Cattle complex as big as a supermarket approved

A cattle complex larger than a supermarket has been given the go-ahead, despite more than 2,000 objections.

Bodman Livestock Ltd, the owner of Whyr Farm in Potterne near Devizes, applied to Wiltshire Council for permission to build two large sheds to house hundreds of cattle.

Council officers said the proposal would deliver "significant economic and agricultural benefits" and would support the "long-term sustainability of an established farming business".

But campaigner Dr Sean Barrs told the Local Democracy Reporting Service he was "disappointed" by the decision and that "the public does not want to see animal farming expand".

Wiltshire Council received 2,178 objections or concerns on a range of matters, including traffic levels and noise.

In the application the Bodman family said: "Beef production is a profitable enterprise. The alternative to beef production on the site would be to build a solar farm on the land."

Ward councillor Tamara Reay said she supported the decision, adding that it would allow the farmer "to establish a business which is well planned and sustainable".

The development, which includes a temporary mobile home, was approved with the condition the facility was not used in the future for pigs or poultry.

The larger of the two sheds will stand at 9m (30ft) tall - the size of a supermarket at almost 2,100m2 of floor space.

The council also said the use of the mobile home must be limited to an agricultural worker, and the applicant must submit a plan outlining how they will deal with waste.

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