Shropshire Star

Controversial pig farm granted planning permission

A planning application to house 2,000 pigs at a farm has been given the green light by councillors.

Published

Mr Will Jones, GW and WW Jones of Hill Farm, Montgomery, made the application for two livestock buildings with a covered manure store.

When the application was made there was considerable local objection due to possible smell, pollution and an increase in the number of HGV lorries in the area.

A petition was launched, and TV wildlife presenter Iolo Williams also voiced his objection to the plans.

Local objectors said they were not against farm diversification, but felt due to concerns about ammonia levels and increased traffic meant this application should be refused.

However the application from Will and Debbie James who run the farm, was passed after long consideration by councillors last week.

Within the planning report, it says that pigs will go into the system at 7kg and out at 110kg, with the expectation that there is 2.2 cycles expected per year.

The manure shed for the big farm will run parallel to the pig rearing sheds, and will house 180 to 200 tones of manure when the system is at full capacity.

Montgomery Town Council was one consultee which said it supported diversification but was again concerned about drainage, contamination, spreading of manure and heavy traffic.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales said in the report that it had issues with access to the pre-application consultation and how aware the local community was.

The organisation also brought into question the accuracy of the description in the report.

Councillors spent a lengthy period discussing the application.

Conditions were proposed in the planning report, for increased access and five passing pays to be introduced to deal with HGVs going to the site.

Other conditions included hedgerows not being illuminated and no deliveries to the site outside the hours of 7am to 7pm, Monday to Saturday.

The recommendation from the planning officer said: "The proposed development is considered to be fundamentally in accordance with relevant policy subject to the inclusion of recommended conditions upon any grant of consent.

"The recommendation is one of conditional consent."