Nocton Dairies controversy: Difference between revisions

▲On 16 February 2011, the company finally withdrew its planning application completely. A statement released by Nocton Dairies<ref name="farmersguardian1">{{cite web |url=http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/business/nocton-dairies-scraps-super-dairy-plans/37242.article |title='Nocton Dairies scraps super dairy plans' |publisher=Farmers Guardian |date=16 February 2011}}</ref> cited the objections of the Environment Agency as the sole reason and raised concerns that facts had been twisted on animal welfare. It added: "The concept we have been proposing is a sound one. We challenge other farmers to pick up the baton and see where these concepts can take them."<ref name="farmersguardian1"/> Just hours after Nocton Dairies' shock announcement, officers at North Kesteven District Council took the unusual step of making a public statement that they had been minded to recommend refusal of the application, on six grounds, namely:

▲1. The failure of the applicant to fully assess alternative development sites which presented fewer environmental risks.

▲2. The unacceptable and significant risk to groundwater quality, including the nearby public water supply.

▲3. Significant uncertainties regarding the impacts and control of odour from the operation of the dairy, and associated land spreading, and its effects on residential amenity.

▲4. Insufficient detail regarding the frequency, volume and duration of operational noise, including from animals, and its effects on residential amenity.

▲5. Probable negative and adverse impacts to Bardney Limewoods Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and a series of Local Wildlife Sites from increased ammonia and nitrogen deposition.

▲6. Insufficient justification for the construction of on-site agricultural workers houses.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.facebook.com/note.php?note_id=151835441541216 | publisher=North Kesteven District Council |title='District Council Statement}}</ref>

▲Meanwhile two separate but associated plans supporting the dairy were still active; a pipeline for the transportation of the digestate produced and a water storage reservoir intended for either water for dairy cows or for better management of water resources on the arable land, should the application be refused. Nocton Dairies did not withdraw either of these plans. In February 2011 North Kesteven District Council refused planning permission for the pipeline<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planningonline.n-kesteven.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LDVZ26LLX0000 |title='Construction of transfer pipeline' |publisher=North Kesteven District Council}}</ref> and the following month they refused permission for the reservoir, irrespective of its dual functionality.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://planningonline.n-kesteven.gov.uk/online-applications/simpleSearchResults.do?action=firstPage |title='Application for reservoir' |publisher=North Kesteven District Council}}</ref>

▲==Reaction to the applications==

▲Nocton Dairies' initial application aroused much opposition, including an [[Early Day Motion]] signed by 172 MPs in the [[House of Commons of the United Kingdom|House of Commons]] on 8 March 2010;<ref name=CD>{{cite news |title=Animal health campaigners welcome delay |last=Davies |first=Caroline |date=13 April 2010 |newspaper=The Observer |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2010/apr/13/animal-welfare-nocton-dairies-farming | location=London}}</ref> it was labelled by media reports at the time as a battery farm for cows,<ref name=Observer2010/> despite reports of a growing number of similar (albeit smaller) indoor-based systems for dairy cows already successfully operating in the UK<ref name=dairysite>{{cite article |title=Dairy Farming Systems in Great Britain |url=http://www.thedairysite.com/articles/2549/dairy-farming-systems-in-great-britain |publisher=The Dairy Site |date=October 2010 |accessdate=2011-02-05}}</ref> and Nocton Dairies' explanations that their housing plans mirror those in which all UK cows are already kept for the 6 months of the winter.<ref>{{cite web |title=This Is Dairy Farming |url=http://www.thisisdairyfarming.com/dairy-farming-facts/browse-all-facts/-is-it-true-that-some-cows-never-go-outside-.aspx}}</ref>

▲Some local people formed a campaign group CAFFO after concerns were voiced over the potential for pollution of the water aquifer, smells, animal welfare, disease control, security, transport issues and property blight surrounding the site. A Number 10 e-petition, calling for a public inquiry into the development, was signed by 1,234 people in 3 weeks before the site was closed for the 2010 UK election period. However, a later Government response<ref>{{cite web| url=http://www.hmg.gov.uk/epetition-responses/petition-view.aspx?epref=giantdairy |title=Petition:Local residents reject ‘super dairy’ plan &#124 |publisher=HM Government |accessdate=2011-02-05}}</ref> emphasised the rigors of the planning process and current UK legislation ensuring high welfare standards.

▲Animal welfare organisations and vegan and vegetarian groups also joined to support the case against the dairy. A [[Facebook]] group set up by [[Vegetarians' International Voice for Animals|Viva!]] calling for a halt to construction attracted over 7,500 members.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Oppose-the-UKs-biggest-factory-farm/310675121942 |title=Oppose the UK's biggest factory farm |publisher=Facebook |date= |accessdate=2010-08-06}}</ref> The [[World Society for the Protection of Animals]] (WSPA) launched its [http://notinmycuppa.com/ 'Not in my Cuppa'] campaign in September 2010 in anticipation of the resubmission of Nocton Dairies' proposal, featuring celebrities including [[Twiggy]], [[Andrew Sachs]], [[Chrissie Hynde]], [[Jenny Seagrove]] and a large number of soap stars,<ref>{{cite web|url=http://notinmycuppa.com/category/celebritysupport |title=Not in my Cuppa Celebrity Support |publisher=World Society for the Protection of Animals |date= |accessdate=2011-02-11}}</ref> and has since attracted over 25,000 pledges from the public that factory milk from battery cows will not be used in their cuppas. The results of an [[Ipsos MORI]] survey released at the launch showed that 61% of those questioned said they would never buy milk produced in large-scale indoor dairy sheds.<ref>[http://notinmycuppa.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/National-campaign-launched-to-fight-Nocton-Dairies%E2%80%99-8100-cow-%E2%80%98factory-farm%E2%80%99-proposal.pdf 'Not in My Cuppa' Retrieved 2010-9-11]</ref> [[Compassion in World Farming]]'s [http://www.ciwf.org.uk/cows_belong_in_fields/default.aspx 'Cows belong in fields'] campaign was launched late 2010, and the [[CPRE]] also campaigned on the issue. As well as this, a campaign was set up through site [[38 Degrees]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.38degrees.org.uk/page/s/factoryfarm |title=Let's stop cow factory farms |publisher=38 Degrees |date= |accessdate=2010-08-06}}</ref> who submitted a petition of over 50,000 signatures to the district council in January 2011 on the basis that the farm was cruel and would put other farmers out of business.

▲However, a letter sent by the [[Farm Animal Welfare Council]]<ref>{{cite web |title=Letter to ministers |url=http://www.fawc.org.uk/pdf/cows-welfare-letter.pdf |last=Wathes|first=Christopher}}</ref> to government ministers stated that cow welfare need not be compromised in large dairy units, a message echoed by the [[RSPCA]] in saying they didn't believe 'big is necessarily bad' and in fact could offer welfare benefits if implemented correctly.<ref>{{cite news |title=Big dairies does not mean bad welfare, says RSPCA|date=12 August 2010 |newspaper=Farmers Guardian|url=http://www.farmersguardian.com/home/livestock/livestock-news/big-dairies-does-not-mean-bad-welfare-says-rspca/33670.article}}</ref> Despite this, the RSPCA still does not support systems that house dairy cows for 365 days a year in its Freedom Foods standards.<ref name=dairysite/> Other debates range around the potential for a large dairy such as this to improve food security<ref>{{cite news |title=Big Agriculture is the only option to stop food riots in Britain |date=12 September 2010 |newspaper=The Guardian |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2010/sep/12/food-riots-farming | location=London |first=Jay | last=Rayner}}</ref> and opportunities to reduce the [[carbon footprint]] of milk production through better efficiency and the adoption of technology such as [[anaerobic digestion]].<ref>{{cite web |last=Parish |first=Neil |title=Member of Parliament for Tiverton and Honiton - Blog|url=http://www.neilparish.co.uk/content/super-dairy |[retrieved 31 August 2010]}}</ref> More recently the Government has published its Foresight report on Food and Farming,<ref>{{cite web |title=Foresight: Future of Food and Farming |url=http://www.bis.gov.uk/foresight/our-work/projects/current-projects/global-food-and-farming-futures/reports-and-publications |publisher=HM Government |first=Professor Sir John |last=Beddington}}</ref> and the dairy's developers have asserted that their plans would help address the report's conclusions that farming needs to produce more food using fewer resources while tackling climate change.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nocton super dairy farmer hits out at critics |publisher=Farmers Weekly |url=http://www.fwi.co.uk/Articles/2011/02/01/125299/Nocton-super-dairy-farmer-hits-out-at-critics.htm}}</ref>

▲During the consultation period, the Council reported as many as 14,000 objections had been lodged<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/feb/13/super-dairy-cows-lincolnshire-objections |title='Super-dairy' with 3,770 cows triggers 14,000 planning objections |publisher=The Observer | location=London |first=Tracy |last=McVeigh |date=13 February 2011}}</ref> with [[PETA]] claiming responsibility for at least 6,000<ref>{{cite web |url=http://blog.peta.org.uk/2011/02/victory-for-cows-nocton-dairies-withdraws-cow-prison-application-in-lincolnshire/ |title=Victory for Cows! |publisher=PETA}}</ref> CIWF 5,000,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.ciwf.org.uk/news/beef_and_dairy_farming/cows_belong_in_fields_campaign_success.aspx |title=Compassion celebrates |publisher=CIWF}}</ref> and other animal and vegan groups claiming many more; this was substantiated by an extensive social media campaign carried out by these groups against the proposal. However, this was countered by growing dairy industry support for the Nocton proposal, illustrated in submissions from the [[National Farmers Union (England and Wales)]] (NFU), the [[Country Land and Business Association]], and Dairy UK, representing processors and farmers.<ref name="second application"/> Dairy UK warned: "Reject Nocton and UK dairy will suffer."<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.thegrocer.co.uk/articles.aspx?page=articles&ID=215900 |title=Reject Nocton and UK dairy will suffer |publisher=The Grocer}}</ref>

▲{{Use dmy dates|date=October 2010}}