Nocton Dairies threatens action

Super-dairy firm threatens action over protesters' 'factually inaccurate' leaflet

'THE company behind plans for 3,770-cow super-dairy in Lincolnshire are threatening to take protesters to an advertising watchdog.'

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Dairy-protestors-leaflet-spreads-misinformation/article-3042338-detail/article.html

So I suppose it's OK for Nocton Dairies Ltd to have a website and push a glossy 'information leaflet' out to local villages... but when a small group of local residents who may be affected by the intensive dairy development try and do the same to give an alternative view, they get threatened with The Advertising Standards Authority by Peter Willes and David Barnes, the two directors behind the scheme. This seems rather heavy-handed in my opinion... and probably tells you more about Mr Willes and Mr Barnes than it does about local residents struggling to fight the plans.

One has to remember this is a multi-million pound investment with wealthy directors, backed in principle by the influential dairy industry... and according to the formal Minutes from the meeting in Potterhanworth, the company also has support from Government!

The story of David and Goliath comes to mind.

I can understand why Nocton Dairies Ltd do not want erroneous information out in the public domain, but nor do the residents. There is a great deal of information out there on the world-wide-web about intensive dairying, not all of it nice. I'm sure it isn't the intention of the applicants to have any of the less savoury issues arise with their development, but over in the States there have been instances of things going very wrong within this industry.

I have tried to provide links to many articles, both good and bad, since Nocton Dairies first came on the scene for background information.  However, I have never published this extract from a letter dated 10th March 2010, written by Parkham Parish Council about Mr Willes' plans for a large slurry lagoon at his Sedborough Farm, but I think it is probably high-time I did:

"The concerns of the Parish of Parkham are well documented and have been put before TDC and the Chief Executive of Torridge District Council on many occasions. You will also be aware that these concerns have been likewise endorsed by extensive communication from the Parkham Parish Conservation Association (PPCA) which represent the collective objections of members of the community whose well-being, safety and amenity continue to be seriously blighted by the cumulative and overbearing development associated with the Applicant's business.

Whilst the history and concerns regarding the negative impact of this business development are a matter of record the PPC would once again draw your attention to the fact that we now have a deeply disturbing 'creeping industrialisation' of our Parish - arising from development by stealth and cynical misuse of retrospective planning procedures by the Applicant which has resulted in the growth of a multi-million pound factory farm operating on an enormous scale in a deeply rural location with restricted access via exclusively single track lanes.

The Parish Council would reiterate that this Planning Application represents perhaps the most alarming and cynical example of retrospective planning regulations manipulation by this Applicant. The slurry lagoon has been constructed, knowingly, excessively larger than previously approved and has brought with it even greater detrimental consequences in terms of amenity, safety and well-being which has now caused a 'tipping point' for our community.

We note that since our previous input the development in question has been determined as a 'Major Development' which brings with it a need to meet further criteria. We note that the current submission from the Applicant does not provide a Traffic Assessment, a Noise Assessment, an Odour or Air Quality Assessment, a Landscape Assessment or Visual Appraisal, and Landscape Mitigation Report. The current Application also contains the same repeated inaccuracies regarding the impact on local residents/houses being minimal. This is entirely not the case as we have detailed to you previously."

To enable you to make your own mind up on the issue, I have provided once again the links to the following:

Nocton Dairies Ltd website: http://www.noctondairies.co.uk/

CAFFO website: http://www.caffo.co.uk/

A copy of the leaflet: CAFFO Leaflet (sorry - no longer available online)

You can then show your support either way, by writing to North Kesteven District Council and supporting the plans, or you can send in an objection to the plans - it is entirely your call.