Validation of new plans
At long last Nocton Dairies Ltd have received validation of their plans from North Kesteven District Council. The date of validation was yesterday Friday 10th December 2010 and so the consultation period overlaps the Christmas period.
The planning application number is 10/1397/FUL and the plans can be viewed here:
http://planningonline.n-kesteven.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=LC2TNQLL00U00
Any comments and observations you may have on these plans now need to be submitted within the next 28 days.
Your comments and observations can be registered online or alternatively put in writing to NKDC. There is no urgency to submit comments as long as you get these in by the deadline - 7th January 2011.
Please note any comments you submitted against the original planning application 09/1040/FUL, will not be carried over to this application 10/1397/FUL. However, if the points you raised against the old application are still valid to the new application, you may wish to incorporate them in your new submission.
My Top Tips
1. Make sure you have viewed and read the application documentation before commenting - you may wish to discuss any queries you have with the Planning Officer at one of the forthcoming NKDC presentations or by ringing the Planning Department.
2. Check to see if the proposal is in line with the policies published by NKDC in their Local Development Plan (as this will be the main consideration for deciding an application)
3. Check to see if the proposal is in line with other policies e.g. any national Planning Policy Statements or East Midlands Regional Policies.
4. Check to see if the proposal fits with any local strategies e.g. Parish Plans or Community Strategies (if they exist)
5. Consider the major environmental impacts from the proposal e.g. potential pollution to groundwater contained in the sensitive aquifer; odours/gases emanating from cows/slurry/digestate dispersal and storage; impact of any light pollution from the 24/7 operation etc.
6. Consider if all risk assessments you would expect from such an operation have been published and are robust in design.
7. Consider how the proposal will impact on its natural surroundings, in terms of design and use.
8. Consider the effect of the proposals on local traffic flows and whether the increased number and type of vehicles will compromise road safety.
9. Consider the levels of noise likely to be generated by the development during its hours of operation and whether there will be any general disturbance to local residents and villages as a result.
10. Wherever possible, link your comments to the relevant paragraphs from the Local Development Plan or by referral to the various strategy documents/statements in order to support your case (The Case Officer - Nick Feltham - should be able to assist you with identifying the relevant policies).
11. Make sure you register your comments in writing (by letter, email or online) within the official deadline (in this case within 28 days of the date of validation).
12. Be clear, concise, courteous and accurate in your comments.
Important
No account will be taken of arguments on animal welfare grounds, effect on property prices, nuisance caused by building works... as these are not ‘planning matters’. It is therefore crucial to concentrate on the Top Tips to be effective.
You may wish to get together with other people to pool resources/skills/knowledge to show the strength of feeling in the local vicinity of the development.
If you haven't the time or inclination to align your comments/observations to the official Policies outlined above, it isn't a problem as your submissions will still be considered.
You may like to indicate on your submission whether you are supporting or objecting against the application for the purpose of absolute clarity.
Critical Dates
Application Received Date: 17 Nov 2010
Application Validated Date: 10 Dec 2010
Expiry Date for comments/observations: 07 Jan 2011
Target Determination Date: 18 Feb 2011
Determination Deadline: 11 Mar 2011
I urge Peter Willes and David Barnes to think again. What possible reason can there be for wanting a mega-dairy besides profit. We already treat our farm animals as commodities and have gone so far away from appreciating them as living creatures rather than 'things' put on this earth for us to mistreat in every way possible in the name of greed.
ReplyDeleteA better approach would be to downsize, to go organic and to sell produce locally. We do not need more and more cheap food; rather we need to educate people to eat less but good wholesome food. There is already evidence to suggest that people feel hungrier and hungrier because new types of crops are high in sugars and water and low in minerals and other nutrients. Milk is wonderful in moderation but we do not need to consume vast amounts of it. We already abuse cows by putting them in calf constantly, then taking their calves away from them just so that we can have more milk. In truth there is sufficient for the calf to suckle and for the farmer to sell, just not as much.
This cannot be the way to build a better world, it's just the way to get rich, destroying our countryside in the process, without taking any responsibility for trying to create an ethical, more compassionate society.
Please just consider the fact that economic growth, expansion, plundering the planet is not actually the best solution for anyone and is not leading to a happy, well balanced society.
Thank you for this thought provoking comment. I agree wholeheartedly with what you've had to say. We all have a responsibility towards our planet and for the way our food is produced, if not for ourselves then for our children and our grandchildren. The current model just isn't sustainable in the long-term and the methodologies from the USA are not the ones that we need to adopt
ReplyDelete