Mr Payne: I was told it was worth more with an access and almost un-sellable without.

Public: but it's outside the development envelope so how are you going to persuade a developer?
Mr Payne: Why does it need to be a developer? Somebody with horses?
Public: You used the word development and that to our mind means houses.
Mr Payne: I started my life as a farmers son 33 years working in an agricultural horticultural business
which became Wight Salads that's why we came to the Island. After that I spent 15 years, and I'm very
proud of what I've done, building houses. I use the word development because it's a logical plot near
the centre of the village. People in England get very upset with the building of houses. We are
desperately short of houses particularly for young people The Chancellor is already saying that villages
are going to have to grow it's a logical point. That (land) will be built on. It might be in five years time it
might be in ten years time it might be in fifty years time. It's a logical in-fill in the village. It's not going to
be built on by me. And it might not be built on by a developer. But it's logical, it will happen. At some
point.
Mr Payne: We have looked at camels, we've been to Cornwall selected three in Cornwall the man has
agreed to TB test the entire hard they're on the Lizard which is TB-free at the moment. He keeps them
on a Dangerous Wild Animals license. On the Isle of Wight they want a zoo license and a performing
animals license. Once we've got a zoo license we become exempted from the zoo license because we
only have one species but we've still got to go through the same process as London zoo to get the zoo
license before we can get the zoo license exemption. Which is all a bit crazy. The Isle of Wight being
short of money is the most expensive County in the country to go through all of these licenses. It's
something we are going to do but one step at a time.
Public: Will you include the camels in the walking?
Mr Payne: Eventually. It's the plan but we might go off in a different direction.
The group returns from the walk and gather outside the cafe. Mr Payne addresses the assembled
group.
Mr Payne: I'm pleased to see a few more people here you can ask what you like I have already spoken
a bit about the field access down the road I've already said the reason we are putting access in it is
because that field is useless to me and I intend to put it on the market. I do not intend to develop it. So
anyone who wants to buy it including the villagers can make an offer. It is on the market through BCM
who are our agents.
Public: How much money are you looking for?
Mr Payne: I am looking for whatever I can get for it I had to pay a lot of money for it because the
previous owner had it in his head that there was a future prospect for that field so I am looking for the
best offer I can get for it.
Mr Payne: The reason it's a big access is because you're not allowed to just bung a hole through a
hedge any more it has to be safe so it has to conform to modern highway standards and that's why it is
drawn as is. I don't intend to put it in. I hope to sell the field and I hope that whoever buys the field will
put in the access.
Mr Payne: Extended hours. Lots of whisperings up and down the village I would just like to put this into
perspective of where we're coming from. When we gained planning permission to convert this barn we
were three months before new permitted development rules. The planners were aware of those new

permitted development rules at the time but still put on what we believe were very restrictive conditions.
We do not want to open until 11 o'clock at night we have no interest we want to be able to open three
or four evenings a week until about 9.30pm in the summer we want to be able to open, we believe, a
couple of evenings a week in the winter until about 9.30pm. At the end of the day Michelle and I are
working seven days a week we're not young any more and we are half-dead doing what we're doing but
we believe it would add to our business here. I think what everyone needs to take into account is there
are 28 covers in there. We don't have a huge carpark. Work out with 28 covers how many cars in and
out. It's not a huge number.
Public: What do you intend to do during those extended hours after 9.30pm? Is this food? Restaurant?
Mr Payne: Yes we intend to serve food it's been very successful for us serving food in here. We are
going to apply for a license. People come in here at lunchtime and say do you sell wine. I envisage us
having two or three different sorts of white wine and two or three different sorts of red wine and some
bottled beers. That's what I envisage. Again it's an application so you all get your opportunity to
comment on that application when we do it. A lot of people say to me Ah! You're the new Garlic farm in
the West Wight.. The Garlic farm has 28 employees plus more in the summer months he turns over 1
1/2 million a year Michelle and I absolutely promise you we do not want to become the next Garlic farm.
We would like to increase our business here a bit to make ourselves a little more profitable and have a
slightly more comfortable life. I used to run a business with 70 employees it's hassle and I hate it. We've
now got a business with six employees. The reason I want to get that condition off; Tapnell Farm don't
have it On The Rails don't have it and we're a similar business offering similar things and we can't
compete. I will also say there is legal precedent for converted barns that are restricted to be able to
compete with other similar businesses in the area. I am being absolutely honest with you we don't
intend to open all hours we don't intend to open seven days a week we don't intend to open until 11 at
night but we want to be in a similar position to other businesses. I want somebody to come to me and
say I want a party until 11 o'clock at night and say thank you very much. So there will be occasions.
Night time alpaca walks with a meal afterwards.
Michelle and my intention is that we leave here in 15 years time when I'm 60. We sell it we move to the
south of France with a half a dozen of our best Alpacas and we go and find somewhere warmer.
Michelle and I are going on the licensing course on 29 October for a personal license after that we can
apply for a drinks license. This (the meeting) is against professional advice. I've been told I shouldn't
be doing this today. At the end of the day I have tried consultation in the village once before in our view
it didn't work I'm trying it again. You can take this away you can do what you like with it.
Public: Are you planning to build a house, a bricks and mortar house?
Mr Payne: We are absolutely planning to build a bricks and mortar house. What you should understand
is that the process we have gone through in temporary accommodation leads to a bricks and mortar
house. We need to live here. That process leads to a house the process has actually changed we've
gone through the old process that use the old rules to assess us. Rules have now changed so we don't
even need to provide financial information so that application for a house may go in sooner rather than
later. What I would say is we've done our big houses, our trophy homes in the past we just want a home
to live in. A three-bedroom bungalow proportional to the size of the business. We don't want a mega
house. And it will be absolutely proportional to the size of the business. This isn't an exercise in gaining
value. It's not a property development exercise to gain masses of value to sell it off and make money.

we want a house that's proportional and that's it. A three bedroomed bungalow. It will be connected to
the business so it will not need a separate access. It will be part of the business and it will be an
agricultural tie, tied to the business. You should understand that that whole process that we fought so
hard for does lead to the endgame living on site permanently. We've done 90% of the work. The local
authority have accepted the fact that we need to be here and so as far as they are concerned the next
stage is a house application.
Mr Payne: We are talking about 28 covers and a maximum of 12 cars when we are full we have the big
advantage of a regular bus service. We appreciate the houses close to us will get some disruption I
would like people to go away and put that into proportion. I can see it from one side I'm sure you will
see it from the other.
Mr Payne: Future plans: We talked about the license in the next 12 months we are considering a small
conservatory style extension to get possibly another 16 covers. We are also thinking about putting in a
small childrens play area for families. A lot of people from the local school come in and drink coffee. It
will need planning permission.
Mr Payne: Camels: We think it would complete the set if we had camels. We have already chosen
them. Three Bactrian camels. There is a huge amount of license work including a zoo license. We have
to go through the same process that London zoo does. We are considering putting in a Pompeii(?) oven
that you put pizzas in. The one we are looking at has a DEFRA approved chimney. I know some of you
are worried about cooking smells anything we change here will be in conjunction with the environmental
health with their advice on what we need to do to conform. We do very little frying here it's all
proportion. A small proportion.
Public: Have you given any thought to mitigating the extra noise, movement, and hubub that's going to
affect their lives?
Mr Payne:You have to proportionalise the effect.
Mr Payne: We did at one point talk about getting some shepherds huts and accommodation that's not
on the radar at the moment but it's something I've been honest with you we have spoken about.
Public: What is a shepherds heart?
Mr Payne: A shepherds heart is a small wheeled hut that used to be wheeled round by shepherds. It
was their overnight accommodation and it has become very trendy. It is holiday accommodation. It's
something we have looked at. Six or eight shepherds huts up the top of the site with beautiful views as
accommodation for people to come and stay.