The Battle of the Benders
The Off-Grid web site is serialising Nick Rosen’s book, “How to live Off-Grid” about his journey round the UK visiting eco-homes. In it he meets survivalists and nimbys, free love hippies and millionaire idealists. This excerpt finds Nick visiting a “bender” community in Devon fighting for planning permission — they bought some land and built a barn and the canvas benders. Their public enquiry has just finished and the residents are awaiting the planning inspector’s decision.…