10 July 2014 – Community Meeting

Posted on July 9, 2014 by Calfe

Please don’t forget we will be having a Community Meeting in Leighton Village Hall TONIGHT! Thursday 10 July 2014 at 7.30pm. Please attend if you can.

It is very important that at the meeting we organise a liason group who are able to work alongside Fraser Jones, Powys County Council and the local community. This group is needed to ensure the dairy expansions are built to the strict guidelines required and all the planning conditions are adhered to by Mr Jones. Some of the strict planning conditions are: the hours of operations, floodlighting, landscaping, movement of cattle and removal of soil and materials from the site.

The group should represent all factions of village life including Leighton Village Hall, the School, the Church and the Community Council.

It’s time we all work together for the best possible outcome for the Leighton community.

 

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Community Meeting on Thursday 10 July 2014, 7.30pm – ALL welcome

Posted on June 26, 2014 by Calfe

Community Meeting – Thursday 10 July 2014, 7.30pm in Leighton Village Hall

Everybody is no doubt aware that the Minister, Mr Carl Sargeant AM, despite agreeing with all of the Inspector’s report decided to ignore her recommendations and approve the proposed expansion of Lower Leighton Farm.

Mr Sargeant’s decision was challenged at High Court as being unsafe. Unfortunately, the Judge ruled that the Minister was within his rights to do so and dismissed the application made by WSPA (now WAP).

This means that the legal challenge has now reached its conclusion and the expansion can now go ahead, within the conditions laid down by the Minister. CALFe, therefore has also reached the end of its campaign and would like to thank all those who gave such wonderful support.

In order that the construction and operation of the Mega farm is conducted in an acceptable way, it is proposed to form a Community Liaison group to work in conjunction with Fraser Jones, the Planning Department and the local community. This will ensure that any possible areas of contention can be sorted out amicably to the satisfaction of all parties. The group should represent all factions of village life including Leighton Village Hall, the School, the Church and the Community Council.

A meeting will be held at Leighton Village Hall on Thursday 10th July at 7.30pm to form a group and discus how it can amicably work together with all parties.

If you would like to be involved, or find out more, please come along and have your say!

 

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12 June 2014 – outcome of Judicial Review

Posted on June 12, 2014 by Calfe

We are very sorry to announce that Mr Justice Hickinbottom who today ruled on the Judicial Review regarding Lower Leighton Farm has ruled in favour of Mr Fraser Jones and dismissed WSPA’s application against planning permission. So, the mega-dairy WILL now go-ahead.

CALFe members will soon be meeting with WSPA to discuss how we can ensure that the conditions put on the planning application are adhered to. We will ALL need to work together (alongside Powys County Council) to ensure that these conditions are not watered down and are upheld by Mr Jones.

This is very sad news after all the hard work by WSPA, CALFe and local people to bring plans for the expansion to an end. Only time will tell what will happen to our village, our community and our school.

Thanks for all your support and keep checking in to the CALFe website where we will post any relevant news.

 

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10 June 2014 – Update on Judicial Review

Posted on June 10, 2014 by Calfe

A decision from the Judicial Review judge will be made public this Thursday (12 June 2014) regarding the planning approval of Lower Leighton Farm. This is as far as we can legally take the case so we are hoping for a positive outcome. We will post with the latest updates on Thursday.

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27 February 2014 – Date for Judicial Review, June 5 2014

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Calfe

The BBC online are reporting a date for the Judicial Review – June 5 2014. Read the full story here.

Keep updated on the latest news by subscribing to the CALFe website, click on the yellow bar at the top of any page.

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27 February 2014

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Calfe

Article in the Guardian as to why we need mega-farms.

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27 February 2014

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Calfe

Mega farms discussed on Jeremy Vine.

Visit this link to hear today’s debate on mega-farms, including Fraser Jones’s input. The discussion starts at about 36.35 mins in.

 

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What does Judicial Review mean? – 3 February 2014

Posted on February 3, 2014 by Calfe

The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) has been granted a Judicial Review against the decision to allow the expansion of Lower Leighton Farm to house 1,000 cows.

Many people have asked CALFe what this means and what will happen next…

What does this mean?
The judicial review questions how the Welsh Planning Minister Carl Sergeant came to this decision, given planning experts had advised against the building application twice. The judge will review all of the evidence and we hope he will strongly recommend that the Minister reconsiders his choice to approve the application.

When will this happen?
The judicial review will happen in the High Court within the next twelve months. WSPA have applied for a cost protection order which will limit the amount of money that WSPA would pay if they lose the case. If they are not granted this, they will have to think carefully about how they proceed.

What can you do in the meantime?
If you haven’t already done so, please sign the petition calling for Welsh planning law to be changed, to make it harder for factory dairies like this to be built in the future. The petition closes on Friday 07 February and WSPA will be handing in signatures to the Welsh Government on Wednesday 12 February.

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Judicial Review – 28 January 2014

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Calfe

There has been an exciting new development regarding the Lower Leighton Farm. CALFe have heard this week that the World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) have been granted a High Court Judicial Review into the Welsh Government’s decision to allow the dairy farm expansion.

WSPA have been working alongside CALFe since the inquiry and have played a major role in stopping the 8,100 cow mega-dairy in Nocton, Lincolnshire.

WSPA is asking the High Court to review the decision of Welsh Planning Minister, Carl Sargeant, to give the dairy the go-ahead last October, despite fierce local opposition. It could take 12 months for the appeal to be heard.

You can read the whole story on BBC news website here and MyWelshpool site here. There is also a piece in the Farmers Weekly.

This is great news for CALFe and the community of Leighton. The fight isn’t over yet!

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German cows cause methane blast – January 28 2014

Posted on January 28, 2014 by Calfe

Methane gas released by dairy cows has caused an explosion in a cow shed in Germany, police said. The roof was damaged and one of the cows was injured in the blast in the central German town of Rasdorf. Thanks to the belches and flatulence of the 90 dairy cows in the shed, high levels of the gas had built up. Read the whole story here.

This herd is smaller than the one being proposed at Lower Leighton.

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