Newtownabbey pig farm applications up for consideration

It is proposed that an existing pig farm at Calhame Road, Straid, be demolished and replaced with three units housing 2,755 sows, 235 “replacement breeders” and five boars and associated underground slurry and washing stores.

The proposal will see the new facility replace six units housing 4,200 pigs on the site, if it is given the go-ahead.

Objectors believe that as many as 89,700 pigs will be produced at this farm each year stating that “pigs will outnumber residents by two to one in Newtownabbey”.

At the same meeting, the committee will consider an application for retention of an existing silo building, re-contouring of land including earth mounding, retention of existing plant and machinery and amendment to planning permission for a proposed pig farm and retention of development works beyond the previously approved site boundary at Reahill Road in Newtownabbey.

Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council’s Planning Committee gave the green light in November 2016 for a facility at Reahill Road which was estimated to be able to house in excess of 15,000 pigs.

Both applications have been strongly opposed in the area.

Campaign group Stop the Newtownabbey Pig Factories has voiced concern previously about  a “major amendment to the original plans”,

A spokesperson for the group said previously: “We believe there should be an immediate moratorium on any further planning applications for factory farm units and/or anaerobic digestors in Northern Ireland”.

A protest against the Calhame Road proposal,  for which 31 letters of objection were received, took place at Mossley Mill, the council’s main civic building in Newtownabbey in February 2019.

The application was deferred at a meeting of the Planning Committee on February 18 2019 to allow officers to write to DAERA seeking clarification on its policy in relation to the assessment of intensive livestock installations and whether the Department’s position in relation to nitrate and ammonia levels was likely to change.

A report to council outlined a number of issues raised by objectors.

These included concerns over potential for Porcine Respiratory Coronavirus that objectors fear “may mutate into the pig herd and be transmissible between pigs and humans”, as well as MRSA, Swine Flu and African Swine Fever.

The report also noted objectors’ concerns over potential “impacts on human health and on the health of vulnerable adults and children” as well as potential impacts of hydrogen sulphide and methane emissions and storage of chemicals.

Concern from objectors was also raised over possible “impact on fishing/angling from high levels of nitrates/pollution in the Six Mile Water system”, a report to council stated.

The report noted no objection from the Public Health Agency (PHA) to planning approval.

It was stated that there is “no evidence to support the assertion that vulnerable adults or children are more susceptible to the impacts from the proposed pig farm as opposed to the existing facility”.

It added that “although the likelihood of harm is remote for most members of the public, it cannot exclude an increased risk for people living in close proximity to such facilities”.

The report continued: “With respect to air quality, odour and bio-aerosols the air dispersion modelling that has been undertaken has addressed potential ammonia and odour emissions at both the site and at landspreading locations and concludes that no breach of air quality standards or guidelines will occur.

“It is considered that there will be a neutral impact on the water environment due to the proposed development as the proposed drainage system to be installed on the site will avoid any contaminants entering the groundwater or local watercourses.”

Concerns were raised by objectors in respect of the potential for high levels of nitrates polluting the Six Mile Water system having a negative impact on fishing and angling.

The report said that the ecological assessment has indicated that there will be “no significant impacts likely to arise upon the water environment”.

A concern was raised by an objector regarding how approval of the replacement pig farm could impact on tourism “by way of odour.”

The report stated that “no verifiable evidence has been submitted to indicate what exact effect the development proposal is likely to have on tourism and consequently there is no certainty that this would occur as a direct consequence of the proposed development”.

Objectors went on to say that the “cumulative impact of pig farms in Newtownabbey has not been considered ” and that “pigs will outnumber residents by two to one” in Newtownabbey”.

Meanwhile, 40 letters of objection were received in relation to the Reahill Road application.

It was stated that the Pre-Application Community Consultation (PACC) event was “not a genuine attempt at public participation in the planning process”.

“All risks and consequences of a catastrophic event, including an explosion,

must be fully assessed,” a report to the Planning Committee stated.

A concern was also raised over the “potential for pollution from the development” that could have “disastrous ecological consequences”.

The capacity of the mains water supply to deal with a fire or explosion was questioned.

At the appeal hearing, the applicant stated that “health and safety is an

essential part of the farm business; that the Fire and Rescue Service had assessed the site and that a fire risk assessment had been undertaken, agreed upon by the Fire and Rescue Service and such measures will be ongoing”.

It was also pointed out that necessary health and safety measures have been put in place at the site and include fire hydrants and warning signage. In its decision, the Planning Appeals Commission commented that, during its site visit, such features were present.

The report also that stated that the site “will not be subject to flooding or will exacerbate flooding elsewhere”.

The report to the Planning Committee concluded: “The principle of a pig farm development at this location has previously been granted planning permission by the Council’s Planning Committee, the development of which has commenced.”

Michelle Weir, Local Democracy Reporter

Click here to read: IT equipment support for 10 schools in Antrim and Newtownabbey

--

Thank you for reading this article. We’re more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by coronavirus impacts our advertisers. Please consider purchasing a copy of the paper. You can also support trusted, fact-checked journalism by taking out a digital subscription of the News Letter.