Villagers object to plan for slurry lake

VILLAGERS HAVE protested against an innovative dairy farmer’s plan to create slurry lagoon four times the size of an Olympic swimming pool close to their homes.

Farmer Andrew Leggott, who has a herd of about 400 Holstein cows in Great Smeaton, between Northallerton and Darlington, has applied to Richmondshire District Council to create a 10,000 cubic metre (353,000 cubic feet) lake to store winter slurry so it can be used as fertiliser in the summer.

Mr Leggott, who has been hailed by the industry for adopting technologies and evolving his family’s business, is undertaking a programme to increase milk yield.

However, after he lodged the slurry lagoon proposal with the council, environmental health officers said a series of measures would be needed to minimise the odour from the lake on a field to the north of the A167.

The officers said while it remained unclear precisely how close to residents’ homes the slurry lake would be, an odour management plan was recommended to take factors such as weather into account.

But Dalton Parish Council and numerous residents have questioned whether Mr Leggott should be allowed to transport the slurry 2.5 miles from his farm to the proposed lagoon.

The parish council stated the resulting foul smells would “inevitably have a detrimental effect on the residential amenity and also a depreciation in the value of the neighbouring properties”.

Other concerns include whether slurry is imported to the lagoon from elsewhere.