Council rejects plans for meat processing facility

Council planners have rejected an application for a livestock processing facility in Torridge over concerns about neighbouring land being contaminated.

Torridge District Council's planning committee said there was a lack of information on how foul water would be stored and how surrounding farmland and property would be protected.

The applicant wanted to convert an agricultural building at his Stoneleigh Farm, near Shebbear, into a processing facility for emergency livestock casualties.

He said meat from these animals was currently being wasted as there was no local facility to deal with it.

The application states the animals would arrive whole, having been slaughtered on their farms, and would be processed before being delivered to butchers.

Animals have to be transported to a processing site within two hours of being slaughtered and the nearest location is in Taunton, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

Neighbouring dairy farmer Julia Bridgeman told the committee a proposed boundary fence was not adequate to protect her farm or livestock from contamination.

She said there were risks to human and animal health from by-products of animals brought in, and claimed noise and odour could impact her working environment.

Councillor Chris Leather, who represents the Northam ward, questioned where thousands of litres of foul water used for washing down would be stored, a concern shared by Shebbear Parish Council.

He said: "We are talking up to 140 animals a week as it could be a seven day operation, that is huge amounts of water."

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