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1000 pigs.
1240sqm of space.
FOR. ALL. THE PIGS.
FOR THEIR LIVES.
FROM 28 DAYS TILL THEY ARE PICKED UP FOR SLAUGHTER 20 WEEKS LATER.
If lockdown has taught me one thing, it's the unbearable awfulness of being cooped up for days on end. Pigs are smart. Pigs also get very big. Just the idea of confining so many of these wonderful animals in such a small space for basically their entire lives (however short that may be) made me do a double take when looking at this planning application.
So we decided to look into this...
Here's the thing we don't think this is going to be a once off - the farmer who has put in this planning application says it's necessary to diversify into pig farming in order to keep solvent (Powys has approved quite a number of large farms recently -Welsh council admits it should not have approved vast poultry farm | Environment | The Guardian). Market pressures have apparently made beef and lamb farming uneconomical; couple this with Brexit and the disappearance of farming subsidies and some British farmers are in trouble. We get it - some farmers are being placed in unenviable positions. They've had the rug pulled from under them. It's a horrible situation. But it's also an opportunity and diversifying into intensive pig farming is not the answer. It is imperative for the sake of the environment that we move away from intensive animal agriculture. Let's not allow our councils to choose the easy but potentially devastating route. We all deserve better (including the pigs).
We of course also have concerns about the animal welfare issues this facility will pose for the pigs that are kept within it (hence what drew my attention to this in the first place). We have reviewed these issues and don't believe that the application provides sufficient information to demonstrate that the facility will be able to maintain the high welfare standards the applicant says will be maintained.
So we have written an objection to this planning application which is set out below*. If you'd like to submit your own objection (IT'S FREE) - feel free to copy from us (actually we'd be flattered. Very flattered. Then tell everyone you did this and tag us in all your insta posts):
*Just to note - from the application we understood that an existing building would be used to house the pigs (see question 6 of the application). A very nice local has advised it will be a new building. We have asked the Council to clarify the position and will tweak our objection following the response - but it's not significant in terms of the objection - just bare this in mind when writing yours.
If you'd like to view the application head on over to https://pa.powys.gov.uk/online-applications/?lang=EN and search by the planning application number: 20/1122/FUL.
There is also a petition going started by an awesome local activist - https://www.change.org/p/powys-county-council-say-no-to-new-intensive-pig-farm-being-built-in-aberhafesp-powys
DISCLAIMER - I am not a planning lawyer peeps - I just dabble in it. But any questions, wanna chat - drop me a line - mstrauss@taaproject.org. But note I don't and can't give legal advice.
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