Concerns Raised Over Calf Building Plans at Pembrokeshire Dairy Farm

At the July 23 meeting of the council’s planning committee, an application by Hugh James of Langdon Mill Farms Ltd for a calf building, a weaned calf building, and associated yard areas at Langdon Mill Farm, near Jeffreyston, Kilgetty, was recommended for conditional approval.

Local community council Jeffreyston raised concerns about potential increased noise and odour from the scheme, as reported by a member of the public.

A statement from Reading Agricultural Consultants, representing the farm, noted that the holding currently has a milking herd of approximately 2,000 cows, housed indoors for most of the year, with dry cows and heifers grazed outdoors when conditions permit. The farm has seen significant investment in buildings and infrastructure over the past decade, including cattle accommodation, slurry storage, milking facilities, an Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant, and feed storage.

Currently, calves are reared at Langdon Mill Farm for two months before being transported to third-party farms for further rearing. The proposed 61.2m long calf building aims to accommodate young stock up to two months, with the 164.8m weaned calf building intended for calves aged two to seven months. The application argues that these proposals would reduce reliance on third-party farms, making the enterprise more financially robust.

However, concerns were raised by objector Ian Dennis, a former vet with four decades of experience, who described Langdon Mill Farm as a 3,000-acre site with 2,000 cattle that are never allowed to graze. He claimed the proposal would add another 1,000 cattle, transforming it into an intensive livestock unit rather than a traditional farm.

Dennis also challenged the accuracy of an ammonia emission report submitted by the applicants and expressed concerns about the scale of the development's impact on animal welfare, contradicting the planning officer's report, which suggested welfare benefits.

Following these concerns, committee chair Cllr Simon Hancock proposed a site visit, which was unanimously supported by the committee members present.