Planning Application for chicken farm

The letter below is a copy of that send on behalf of Bourne End Village Association regarding the application for planning permission for 5 chicken sheds each containing 1,000 chicken. As referred to in the previous blog entry, this application supersedes that of October and requires a separate letter if you wish to object.  If you objected to the proposals in October, clearly the grounds for objection can remain the same, but make sure you refer to the correct application number.

We urge you to make your feelings known on the matter as we feel if the plans are accepted the development will have a detrimental impact on our environment.

The letter you will have received with your Bourne Ender is also copied below, together with some photographs indicating the position of the planned sheds.

Chief Planning Officer,

Planning and Regeneration,

Dacorum Borough Council,

Civic Centre,

Marlowes,

Hemel Hempstead,

Herts.

HP1 1HH

29 November 2012

Ref Application 4/02069/12/FUL-Chicken sheds, Upper Bourne End Lane

Dear Sir,

We refer to the above application and object to the application on the following grounds :

1) The sheds would be sited at the most visible part of the land,  seen from Bourne End Lane, the service area on the A41, Sugar Lane, and the rear of part of London Road ( South Side ). All of the green, open and agricultural land to the south of the A41 is a visual amenity, unspoilt by buildings, and part of countryside enjoyed by the residents and walkers / horse riders going up Upper Bourne End Lane.

2) The hardcore road , the necessary turning head at the sheds and at the road for lorries, and the areas to hold equipment and the waste residue from operations ( mostly unspecified ), are sited in a way which will cause the maximum visual impact on this piece of land, and therefore to the many people using this attractive lane.

3) The sheds will need to have, presumably, ventilation, lighting, power provision, a means of storing temporarily the waste products ( without polluting water run off and ground water ), parking and security which will add to the visual impact and loss of amenity.

4) We are concerned about the pollution both of noise ( ventilation  and power generation) and most importantly through contaminated water ( from waste products ) running off the sloping hill onto land and Upper Bourne End Lane / Stoney Lane and thence to watercourses. There is also the air pollution from waste products which will be blown over the service area and Bourne End.

5) Upper Bourne End Lane is a narrow country lane totally unsuited to use by large lorries and articulated vehicles of the type needed to take away and deliver thousands of chickens, feedstuffs and waste products. There would need to be a very large turning circle / opening into the land which would alter the character of the lane significantly.

 6) The application should in any event be rejected since section 7 ‘there are areas to store and collect waste’ and yet there are no details or diagrams, and it is a pollutant.

Section 16 - there is trade effluent / disposition of waste ( again no detail ). It is inconceivable that there would not be clearance of waste from the sheds during the six months or so to bring chickens to point of lay or slaughter for foodstuffs. Indeed section 22 refers to 100 cubic metres.

Section 15 - there are significant and old trees  and some hedging on the site abutting Upper Bourne End Lane.

7) This is green belt land and, since this is not an agricultural application ( that having failed / withdrawn), presumably a special need has to be demonstrated and has not been.

8) Given the nature of the company making the application and its time in existence,  and the siting of the buildings, and its proximity to the A41, we are concerned that this may be a precursor to industrial applications or conversion to dwellings.

Please consider our objections and reject this application.

Yours faithfully,

S. Mangan,

Chairman

For and on behalf of the Bourne End Village Association.

Bourne Haven,

London Road,

Bourne End,

Hemel Hempstead

HP1 2RH