A call to let a 950-herd Pembrokeshire dairy farm keep a farm shed built without permission over a decade ago has been approved but further discussions are to take place on ‘calf domes’ discovered at the site.
In an application recommended for conditional approval at Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’ Authority’s development management committee meeting of January 29, Trewern Farms Ltd sought permission for the retention of the agricultural building and lay down area at Trewern Farm, Felindre Farchog.
The application was part of a wider complex planning history associated with the site, which has a dairy herd of approximately 950 cows.
A report for Park planners said: “Trewern Farm has expanded significantly over recent years with many of the buildings and structures on site having been erected without the prior benefit of planning permission, and having since been regularised through a combination of retrospective applications and certificates of lawfulness.
“The building subject of this application is believed to have been constructed in 2014. The site currently comprises an agricultural shed immediately adjoining another shed and is used for cubicle housing.
“A slurry lagoon, silage clamps and 12 of the newer agricultural buildings are now lawful as Certificates of Lawfulness were granted for these whilst the Authority was awaiting an Environmental Impact Assessment to be submitted by the applicants for the 2015 planning application to regularise the unauthorised buildings.
“However, this is the last of the outstanding agricultural buildings which are not lawful, and an enforcement notice was served in May 2018 requiring its removal. This notice was appealed in November 2019 and is currently being held in abeyance by the Planning Inspectorate.”
Local community council Nevern has previously said it has “grave concerns” about the application, asking, amongst other things, how the 960 cattle limit will be policed and important nearby woodland will be protected.
Viewing National Park drone footage at the meeting, Cllr Simon Hancock pointed out the national park had “gone to war” over lesser applications in the past: “The drone images are incredibly enlightening, the whole complex is so intrusive in the national park; this gigantic complex is in such proximity to Pentre Ifan.”
He added: “Is there going to be some sort of inspections on herd size or are we going to accept someone’s word?”
Members were told any breach of a statutory declaration on numbers would be “a very serious matter,” with the agent Mr Harries of Harries Planning Design Management saying that cattle numbers had been static for more than five years, and “if anything” had reduced.
Concerns were also raised about white temporary calf enclosures visible in a ‘laydown’ area at the farm, which did not form part of the application; the agent saying they had “been in the area for a very long time,” with some of them 10 years old, suggesting a different colour could be used to make them less visually intrusive.
Members agreed delegated conditional approval be given for the application before them, with a “pinning down” of the ‘laydown area’ situation agreed, which could potentially lead to a further planning application or a call for a certificate of lawfulness allowing their continued use.
Mr Harries said: “I’m sure the applicant would be happy to work with the authority and officers with regard to the calf domes, whether removal or a change of colour or landscaping.”