A couple fighting a controversial chicken farm near Burnham-On-Sea have appealed for the public’s help.
As we reported here, residents living near Newbridge Farm in New Road, East Huntspill, say the pungent smells coming from the site have worsened over the past year.
Ian and Julia Stanbury, pictured, and other nearby residents also say the site has broken planning regulations by not installing the permitted coloured roofing material.
Ian told Burnham-On-Sea.com: “On 3rd September, Sedgemoor District Council finally commenced the long-awaited supplementary consultation on planning application 25/17/00047 relating to Newbridge Farm poultry units.”
“The consultation is on the Addendum to the Environmental Statement, which sets out the site owner’s rationale and approaches for justifying the removal of Condition 3 in order to retain the ‘goosewing grey’ roofing material.”
“They are also seeking to regularise the difference between the approved plans in Condition 2 and what was built.”
He adds: “We encourage as many people as possible to object to the application by the deadline of 3rd October.”
The campaign group Fowl Play in East Huntspill has been formed to keep up the pressure for improvements at the chicken farm.
“Our planning consultant, backed-up by a specialist environmental law barrister, wrote yet again to Sedgemoor District Council to challenge the Council’s position regarding Amber Real Estate Investment’s application to keep the ‘goosewing grey’ roof and regularise other planning irregularities.”
“Her latest letter highlights four key points – the application seeks to retain a colour that was specifically precluded by a planning condition. It is a fundamental departure from what was permitted because the roofs are by far the largest and most prominent part of the development.”
“According to planning case law, this renders the entire development unauthorised; and, therefore, the application is invalid. The major application made under S.73A of the Town & Country Planning Act means that the Council is now able to take into account the changes in circumstance since the original application and can consider the acceptability or otherwise of a development that has already taken place.”
“We now know the development and its operation is causing significant adverse impacts on the local landscape, neighbouring amenity and local economy – contrary to what was predicted by the Environmental Impact Assessment.”
“The Council believes that the odour issue is a matter for the Environment Agency and does not need to be covered by the Environmental Statement supporting the application. This is inherently wrong. In 2011, the Council acknowledged in granting permission for poultry units on the site that odour was a material consideration.”
