A DELUGE of objectors have spoken out about proposals for a slurry lagoon that a Mid Devon farm hopes will help it manage nearly 13 million tonnes of animal waste a year.

The plans, submitted by Bycott Farms, in Halberton, are for a clay-lined store that would be able to take around 5 million gallons of slurry.

The proposed location is south of Gogwell Lane and adjacent to Newte’s Hill in an agricultural field that is part of nearby Rhode Farm, owned by a Dr Breitmeyer but tenanted and operated by Bycott Farms, a family-run dairy farm.

But around 150 residents have objected to the scheme, with key concerns relating to the number of tractor and tanker journeys they believe will need to happen on local roads to transport the slurry, as well as concerns that the lagoon is technically within 400 metres of four homes.

There are also fears that the proposed ‘floating cover’ might not be adequate to sufficiently prevent a deterioration in air quality, which could be problematic due to the nearby Tidcombe Lane Fen Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI).

Resident Jeremy Salter, who is also a member of Tiverton Civic Society, said one of is objections related to the absence of an enforceable route for the slurry to be transported, and the “intensification of use by large vehicles collectively represent an unacceptable impact on highway safety and a potentially severe impact on the local road network”.

“Particular concerns include those for Lower Town, Halberton; the two Blundell’s campuses and the very steep Newtes Hill if the likely route is followed,” he said.

“And Tidcombe Lane and Warnicombe Lane if shorter routes are selected.”

Mr Salter also believed the estimated number of journeys required “appears to be at least 40 per cent too small”. That’s because he suggests the application is relying on the capacity of the tankers, but claims if each was filled to the brim, it would actually be too heavy to comply with other highways regulations.

That means he predicts more journeys will be needed because tankers won’t be able to be completely full when in transit.

But a transport consultant for the applicant suggested that any additional traffic from the proposal would be extremely minimal, because without the lagoon, slurry already has to be transported to different fields.

“Whether the slurry is transported to the lagoon to be stored and then spread on adjacent fields, or transported directly to the fields from Bycott Farm for spreading without first storing the slurry at Rhode Farm, there is no difference in the number of trips on the highway,” said Steve Woods, a consultant for the applicant.

“The only additional on-highway traffic that would be generated would be a tanker travelling to Rhode Farm once, to then spend the day spreading slurry that is stored in the lagoon, on adjacent fields.

“Spreading would involve skipping from field to field. The tanker would then return to Bycott Farm at the end of the day. And spreading would not be every day because of agricultural regulations.

“Two additional one-way trips on some days would not have a serious effect on the highway in terms of capacity, conflict, or deterioration, and the free and safe flow of traffic would be maintained.”

Resident Andrew Hughes, himself an ex-dairy farmer, said he “strongly objects” to the scheme, claiming the “cart is being put before the horse”.

“The applicant has not taken into account the businessimplication of expanding his dairy herd and the consequences his actions would have on his business, the local community and the environment,” he said.

“A true business plan involves taking into consideration all of these implications and he has obviously failed to do this and expects the rest of us to pay for it.”

Elsewhere, Natural England advised that the “potential for air quality impacts arising from the development need to be assessed”, and that the possible impact on protected sites, such as the Tidcombe Lane Fen, must be determined by the council. It added that “no other environmental impacts” had been identified with the proposal.

However, the applicant has pledged to enhance the site’s biodiversity, with grass and wildflower planting, as well as hedgerow and tree planting outlined in the plan.

Halberton Parish Council has said it “strongly objects”, partly because it supports concerns of other agencies, such as Tiverton Town Council and the district council’s public health team, but had also had comments from residents, too.

“The parish council has received representations from its own parishioners who were concerned about traffic volumes not only on Lower Town (slurry was being produced at Bycott Farm), but also the impact of the proposed circular route through areas of Tiverton and rural hamlets located on narrow, single lanes with limited passing points,” it said.

Planning documents state the lagoon is to be sited to the centre of the Rhode farm farmland “to ensure the optimum use of the slurry while at the same time reducing the number of vehicle, equipment and machinery movements associated with the emptying of the store”.

A design and access statement adds: “The proposed lagoon follows a conventional design and is similar in design to many other examples in the area.

“Slurry lagoons offer several advantages for farmers, primarily focused on efficient waste management and nutrient recycling. They provide large-scale storage, reduce environmental impact, and allow for the beneficial reuse of slurry as a fertilizer.”

Devon County Council’s highways department initially recommended refusal due to concerns around visibility when accessing and leaving the site, a lack of speed data on nearby roads, and the absence of an enforceable route. But after receiving more information from the applicant, it has withdrawn its objection but suggested potential conditions with any approval.

The agent for the applicant, R Taylor Design Associates, said they did not wish to comment.