Animal rights activists hold protest outside rabbit farm
CAMPAIGNERS GATHER FROM ALL OVER UK TO FIGHT PLANS FOR MEAT PRODUCTION
A CROWD of protesters have gathered in a country lane near Ashbourne to demonstrate against a planning application at a rural rabbit farm.
Dressed in costumes and waving banners, the activists flocked in from around the country to stand outside a farm owned by T&S Rabbits, in Turlowfields Lane, near Hognaston, on Monday.
The firm’s owner, Phil Kerry, has applied to Derbyshire Dales District Council to build an agricultural worker’s dwelling and a processing facility on the former hay meadow, but dozens of objections have been sent in from as far afield as America.
Campaign group Rabbit Farm Resistance UK called in recruits from hunt saboteur groups, animal rights groups, and members of Extinction Rebellion to stand outside the farm gates, before some of the protesters moved into Ashbourne to spread their message to townsfolk and tourists.
A spokesman said: “As a society we need to be moving past the creation of more avenues to exploit animals, and since there are no UK slaughterhouses currently licensed to slaughter rabbits, it would be taking a backwards step to build one.
“Also allowing a farm which has been shown to have such disregard for the rabbits forced to live in its care to carry out the slaughter process is likely to result in even poorer welfare for the individuals who will sadly lose their lives at this facility.
“Phil Kerry does not care about the welfare of rabbits, he only cares about profits.”
The protesters are also concerned that the farm sells rabbit fur, which can be legally processed as a by-product of the meat produced on the farm.
The meat is sold around the country, and is proving popular with high-end catering firms and restaurants.
If Derbyshire Dales District Council allows the plans to go ahead, the new buildings would enable farm workers to “process and prepare the rabbits” including whole rabbits, on site, and also create jointed and diced rabbit meat, and other products such as pies and patés.
As part of the plans, a worker would live on the site full time, something the applicant says has “enabled staff to stop/ eliminate predation and prove appropriate care for the rabbits at kidding”.
A floor plan submitted with the application states the processing plants would have a dedicated cooking and food preparation area for the meat, as well as an “intake and skinning area”.
There would also be dedicated fridge and freezer areas to store the rabbits before they are removed from the site.
The dwelling would have a living area and a combined dining and kitchen area on the ground floor, with the first floor containing three bedrooms, two of which would have en-suite bathrooms.
Some of the objectors who have written in to Derbyshire Dales District Council include a few who live near to the farm.
They have cited potential problems with odour coming from the new development, as well as an increase in vehicle movements and the potential impact it could have on tourism, being so close to Carsington Water.
However, the farm’s owner Mr Kerry insists it will not create any issues for locals.
He said: “The farm has already been established for a number of years without complaint.
“The proposal will give rise to very few traffic movements.
“A small number of HGV movements will be necessary as a result of the building works.
“Our proposal will give no rise to smell or noise, our waste is frozen and therefore will not cause any nuisance we will not affect the tourists at Carsington Water.”
Responding to news the groups were planning to protest, ahead of the organised demonstration on Monday, he said: “I am amazed that individuals will spend their valuable time demonstrating, especially as no one is at the farm to be affected.
“The publicity may be having a negative effect for their cause as I’m receiving more enquiries from potential customers as a result than I have for a number of years.”