John Griffiths AM, the Welsh Assembly Minister for Environment and Sustainable Development, has acted in response to a series of requests for the Welsh Assembly to overturn Powys County Council’s decision by calling in the planning application.

Last year, Not in my Cuppa campaigners wrote to the Welsh Assembly to ask for the application to be called in after plans for a 1,000 cow indoor dairy were conditionally approved in November, despite a recommendation from Powys County Council’s own planning officials to reject the proposal.

Minister’s concerns

In a letter to the Powys local planning authority the Welsh Environment Department set out the Minister’s concerns.

‘There is insufficient information … to show that all the relevant policy considerations have been fully addressed by Powys County Council’s planning committee.’

The Minister concluded that ‘the planning application appears to conflict with national planning policies relating to pollution control and conserving the historic environment, and that it raises issues of more than local importance.’

You can read the full letter here Minister’s Decision

Support for the campaign

Joining us in asking for the call in were our allies at Compassion in World Farming, Soil Association and the Campaign for Real Farming as well as Campaign Against Leighton Farm Expansion (CALFe),Countryside Council forWales, the historic monuments agency Cadw, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), the National Trust and Powys Teaching Health Board.

Joyce Watson, Assembly Member for Mid & West Wales also wrote to the Welsh Minister with responsibility for planning, asking him to investigate Powys Council’s decision to give controversial plans for a ‘mega dairy’ near Welshpool the go-ahead. At a recent event in Cardiffthe AM for the Powys area signed our cow petition and met withNot in my Cuppa campaigners.

Holly Dyer, local resident and campaigner for local group CALFe said: “The final decision is still a long way off but this is great news and a step in the right direction.

“Thanks to everyone who has helped get CALFe to this milestone. Hopefully the decision to call in the planning application will create more media interest about what is going on here in Leighton.”

Stay tuned

You can follow the progress now at www.wales.gov.uk or join us on Facebook as we step up the pressure.

Say “not in your cuppa” today >>

The Welsh Assembly has said it needs more time to consider overturning proposals to build a 1000-cow mega-dairy in Welshpool.

Responding to our letter, Welsh Minister for the Environment and Sustainable Development John Griffiths wrote to Not in my Cuppa to tell us that Welsh Ministers needed more time to deliberate over the call in request.

He said: “A direction has been issued under Article 14 of the Town and Country Planning (General Development Procedure) Order 1995 to provide Welsh Ministers with more time in which to consider the call in request.

“The Direction prevents Powys County Council only from granting planning permission; it does not prevent it from continuing to process or consult on the application. Neither does it prevent it from refusing planning permission.”

Thank you to all of our Welsh supporters who have already written to their Assembly Members on this issue.

If you haven’t done so already, there’s still time to take action here >>

Ask the British Government to pledge to put the farm animal welfare on the agenda >>

With your help, Not in my Cuppa is fighting to stop the spread of intensive dairy farming to the UK, but for billions of animals across the world, industrial farming is a sad reality.

Intensively farmed animals live short, barren lives in cages and crates, overcrowded sheds and narrow stalls. They don’t even have the guarantee of a humane death.

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) is today asking you to help give them a voice at the 2012 Earth Summit.

The 2012 Earth Summit may be six months away but the agenda will be agreed in a few weeks’ time, when British government officials meet world leaders next month to decide the issues which will be debated.

It’s crucial that ahead of next month’s meeting, we convince our Government to put the welfare of farm animals on that agenda and make a public commitment to humane farming.

If we can convince the delegates who attend the Earth Summit on our behalf that animal-friendly farming is better for animals, people and the planet, we can save billions of animals from life-long suffering.

Farm animals across the globe need you now.

Email David Cameron to let him know you want the British Government to get the welfare of farm animals on the agenda of the UN 2012 Earth Summit in Rio >>

Together, we wrote to the Welsh Assembly, asking them to ‘call in’ the application to build and overturn the decision.

Now we need your help.

We’re doing everything we can to stop these plans becoming a reality but we urgently need your help too.

We’re asking all of our Welsh supporters to write to their Assembly Members to urge them to make a stand against this planning application by asking the First Minister of Wales to call in the application.

Write to your Assembly Members here >>

Don’t live in Wales? You could still help. Please contact any friends, family or colleagues you know in Wales and urge them to contact their Assembly Members.

We know that the people of Wales do not want to drink battery milk from factory cows. In fact, a staggering 74% of adults said they would never buy milk produced in large-scale indoor dairy sheds, in a 2010 Ipsos MORI survey commissioned by the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA).

Help us tell the Welsh Assembly that there’s no appetite for intensively produced milk in Wales. Write to your Assembly Members today >>

Along with our campaign allies we have written to the Welsh Assembly, asking them to ‘call in’ the application to build and overturn the decision.

We are supporting the local villagers most affected by the proposed industrial 1000-cow unit – Campaign Against Leighton Farm Expansion (CALFe) – which will be right next door to the village primary school.

Read our letter >>

Addressing members of the Welsh Assembly and MPs at an event in Cardiff last week, World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) Chief Executive Mike Baker said: “It concerns us that just six councillors could in effect make such a decision; the ripples caused by this will go far beyond Welshpool. If developers feel they can build a mega-dairy in rural Wales, which has some of the best pasture in Britain, then this is a worrying precedent to set.”

The development is also opposed by the Countryside Council for Wales, the historic monuments agency Cadw, Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), the National Trust and Powys Teaching Health Board, who are concerned about the air quality of the farm and its proximity to Leighton primary school.

CALFe and CPRW have also written to the Welsh Assembly asking for the planning application to be called in.

We have a feeling that the battle is just beginning. Stay tuned to find out how you can help stop this planned mega-dairy ever becoming a reality.

Say “not in your cuppa” today >>

Local woman Joy Bosworth has organised an awareness raising event at Mr Marsden’s constituency office on 18 November from 2pm where members of the public will be invited to enjoy a cup of tea and pledge their support to Not in my Cuppa.

Joy was inspired to join the Not in my Cuppa campaign after learning about the plight faced by dairy cows and British dairy farmers. She said: “Once again it’s the greedy conglomerates who want to profit and the consumer is given little choice.  An article I read stated that battery cows were inevitable, but if people say Not in my Cuppa that doesn’t have to be the case.”

Gordon Marsden is just one of 167 MPs who have signed an Early Day Motion offering cross-party support to the Not in my Cuppa campaign. He added: “It is important that campaigns such as Not In My Cuppa are well supported. The campaign highlights a practice that should not exist in our country and we need to make sure that steps are taken to prevent animals from being harmed or kept in poor conditions.

“I intend to work in my Blackpool constituency and in Westminster to prevent the spread of this type of farming and work to protect animal welfare.”

Joy and Mr Marsden are encouraging Blackpool residents to come along and show their support. Mr Marsden’s constituency offices can be found at: 304 Highfield Road, Blackpool, FY4 3JX.

Yesterday (Tuesday 1 November) saw Powys County Council ignore evidence provided by their own planning officers, to vote 6-5 in favour of allowing the 1000 cow mega-dairy to be built next door to a school in Welshpool.

Read more here: http://www.walesonline.co.uk/news/wales-news/2011/11/02/farmer-a-step-closer-to-opening-super-dairy-beside-castle-91466-29703018/

And here: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-wales-mid-wales-15522600

Councillors were advised to reject the application, but Powys planning committee voted in favour. A council spokesman said: “The committee is minded to approve the application subject to a report being brought back before the committee on outstanding issues.”

Local campaigners told us that concerns put forward at the meeting included:

‘Will do significant harm to Powis Castle’

‘A massive intrusion on the landscape and should be refused’

‘Sincere concerns over risks to the health of pupils at school and local residents’

As well as serious concerns over the risk of pollution in the groundwater and area surrounding the farm, as previously raised by the Environment Agency and the Powys County Council planning officers.

Simon Pope, WSPA Head of External Affairs said: “The decision by Councillors to ignore their own experts, their constituents and wider public opinion is astonishing.

“Voters will have a chance to tell those who supported the application how they feel at the next local elections in May. But the implications of this decision will be felt much more widely than in the heart of Wales. This is a dark day for the dairy industry.”

Not in my Cuppa will be speaking with the local campaigners again today to decide next steps, so stay tuned for more info and a plan of action.

The proposed mega-dairy would be built at Lower Leighton Farm, near Welshpool, and would be the first of its kind to be approved in Wales.

Not in my Cuppa publicly objected to the application back in April.

Concerned Welshpool residents are worried about the impact the mega-dairy would have on the surrounding area, as well as its proximity to the village school.

Read about the implications of living next door to a mega-dairy here >>

One person is permitted to speak in opposition to the application before the Council takes its decision.

Local woman Holly Dyer has been leading the Save Leighton School campaign against the mega-dairy.  She said: “We have campaigned hard against the farm and waited ages for this decision to be made. Hopefully the planners will see the amount of local, national and international concern regarding the scheme and will decidedly reject the plans.”

Local Not in my Cuppa supporters are being urged to show their solidarity by joining forces for a protest outside the County Council’s offices from 12.45pm on 1 November.

The offices can be found at: Neuadd Maldwyn, Severn Rd, Welshpool. Call the Council switchboard on 0845 602 7030 or 01597 827 460 for further directions.

Stay tuned for the results of the meeting.