Nocton Dairies Ltd - withgill farm

Visit to Withgill Farm

As Council taxpayers, you may like to know your District Councillors from NKDC appear to be spending a proportion of your hard earned money visiting the 2,000 cow dairy farm owned by Mr Willes and Mr Barnes in Clitheroe, Lancashire on Thursday 26th August 2010.  As Nocton Dairies have not yet even re-submitted their planning application, one could argue this visit is slightly premature... unless your Councillors know something we don't?

Personally, I would have thought there were other intensive dairies, not connected with the applicants, that could be used for an impartial viewing - it does beg a question as to why NKDC feel the need to visit a dairy so closely related to the applicants?

You may therefore be interested in the response from Ian Fytche (Chief Executive of NKDC) to Independent Councillor Marianne Overton’s queries:
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From: Ian Fytche [mailto:Ian_Fytche@n-kesteven.gov.uk]
Sent: 11 August 2010 15:08
To: Marianne
Subject: Nocton Dairies

Dear Marianne,
Thank you for your email regarding complaints you have received about the proposed visit by elected members to Wythgill. The purpose of the site visit planned for Wythgill is to assist Members understanding of some of the processes involved with the operation of an intensive diary unit (accommodation layout for the cows, feeding arrangement, the milking process etc). It has not been arranged to allow Members the opportunity to draw comparisons between impacts experienced or witnessed at the Wythgill site with that proposed for Nocton. This would clearly be inappropriate as the two sites differ markedly in their size, form, landscape setting and proximity to residential properties etc. This point was made in the letter of invitation issued to Members, and again will be reiterated at the beginning of the visit on the 26th.

With regards to the tour itself, this will be conducted by the Farm Manager and one of his associates. There will be no opportunity for the proposers of the Nocton site to lobby or address Members in any way, and Officers will be in attendance to ensure that no conflicts arise. In essence, the normal 'rules of engagement' relating to Planning Committee site visits will apply.

I trust the above is of some assistance.

Regards
Ian

Ian Fytche
Chief Executive
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If Mr Fytche believes the size of the Clitheroe dairy is not a material factor, make up your own mind if this is an acceptable use of public monies in a time of major budget restraint, to visit Withgill Farm in particular.

Further questions have been asked in the interests of clarity:

____________

Dear Marianne,
Thanks for your recent emails regarding the planned visit by councillors to Lancashire reference Nocton Dairies and also the reply by Ian Fytche, Chief Executive

However, there are still some questions residents wish to raise regarding this trip. The councillors attending this trip to Lancashire;

1. Are the councillors attending sufficiently qualified in matter bovine to assess the dairy?

2. If not who is providing an independent dairy specialist to advise them?

3. Will the councillors be also visiting a typical family run dairy in order to make comparisons?

4. We would also like to know who is financing the trip. Mr Fytche does not answer the previous question about this – If it is the local tax payers we would then have to raise the question of why our District councils are having to cut back on services due to lack of funds when they can spend money on a day trip to a dairy farm.

5. If the trip is being funded by the applicant could this not create a conflict of interest?

6. If taxpayers money is being used we would request information on this under the Freedom of Information Act.

7. Mr Fytche does not mention anything with regard to the rights of residents and a fair hearing for us. Therefore are district planners going to also arrange public meetings with residents from all the villages involved to gain a perspective from residents and gain further evidence of the impact an application that no one in the UK appears qualified enough to make decisions on? Planners must gain equal insight from all parties involved.

8. It is felt that NKDC officers are not in a position to decide an application of this scale. Deeper investigation of every possible scenario is needed. Especially with so many public facts known about the applicants and the problems they have already caused on their smaller operations. Their past behaviour does not instil confidence that they could in fact manage a business of this size within the UK without some element of risk/disaster to the environment, wildlife and humans.

9. Would it not be prudent to have a party of delegated residents to also attend this visit with councillors so that concerned parties can observe and gain the same insight to the content of the visit?

Would you be able to clarify the role of Mrs Brighton with respect to the Dairy application please? And is Mrs Brighton aware of the concerns of residents with regard to Nocton Dairies.
____________

In view of the potential involvement of the Leader of the Council, Marion Brighton has been invited to meet with a small number of local villagers for a ‘friendly chat’ as she lives quite close to residents likely to be affected by the Nocton development, however a reply is still awaited.  We trust that concerned local residents will be granted equal access to our public officers, as that extended to the applicants.

Any further developments will be reported here in due course.

Update: 6th September

I have today received an email from Marianne Overton, but it doesn't really take us forward much more I'm afraid.

From: Marianne

Sent: Monday, September 06, 2010 7:28 AM

To: 'Geoff Hall'

Subject: Nocton Dairies Ltd


Thanks Geoff. Twenty member’s did visit Clitheroe and were shown round by Graham, the applicant’s consultant. I wrote to the CX to point out that a similar opportunity was needed for the other side. I have not heard of any such intention.


Kind Regards,

Interesting that Councillors were not given access to the applicants... but were shown around by their Agricultural Consultant, Graeme Surtees... now that's hardly impartial is it eh?

Withgill Farm Site

Would you like to visit Withgill too?

Unfortunately, the best I can do is to direct you to Google Maps.

If you want to study this on an OS Map, the four grid squares 7040; 7041; 7140; 7141 are pertinent on OS 103 [1:50 000] Blackburn and Burnley.

Indeed, so interested was I in visiting the location of Withgill Farm, I decided to make a detour during a short break in the Yorkshire Dales. I have photos of the cow sheds - one a distant view, another from much closer - and a photo of the soil and crops in the field.

I must emphasize I endeavoured to adhere strictly to the public footpath as per the OS Map. However, as there was no clear way marked across the field, I had to try to observe the route whilst being careful not to damage the crop.

Withgill Farm (viewed from the stile into the field)

Withgill Farm (a closer but slightly more blurred image due to zoom focusing)

The soil and crop in the field

There are some more photos of the cow accommodation - to give you an idea about what goes on inside such a facility, you may like to view the following videos:

4,000 cow dairy in Rosendale, Wisconsin
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0pv35dYBMX4&feature=related

This farm milks 32,000 cows daily
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W54aXW10a00&NR=1

Of course, your District Councillors will be able to get a much better idea of the cow accommodation, feed and milking arrangements by visiting Withgill, but as with any important visit to any industry (and filming promotional videos especially), my experience is that everything will be just right on the day.

But that's the old cynic in me I suppose.

Meat the Truth

This series of videos shows how industrial-style food production is affecting our planet.  You may like to watch and make up your own mind if there is any merit in what they are saying... and just for the record, I am not a vegetarian, but do have a healthy interest in how my food is produced.

Meat the Truth Trailer
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZiInXFJsD0&feature=related

Meat the Truth (Pt 1 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b8Jfgkp_mRM&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 2 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XZiInXFJsD0&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 3 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2m3BBPWNXZk&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 4 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v54JAyH__-k&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 5 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TIOMUi06leY&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 6 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hhdhOhLMtHM&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 7 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cRpZuP6jvbg&feature=search

Meat the Truth (Pt 8 of 8)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rC0NRdOKfg&feature=search

Methane

Cow 'emissions' more damaging to planet than CO2 from cars
http://www.independent.co.uk/environment/climate-change/cow-emissions-more-damaging-to-planet-than-cosub2sub-from-cars-427843.html

Do cows pollute as much as cars?
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/mammals/methane-cow.htm