The National Pig Association has urged the government to press ahead with reforms that could remove some of the planning barriers that are currently holding back the UK pig sector.
In its response to the government’s consultation on the National Planning Policy Framework, the NPA “wholeheartedly agrees” with a proposed new policy to provide clarity on the relevant planning considerations for business development proposals.
In the consultation document, published in December, the government proposes that to support business growth, “substantial weight should be given to the economic benefits of proposals for commercial development which allow businesses to invest, expand and adapt”. This includes where this has ‘benefits for domestic food production, animal welfare and the environment which can be demonstrated through proposals for development for farm and agricultural modernisation’.
In its response, the NPA explains why this is so important. “It is becoming increasingly common that the primary barrier to investing in on farm infrastructure to improve animal health and welfare and environmental impact is the difficulty in obtaining the necessary planning permission,” the document states.
“Ensuring that ‘betterment’ is not only recognised but also given the substantial consideration it deserves is integral to the planning system, which has presented a perennial challenge for all sectors, helping to deliver agricultural business potential, as well as welfare reform, environmental impact and sustainability, and to facilitate diversification for farms to be economically viable without subsidy or funding.
“Within the planning process, there needs to be an inherent understanding of the need for and importance of agricultural infrastructure in a viable and environmentally sensitive agricultural business, and a mechanism to facilitate this, ultimately delivering national food security, net zero targets and enabling government’s ambitions with regard to land use change, the Farming Roadmap and the Food Strategy.”
Other key planning issues
The NPA response also:
- Backs a proposal which explicitly promotes development that enables improved accommodation for livestock. “This recognition is welcome and reflects the importance of modernising agricultural infrastructure to deliver higher animal welfare standards, improved biosecurity, and better environmental outcomes,” the response states.
- Agrees that Biodiversity Net Gain offers an important contribution to nature recovery but stresses that it needs to be applied in a more proportionate and consistent manner across local planning authorities. The NPA suggests that minor agricultural developments should be made exempt – and at a minimum, the requirement should be limited to major applications (>1,000m2), rather than all full applications.
- Calls for an extension in the permitted development right allowance from 1,000m2 for livestock agricultural buildings, which would ‘significantly enable rural improvement with regard to welfare and environmental policy.
- Seeks clarity on the management of agricultural manures and slurries, including explicitly extricating the management of agricultural wastes from the planning system, recognising that these activities are already effectively controlled via existing legislation.
- Calls on the sometimes disproportionate impact of national campaign groups on local planning applications to be addressed.
