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The decisions as the council's minutes record them. A plain-language summary follows once it has been written.
RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
Item Planning Application no. 24/0050/PA – Langdon Mill Farm, Jeffreyston, Kilgetty SA68 0NJ – Erection of a Calf Building and Weaned Calf Building and Associated Yard Areas. Councillor Steve Alderman declared a personal and prejudicial interest by virtue of having various dealings with the premises as part of the National Farmers’ Union (NFU).
Moved by Councillor Simon Hancock, Seconded by Councillor Brian Hall. The vote, undertaken by way of a show of hands, was carried. RESOLVED That the Minutes of the Meeting held on 23 July 2024 be approved as a correct record, in both English and Welsh.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
[Having declared a personal and prejudicial interest, Councillor Steve Alderman left the meeting for this item of business] This application was presented for Committee consideration as it involved a full planning application for agricultural buildings in excess of 1,000 sq.m in area and on a site in excess of 1.0 HA (Appendix 1 to Section 14 of the Council’s Constitution). The application had been deferred at the Planning Committee held on 23 July 2024 pending a committee site visit undertaken on 28 August 2024. The Planning Officer presented the application to the Committee with the following oral update advising that the report stated that Jeffreyston Community Council raised no objection to the proposal. This was an error and it was reported that Jeffreyston Community Council’s response raised concerns from the public in respect of increased traffic and odour. The Planning Officer advised that there were three residential properties within the immediate vicinity, two of which were owned by the farm and occupied by farm workers. The Committee was advised that due notification had been received from the following interested parties, who wished to exercise their right to address the Committee: • Objector – Ian Dennis Whilst the Applicant was in attendance at the meeting, due notification had not been received and they were therefore not afforded the opportunity to speak due to protocol. The Chair then invited the Public Speaker to address the Committee. He highlighted that Natural Resources Wales (NRW) had stated that farming was the highest cause of pollution into the water ways in the area and advised the Committee that Langdon Mill Farm had been found guilty on two separate occasions of polluting the stream which ran alongside the farm and was a tributary of Cresswell River. He further emphasised that the Anaerobic Digestion (AD) System was far from operational. He stated that NRW had commented on the drainage plan on the assumption that the AD Plant was operational which was not the case. He noted a number of comments had been made referencing the AD plant and again highlighted that the plant was not operational and was not shown on any of the submitted applications. He requested that a condition be placed on the application that, the operation cannot commence until the AD plant is operational. He further asked that if the AD plant was not to be built, then a further application be submitted demonstrating the infrastructure to prevent pollution and checked by NRW to ensure legality and effectiveness. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Tony Wilcox regarding the previous illegal incidences by the Applicants, the Public Speaker advised that the convictions had been reported. In response to a question from Councillor Tim Evans regarding who the public speaker was representing, the public speaker advised that he was echoing the concerns of the residents in the village of Jeffreyston who had given permission to be a voice for them. In response to a question from Councillor Mark Carter regarding animal welfare, the public speaker advised that his primary concern was the effect on the local inhabitants as he had previously raised concerns and noted that the farm owners would have taken professional advice on animal welfare. The Committee then proceeded to discuss the application with the main points raised as follows: · Following the site visit undertaken by the Committee, Councillor Hall had noted that, whilst he had initially been very concerned regarding the animals in the buildings, he had been impressed at the condition of the cattle. · Councillor Hall recognised that the new areas were required and questioned the AD plant approval. The Planning Officer advised that the planning permission had been granted and that some work had commenced. · Councillor Hall further emphasised the apparent excellent condition of the cattle he had seen and Councillor Mark Carter concurred with that opinion. Councillor Brian Hall then Moved the application for approval; Seconded by Councillor Mark Carter. Councillor Carter highlighted that the building was required in order to move all of the outer units for calf rearing onto one site to make a closed unit. This would minimise the source, spread and effects of TB with not transporting the cattle across the County. • He further highlighted that he had no concerns on the animal welfare and did not believe there would be any detriment to the area following the site visit. • Councillor John Cole emphasised his disagreement noting that whilst the cattle are cared for, it remained a factory farming establishment which reduced their lifespan. In response to a question from Councillor Cole regarding animal welfare, the Planning Officer confirmed that animal welfare was not a planning matter. • In response to a further concern from Councillor Cole regarding the close proximity of the building to a watercourse, the Planning Officer advised that it was approximately 60metres from the nearest part of the building. • Councillor Cole raised concerns that the application was within a flood zone area and requested the history of flooding. The Planning Officer advised that the C2 flood zone only affected a small fraction of the land and was not where the buildings were sited. • Councillor John Davies who had also attended the site visit, highlighted that the current building was impressive and well populated with stock with dedicated staff in place. He did not have any concerns for the welfare of the animals. • In response to a concern from Councillor Davies regarding the issues of slurry and the AD plant not being operational, it was noted that NRW did not refer to the AD plant when considering the potential pollution of controlled waters . Councillor Alistair Cameron further highlighted the concerns raised by the public speaker regarding the AD plant not being in operation. The Chief Planning Officer advised that the NRW consultation response, received in support of the application, had reviewed the additional information submitted with the application in the form of the drainage plan RAC/10271/4. The Chief Planning Officer noted that the plan does not show the AD plant and the drainage detail does not demonstrate any connection from the farm complex to the AD plant. It was advised that there were two below ground storage containers for the drainage and a nutrient and manure management plan was under preparation and would explain the volumes of waste and disposal. He noted that this was currently undertaken by spreading the manure on the land as fertiliser. The Chief Planning Officer further advised that the management plan would have to be available to demonstrate compliance with the Control of Pollution Regulations (Wales) and NRW was the responsible body. Councillor Brian Hall requested to hear the response from the Applicant who was in attendance but not able to speak and the Chair reiterated that this was against protocol and could not take place. Councillor Hall highlighted that he had been advised that there were approximately 150 calves on site. In response to a request from Councillor Cole regarding the inclusion of a condition on the application that the AD plant be operational prior to the calf building and weaned calf building being implemented, the Chief Planning Officer clarified that, whilst having an AD plant would give the farm business another tool with which to deal with the manure and nutrients, this was a matter for the Nutrient and Manure Management Plan and compliance with the regulations; therefore the condition would not satisfy the test of necessity as the plan submitted to NRW did not contain a reference to the AD plant. Councillor Wilcox highlighted that he did not have an understanding of the difference in slurry between cattle housed indoor and cattle outdoors and the nutrient value. Councillor Carter highlighted the financial benefits demonstrated in the application as each time cattle were placed on the TB scheme, the farmer lost 50% of the cattle value with Welsh Government financing the compensation and emphasised that any scheme to reduce this loss should be supported. The Chair emphasised that the main focus of the Committee was the Planning Application. In response to a concern raised by Councillor Jordan Ryan regarding substances entering the watercourse, the Head of Planning reminded the Committee that the application site was a dairy enterprise and the development under discussion was in relation to calf rearing buildings and for dry manure and not slurry. The Chair highlighted that the concerns raised at the previous meeting had been primarily regarding the size of the building and the effect on the landscape, and concurred that, following the site visit, he did not feel that there was any adverse effect on the landscape. For the Motion: Councillors Alistair Cameron, Mark Carter, John Cole, John Davies, Tim Evans, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Iwan Ward and Tony Wilcox [9] There were no votes against and no abstentions. RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
Decision as recorded
RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
This application was presented for Committee consideration as it was for a recreational development of over 0.5 hectares (Appendix 1 to Section 14 of the Council’s Constitution). The Chief Planning Officer presented the application to the Committee identifying the various elements of the application with the key points highlighted as follows: · The proposed development was a replacement for the existing pitch changing the natural surface to a third Generation (3G) pitch. · A Drainage and Flood Assessment had been undertaken which demonstrated the existing drainage and sewers for the site. · He further highlighted the proposed new drainage channels, which ran into an existing channel, along the western side of the pitch. · There were no objections raised by NRW in relation to flood risk of the development. · The Chief Planning Officer advised of an oral update to the report stating that Haverfordwest Town Council had raised no adverse comments in respect of the application. This was a late representation received after agenda publication. The Committee was advised that due notification had been received from the following interested parties, who wished to exercise their right to address the Committee: • Agent – Rob Davies The Chair then invited the Public Speaker to address the Committee. He highlighted that: · the application would provide more intensive use of the facility all year round. · It would support the development of the team in playing in the highest tier of Welsh football. · It would allow significant growth in Female Football by creating a development hub in the West. · The facility would be made available for surrounding grass roots clubs. · Access would be facilitated for daytime use for community well-being projects and educational establishments. · The application site is already a well-established and well contained sports ground. · No third-party objections had been received as part of the application process. The Chair then invited any questions from Members to the Agent. In response to a question from Councillor John Cole regarding regular inspection of the drainage gulley, the Agent advised that he was unaware of the current situation noting surveys of the existing drainage structure had taken place. He further noted that SAB approval had also been received. There were no further comments from the Committee regarding the application. Moved by Councillor Brian Hall; Seconded by Councillor Tim Evans For the Motion: Councillors Steve Alderman, Alistair Cameron, Mark Carter, John Cole, John Davies, Tim Evans, Brian Hall, Simon Hancock, Jordan Ryan, Iwan Ward and Tony Wilcox [10] There were no votes against and no abstentions. RESOLVED That the application be APPROVED subject to the conditions outlined in Section 1.1 of the report.
Councillors must say when they have a personal link to something being discussed, such as a job, a property or a family member. A prejudicial interest is one strong enough that the councillor usually leaves the room and takes no part.
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