The final sign-off for plans for a heifer accommodation building and associated works at one of Pembrokeshire’s largest dairy farms, with a milking herd of 2,000 cows, have been given the go-ahead.
In an application backed by councillors at the December meeting of Pembrokeshire County Council’s planning committee, Hugh James of Langdon Mill Farms Ltd sought permission for a 160-metre-long heifer accommodation building, a slurry separation/dewatering building and associated yard areas at 1,215-hectare Langdon Mill Farm, near Jeffreyston, Kilgetty.
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 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, feed storage. Recently a calf and weaned calf accommodation buildings were approved by Pembrokeshire County Council with construction almost complete.
“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. Langdon Mill Farm currently directly employs 21 full-time, and three part-time staff. Of these, four live on site in the two dwellings opposite the farm, with the remaining staff living in the locality.”
It added: “Although the unit has previously purchased heifers to aid expansion, the farm now breeds most of its own replacements to improve genetics and to minimise the ongoing threat of bovine tuberculosis (bTB).”
It said the proposed building would be used by heifers between the ages of 7-22 months, the siting “directly influenced by the adjacent calf and weaned calf buildings, with livestock being moved from one building to the next as they get older”.
Members unanimously supported the recommendation of approval, giving delegated powers to the interim head of planning to approve the application following the final approval of a habitats regulations assessment.
An officer report published yesterday, February 5, said Natural Resources Wales confirmed it had received the assessment, and, “in consideration of the mitigation measures detailed and on the understanding there is no increase in stock, they agree with the LPA’s conclusion that an adverse effect upon the integrity of the SAC [Special Areas of Conservation] sites can be ruled out”.
Formal delegated approval has now been granted by officers.
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