PLANS for a slurry lagoon on a farm in the Vyrnwy valley near Meifod have been opposed by a community council.
The application for anĀ earth banked slurry lagoon and associated works at Newbridge farm has been lodged with Powys County Council (PCC), by Mr L. Williams.
He would like to install a 45 metres by 25 metres lagoon on a field just off the B4389 road and an underground silage effluent tank at the farm itself.
LlangyniewĀ Community Council discussed the application at a meeting earlier this year.
They had received numerous objections from residents on a number of issues including visual impact, and how it would affect mains water and electricity running through the fields.
Llangyniew council clerk, Jonathan Bellingham, said: āThe council is extremely sympathetic toward the farmerās application and understands why he
would require a new slurry lagoon; however, the council cannot support this application for the lagoon at the site proposed by the applicant.ā
Mr Williamsā agent, Gary Owen, explained the proposal in a Design and Access statement.
Mr Owen said: āNewbridge is a 380-acre family run dairy, beef and sheep unit.
āThe proposed developments are at two separate locations.
āAt Newbridge Farm itself, a below ground tank is to be installed; the tank will be wholly below ground and will not be seen.
āIt will have a capacity of 34 cubic metres and be constructed to meet the relevant British Standard.
āThe lagoon is to be installed on owned land above the Vyrnwy valley off the B4389.
āThe lagoon will be dug out of an improved grass field with some wall above existing ground levels.ā
He explained that the two projects are three quarters of a mile away from each other and that PCC had requested that they be split into two separate planning applications.
Mr Owen said: āThe driving need behind the development is compliance with regulatory standards.
āSlurry will be collected in existing facilities at Newbridge farm before being taken to the new lagoon.
āThe present storage facilities have 6-7 weeks capacity.
āThis will allow the business opportunity to take slurry from the farmstead to the lagoon when weather conditions allow.
āThe proposals are part of the businessā preparation to meet the challenges ahead from changes in legislation, climate, support and trade.
āThey will allow the farm business to be more robust in meeting these challenges.ā
Mr Owen added that the current slurry stores were built before 1991 and are āinsufficientā for the slurryĀ volumes now generated at the farm during the winter when animals are kept inside.
He believed that the farm had enough land to be able to use the nutrients of the slurry on the farmland, by building the new facilities the business would not be at the whim of āfertiliser price changes.ā
The plans will be decided by Powys County Council planners in due course.