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Farming Today: Second home ownership, Food safety, Worm research

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14/11/2016

Second home ownership, Food safety, Worm research

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, Second home ownership, Food safety, Worm research

Second-homes court ruling says keep new-build houses for locals.

The latest news about food, farming and the countryside. A court ruling in Cornwall says new-build homes should be sold to local people, not as holiday lets.

In what's being described as a landmark decision the High Court has ruled that St Ives in Cornwall CAN keep its ban on new-build second homes. It means developers will only get planning permission for a new property if it's reserved for permanent residents. Opponents say it's an attack on the town's key industries - tourism and construction - but the council says it's a victory for localism, and other towns across the country could now follow suit. 

As part of our week looking at food safety, we ask the Food Standards Authority if the two-year-old National Food Crime Unit is proving successful. 

And Charlotte Smith joins earthworm experts as they try to encourage us all to join a new study. Earthworm Watch, a joint initiative between the Natural History Museum, Earthwatch institute and the Earthworm Society of Britain wants us to volunteer to dig a hole, count the worms, and send them our findings. Worms are a key indicator of soil health. 

Presented by Charlotte Smith and produced by Sally Challoner.

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