Acorus are delighted to have assisted a dairy farmer gain planning approval for two additional cattle buildings with underground slurry storage beneath on a family run farm that has been in operation since the 1970s.
The farm processes and bottles all the milk produced on farm and the business has its own milk-round and, also sells the bottled milk to other milk-round operators.
Full planning permission was sought and approved for the buildings which provides improved welfare for the dairy cows and the additional slurry storage means the farm is provided with over six months capacity.
Agricultural Buildings
In this case a planning application in full was submitted to the Local Planning Authority providing details of the proposed buildings including scale and appearance, layout, and access. A planning statement was supported by detailed plans and elevations and site location and block plans.
Had permitted development rights applied to this proposal, a Prior Notification (also referred to as a 28 Day Notice) could have been submitted to the Local Planning Authority for them to consider the development.
The Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) England Order 2015, Part 6, Class A, allows Agricultural Development on holdings of 5 hectares (12.35 acres) or more provided that:-
- The development is on agricultural land (as defined) and the building is reasonably necessary for the purposes of agriculture;
- Work is not carried out on a separate parcel of land less than 1 hectare;
- Development does not exceed 1,000 metre squared;
- The building is not higher than 12m (or 3m if located within 3km of an aerodrome);
- Development is more than 25m from a classified road;
- The building is for housing livestock, silage or slurry, being used for storing fuel for or waste from a biomass boiler or AD System and it is not sited within 400m of the curtilage of a ‘protected building’ - this is normally any building not involved in agriculture.
There are separate Permitted Development right ‘rules’ for holdings of less than 5 hectares (12.35 acres).
Building Design
Acorus in-house design/drawing team work closely with each other and the client to produce the best building for its intended use and location on site in line with current legislation, welfare regulations, health and safety as well as economics.
Plans and elevations were produced providing 74 cubicle spaces in each building for the dairy cows with feed area and underground slurry storage. Both buildings will enhance the existing welfare standards on the farm.
The proposed buildings are of a steel portal frame structure with concrete wall panels and timber boarding with fibre cement roof sheets including clear Perspex roof lights.
Slurry Storage
The existing slurry storage facilities at the farm were limited providing less than two months storage of slurry production.
The additional storage will more than satisfy the current SSAFO (Silage Slurry and Agricultural Fuel Oil) Regulations https://www.legislation.gov.uk/uksi/2010/639/contents/made providing in total over six months storage, the minimum being four months, which will ensure the best use of the slurry in terms of its timing of application to the grassland as an organic fertilizer, and also ensure that the risks of a pollution incident occurring at the farm is minimised.
The new slurry storage facility will potentially be eligible for the ‘Slurry Infrastructure Grant’, which will be available later in the summer.
See link for further information About the Slurry Infrastructure grant – GOV.UK (www.gov.uk)
If you are considering a new agricultural building and would like to discuss your options, please contact us.
