Slip sliding away

T minus 29

Yet another desperate attempt by Nocton Dairies Ltd to gain the sympathy vote... I think if I were their public relations representative, I would be advising Messrs Willes and Barnes to keep a low profile until the planning report was issued.

Farmer admits to mistakes in handling of super-dairy plan but still believes it's right

'Peter Willes, a Devon farmer and one of the directors of Nocton Dairies Ltd, has admitted making some mistakes in the way the project has been handled.'

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/news/Super-dairy-just-different/article-3189428-detail/article.html

The major consultees have all submitted relevant and important information for consideration based on their specialist knowledge. Yet Nocton Dairies Ltd still appear to be in denial, continuing to purport the benefits of their proposals without acknowledging the many problems that might be encountered and the legacy they might leave for our local environment and populous.

With the many varied risks to our fragile environment from this agri-industrial development, is it any wonder the specialist consultees are objecting in force to the plans?

Anglian Water, Environment Agency, Environmental Services, Health Protection Agency, Lincolnshire Primary Care Trust, Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust and Soil Association have all registered their concerns, amongst others.

Why is it that Nocton Dairies Ltd seem to think they know better than the specialists?

I have selected just a couple of paragraphs from one of the many extensive submissions to give you an idea of some of the complexities facing our local area from this development:

The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust

'We have serious concerns regarding the possible impacts from ammonia emissions not only on existing LWSs (Local Wildlife Sites) but also on other sites, particularly calcareous grassland roadside verges, which may be identified as being of LWS quality following the review of survey data from botanical surveys of roadside verges carried out in the area last summer as part of the Life on the Verge project http://www.lifeontheverge.org.uk/. Calcareous grassland is a habitat which is sensitive to increased nutrient levels and therefore high ammonia deposition will lead to deterioration in the quality of calcareous grassland sites in the area.'

'The development site and surrounding farmland is located in a priority area for calcareous grassland re-creation. It is estimated that there is less than 100 hectares of this habitat remaining in Lincolnshire. Calcareous grassland is a UK and Lincolnshire Biodiversity Action Plan (BAP) priority habitat.'

'The Lincolnshire Wildlife Trust has serious concerns regarding this application and wishes to register an objection to the proposed development based on the submitted information.'

Wildlife-packed habitats discovered on verges of Lincolnshire roads

'After two years, in which 135 volunteers have spent 1,500 hours surveying more than 2,000 km of roadside for the Life on the Verge project, the findings have been revealed – with huge swathes of North Kesteven home to 12 or more "valuable" species.'

http://www.thisislincolnshire.co.uk/environment/s-just-potholes-growing-roads/article-3189389-detail/article.html

To conclude, I can do no better than to quote from one of the many passionate individual objections submitted to North Kesteven District Council. This eloquent plea sums up why I have felt it necessary to fight these plans from the outset:

'... the future welfare of this wonderful south Lincoln Heath, the middle Barff’s and to a lesser degree the Fens, are in your hands...'

'... generation after generation of land owners have held this jewel in their hands and successfully passed it down to their forbears, since the advent of The Planning Act of 1948 that responsibility lies with you...'

'... should this development gain approval and subsequently contaminate the environment and I am sure it will... I am afraid the people affected will in part hold the District Council and their representatives responsible.'
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