Agenda item

Comments/statements from members of the public included;

(summarised)

·       No perceptible odours from calves;

·       Calves have been heard less than 5 times over a period of 30 months;

·       No perceptible increase in flying insects had been observed;

·       The housing conditions were of a high standard and the welfare of all the animals to be excellent;

·       The erection of a new agricultural building would allow for optimal calf health, lower stock density levels, better isolation should any disease outbreak occur, longer rest periods for the building between batches of calves, good management number with no significant noise or odours;

·       Sheep had been previously grazed on and off this field for the last tow years along with cutting the field for silage;

·       Manure from the building was used on arable crops as part of a crop nutrient plan to help reduce artificial fertiliser use. Manure helped improve soil organic matter and aids water retention reducing run off;

·       Agricultural business is an important part of the rural economy in the Wiveliscombe area and should be supported;

·       Concerns that no calves had been on the land in question for at least 30 years plus;

·       Concerns that the applicant installed a handful of calves in temporary shelters on the field in question following the last committee meeting;

·       Concerns with moving livestock around;

·       Concerns that no noise assessment had been provided for this location;

·       There has been an increase in noise from this location with only a small handful of calves in residence particularly when the site is visited;

·       The main field has been used for cropping with no livestock present whilst this type of farming was undertaken;

·       Suitable landscaping should be required along the building sides that are not alongside current hedging;

·       Concerns with noise and smell from the development;

·       Concerns with the calves left overnight with no herdsman present on site;

·       Concerns with the increase of traffic movement;

·       All calves were purchased from a single dairy farm and rear them through the milk feeding stage. Calves are then sold to other framers to graze and grow on;

·       The agricultural building was to improve facilities for the calves to better facilitate the all-in-all calf rearing system and optimise health;

·       Small groups of calves on separate sites provides better biosecurity and meets the Animal Plan and Health Agency’s requirement for isolation facilities;

·       No impact on local residents;

·       Wiveliscombe Town Council have visited the site and stated that there were no concerns regarding the location of the barn;

·       This development was supported by the Parish Council;

·       No objections relating to noise has been commented on by the EHO;

·       The application has been assessed by the Council as phosphate neutral;

·       Calf movement records have been submitted to the Council;

·       There appears to be no evidence from the applicant on the herd size previously at the site of the planning application;

·       Concerns regarding lack of mitigation for the increase in herd size and for the potential of this application to cause noise and odour disturbance to local residents;

·       This development will allow an increase in herd size on the site, and so the application should be subject to a proper Habitats Regulations Assessment;

Comments/statements from Members included;

Summarised)

·       This was a working farm in a farming community and the farmer had a right to make a living;

·       Calves only make a noise when they are first removed from their mothers;

·       The straw was mitigating any phosphate issues;

·       We need to keep with new agricultural practices;

·       Concerns with the lack of detail regarding manure or feed storage on site;

·       Residents have a right to continuing tranquillity where possible when living in the open rural communities;

·       Concerns with the criteria for phosphate load on the site;

Councillor Lithgow proposed and Councillor Tully seconded a motion for   planning permission be GRANTED subject to conditions set out in the report

to Planning Committee dated 23 June 2022 and an additional condition to limit the total number of animals on the site;

The motion was carried.