Plan for ‘huge’ cattle housing building approved by Scarborough Council’s planning committee

The authority’s planning committee voted unanimously in favour of approving the construction of a “huge” cattle housing building at a meeting on Thursday, February 9.

The plans submitted by the applicant, Graham Shepherd, proposed the construction of a 1,700 sqm building at Wykeham Carr Farm, Wykeham.

The site is a substantial operational farm in the open countryside comprising a range of traditional and modern buildings.

The farm is made up of around 1,340 acres and the existing farm has been undertaking dairy activity at the site for several years.

Speaking at the planning committee’s meeting, Cllr Jane Mortimer, said: “I understand they’ll be using bedding on straw, what is going to happen to that deep litter once it is cleared out because it is a huge building?”

A council officer presenting the report responded, stating: “What seems to be common practice and what they are proposing is to spread it on the land as fertiliser.”

Wykeham Carr Farm has developed considerably in recent years with increasing numbers of livestock, according to the council.

A report prepared for the committee states that currently, there are 950 cattle, 500 of which are milking cows while 450 are classed as young stock.

Over the next five years, the farm plans to increase the milking cows to 800 and the new building would provide accommodation for 300 of the young stock.

Cllr John Nock said: “We have dairy farmers going out of business week after week.

“Here we have someone who wants to expand his business interest, expand his production which can only be good for the UK food industry and I move that we support this motion.”

No objections were raised by any of the statutory consultees and no public comments were received during the consultation stage.

Cllr Phil Trumper added: “It is important that we give our farmers the tools to be successful and I think it is positive that a dairy farmer is expanding and wanting to invest in their farm and obviously employ more people, so I support it.”

The plan was approved unanimously.