100 alpacas at risk as council says farm 'not profitable enough'

An animal lover fears losing her home and alpaca farm with 100 animals at risk after planners ruled the business had not demonstrated that it was financially viable. Dawn Goulding, 55, says the future of more than 100 animals at Alpaca Acres is now uncertain because her family cannot secure permanent permission to live on the land. The family-run farm in Great Tey, near Colchester, Essex, houses alpacas alongside rescued pigs, goats, sheep, chickens and other animals.

It also offers animal experiences and says it has welcomed vulnerable children, veterans, NHS workers, care-home residents and people with additional needs. Dawn claims every penny raised is put back into caring for the animals and supporting the farm’s community work. However, a planning inspector dismissed the family’s appeal against an enforcement notice issued by Colchester City Council in October 2025. The inspector accepted that the operation required one rural worker to be available outside normal working hours.

But the ruling found there was insufficient evidence to establish that the enterprise was financially sustainable enough to justify permanent residential accommodation in the countryside. It said detailed accounts, tax returns and a long-term business plan had not been provided. Concerns were also raised about the effect of the residential use on the surrounding rural landscape. Dawn has now launched a petition as she continues fighting for a future at the farm.

“Our planning situation centres around the council’s view that Alpaca Acres does not generate sufficient financial profit to meet the criteria they require to justify a permanent residential home on the farm,” Dawn said in a fundraiser. The issue isn’t that we cannot care for our animals. “It isn’t that we haven’t worked hard to maintain the farm. It isn’t that Alpaca Acres doesn’t have a purpose. I t is that, in the council’s view, our business does not currently generate enough profit to satisfy its requirements.”

Alpaca Acres has operated from the land since 2017 and is now registered as a non-profit Community Interest Company. Dawn said: " Now we are facing one of the hardest battles of our lives. The possibility of having to leave the land we call home is something I cannot begin to put into words.” The farm provides public experiences including alpaca walks, animal encounters and seasonal yoga sessions. Dawn says it has also worked with people connected to Help for Heroes, the NHS, the RAF, women’s refuges, schools and care homes.

The farm is home to more than 100 animals, many of which Dawn says require daily or sometimes round-the-clock care. She said: “They aren’t just animals we own. They are our family. Their welfare is our absolute priority, and the thought of what an uncertain future could mean for them is heartbreaking. “We are not asking for a mansion. We are not asking for luxury. We are not asking to make a fortune.” The original temporary permission for a mobile home was granted on appeal in 2018 for three years.

At the time, an inspector found there was an essential need for someone working with the alpacas to live on site, but the permission was made temporary because the fledgling business had not yet demonstrated lasting financial viability. After that permission expired, the council issued an enforcement notice concerning residential and business use of the agricultural land. A subsequent appeal was dismissed and the notice upheld in October 2025.

She added: “The difference we make to people’s lives cannot always be measured financially. The smile on a vulnerable child’s face, the comfort an animal brings to someone struggling, the confidence gained by someone with additional needs or the happiness of a family making special memories – these things have value too. The Change.org petition has attracted hundreds of signatures. Colchester City Council previously told Metro that officers had reviewed the application and concluded it did not meet all the requirements for a home on the site, including “financial viability and long-term sustainability”.

A council spokesperson said: “The council recognises that this is a matter of significant personal importance to those involved. However, planning decisions can only be based on material planning considerations and must be taken in accordance with the relevant planning policies and the evidence submitted as part of the application. “The council’s role in determining a planning application is separate from its responsibilities in relation to animal welfare licensing.

Recognition of standards of animal welfare through schemes such as the PawPrints Awards does not override planning policy requirements or predetermine the outcome of planning applications. “Applicants are entitled to submit revised proposals should they wish to do so, and any future application would be considered on its own merits against the relevant planning policies and the evidence provided at that time.” The council has been approached for further comment.