Dave and Mayu Phillips have been granted planning permission by Pembrokeshire County Council for their eco-home development, which includes keeping guinea pigs for sustainable meat
A couple with plans to construct an eco-home in rural Wales have informed their local council of their intention to breed and consume guinea pigs reared on their property.
Dave and Mayu Phillips have received planning permission from Pembrokeshire County Council for the project, which includes keeping “small-scale livestock” for meat.
In addition to guinea pigs, they plan to raise pigeons and rabbits for food as part of their commitment to sustainable living on the land. During a planning committee meeting, Mr Phillips, whose family has resided in Pembrokeshire for generations, expressed his belief that the project is his way of “contributing positively to its future”.
The plans encompass a “low-impact” home, increased honey and walnut production on the site, as well as the rearing of small livestock.
Councillor Mark Carter queried Mr Phillips about his choice of meat, saying: “I was quite intrigued by some of the other things you were going to grow: the rabbits and the guinea pigs, was it?”.
Mr Phillips replied: “(They’re) not like the guinea pigs people have as pets, it’s completely different. It’s just like a big rabbit, and we’ve got experience for years now we’ve bred them.
“They’re bred for meat, very similar to breeding rabbits for meat, very similar.”
The plans fall under a One Planet Development – a Welsh planning policy aimed at encouraging individuals to live and work sustainably on their own land, permitting construction on rural sites that might otherwise be off-limits for development.
Mr Phillips informed the committee: “My wife and I are very deeply passionate about the One Planet movement and the principles behind the One Planet development.
“Today humanity is living as if we’ve got several more planet Earths just waiting in the wings… the reality is we only have one planet.
“We can spread awareness of this problem but also take practical steps towards living more sustainably.”
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