By Henry Harington
We’ve recently has a problem with “bats in the belfry” in Luccombe, but now we have a more positive animal story. A local beekeeper, Peter Little, has submitted an application to Exmoor National Park for a timber framed building for honey extraction and general bee farming operations on Chrisland Drive. The application has been submitted to Luccombe Parish Council for approval and is being considered.
In a letter supporting the planning application the Bee Farmers Association say the planned shed is the “bees knees” and ideal for the bees needs. The Association say the building will help Peter expand his bee-keeping business and breeding programme, reduce the carbon footprint of the honey harvest in this area and potentially create additional employment opportunities.
Generally speaking what is good for bees is good for the rest of us as they are the pollinators of a part of the crops and fruit that we eat and they have been threatened by environmental encroachment and a virus that has wiped out many hives.
You can comment below or examine the application and submit your own your official comments on the Exmoor National Park planning site at : https://planning.agileapplications.co.uk/exmoor/application-details/21442
Bee photo by Aaron Burden on Unsplash
When I looked up the proposed location of this admirable venture, it brought back childhood memories of when bees had previously been kept very close to this spot..
My father used to keep bees here in Luccombe, but a good friend of his, Arthur (Chum) Kingdom who was the Holnicote Estate thatcher, also kept bees and the hives were located in a small enclosure along this part of Chisland Lane, on the left as you go towards Piles Mill. I can remember seeing Arthur there, smoker in hand, tending to his hives. We often passed along there on Sunday afternoon walks.