Officials have given permission for a mega dairy farm in Leighton, mid Wales, despite heated protest from local residents, animal campaigners and others on the grounds of animal welfare, environmental impact and public health.
There is nothing idyllic about industrial dairy farms - they are more like battery chicken operations than a child’s storybook. This one would involve cramming 1,000 cows into a single unit, producing an enormous amount of waste and noise.
Aside from the animal welfare considerations, which themselves are serious, the proposed farm threatens the health of the local environment and people, and there are fears permission for this one opens the door to more.
Wales doesn’t need this, and it does the country’s reputation as a forward-thinking nation no favours whatsoever.
Tell the planning minister to suspend implementation of this mega farm immediately and not even consider allowing any more.
We the undersigned ask that you immediately call a halt to the implementation of a 1,000-cow dairy farm in Leighton, Powys.
This proposal should never have received planning permission in the first place, especially since the planning inspector at the time made it clear that this was not an appropriate project.
An industrial scale farm of this nature has serious animal welfare, environmental and health implications. Local residents should not be subject to the inevitable waste, smell, noise and pollution. In terms of animal welfare, Wales should be moving away from the brutality of intensive farming, not allowing more.
As well as calling a stop to this dreadful plan, we also request that Wales introduce guidelines stating unequivocally that permission should never be granted for this sort of intensive farming operation.
Thank you for your attention.
