Concerns raised over expansion of dairy farm dubbed ‘an intensive livestock unit’

Bruce Sinclair, local democracy reporter

Council planners are to visit the site of a large dairy farm after concerns were raised that new calf buildings could lead to animal welfare issues and an increase in the size of the herd to 3,000 cattle.

At a meeting of Pembrokeshire council’s planning committee yesterday (23 July) an application by Hugh James of Langdon Mill Farms Ltd for a calf building, weaned calf building, and associated yard areas, at Langdon Mill Farm, near Jeffreyston, Kilgetty was recommended for conditional approval.

Jeffreyston community council has raised concerns on potential increased noise and odour from the scheme, planners heard.

Housed indoors

A supporting statement, through agent Reading Agricultural Consultants, said: “The holding currently has a milking herd of approximately 2,000 cows, which are housed indoors for the majority of the year, with dry cows [cows that are not lactating, prior to calving] and heifers grazed outdoors when weather and soil conditions permit.

“There has been significant investment in buildings and infrastructure at the farm over the last decade in respect of cattle accommodation, slurry storage, milking facilities, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant and feed storage. The unit is efficient, achieving yields of more than 10,000 litres/cow/year, with cows being milked three times/day in the 60-point rotary parlour.”

Currently, calves are reared at Langdon Mill Farm for two months before being transported off-site to be reared at a number of third-party farms in the area before being return later; the proposed 61.2m long calf building is required to accommodate young-stock, following separation from the cows, to two-months, with the 164.8m weaned calf building to be used for calves from two months to seven months.

The application says the proposals would “clearly make the enterprise more financially robust by reducing reliance on third party farms”.

Factory farming

However, concerns were raised at the committee meeting by objector Ian Dennis, a former vet of some four decades’ experience, who described Langdon as occupying 3,000 acres of land with 2,000 cattle currently that “are never allowed to graze,” the proposal, he said, would add another 1,000 cattle to the site.

“This is factory farming, an intensive livestock unit, no longer a farm.”

He told planners a “mendacious and incorrect” ammonia emission report submitted by the applicants was “designed to bamboozle,” saying, despite his experience and scientific background, he needed expert support to assess.

He said only average figures were reported, rather than peaks and troughs, adding the “fictitious anaerobic digestion plant” had yet to be built, with planning permission now lapsed.

However, officers told members the applicant’s agent had said works on the digestor had actually started.

On the issue of animal welfare, Mr Dennis said he had “very huge concerns” about the scale of the development, differing from a planning officer report saying the scheme would bring animal welfare benefits.

A suggestion by committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock the application be deferred pending a site visit was unanimously backed by committee members present.