Farmer allowed to keep polyhouses installed despite objections

The structures will enable Billington Farm to extend the growing season for soft fruit such as strawberries, which are produced to meet demand from the nation’s supermarkets.

The planning application for the polyhouses and ground source heat recovery on land west of Stallbrook Hall, Crossing Lane, Derrington, was submitted to Stafford Borough Council in spring 2020 and there have been a number of amendments to the plans since. But villagers were furious when work began to install the structures before planning consent was granted.

Farmer John Busby previously said he had taken a risk by pressing on with the installation before securing permission.

But he had expected the application to be dealt with by the time work was due to begin and had not broken any law.

On Thursday the project bore fruit when Stafford Borough Council’s planning committee agreed to pass the plans at a special meeting. Committee members visited the farm to view the polyhouses before making their decision.

But the site visit prompted a request from committee member Carolyn Trowbridge for wheel washing facilities to be installed as soon as possible. “They really should be there now when you see the mud on the site because the mud is everywhere”, she said.

Fellow committee member Councillor Brendan McKeown raised concerns about large vehicles using the narrow lane to access the land where the polyhouses had been installed. The committee heard there had been no objections raised by the highway authority however.

The plans were recommended for approval by council officers ahead of Thursday’s meeting. And Councillor McKeown described the move to extend the growing season as “a fantastic approach”.

Helen Busby, who spoke in support of the application, said: “We are a family farm that has been growing soft fruit since 1976 and we introduced polytunnels in 1996, however circumstances have changed within the industry. Growers are being encouraged to extend the growing season and moving to a more permanent system will allow fruit production to start earlier in the year, from March, and finish in November.

“Our industry is largely driven by supermarket requirements, which demand fruit on the shelves 12 months a year. At present this results in fruit having to be brought in from around the world in cargo holds, generating a huge carbon footprint.”

But objectors questioned how many jobs had been filled by local people and how much money was spent in Staffordshire’s rural economy by workers from overseas. And there were also concerns about the lack of objection to the plans from Seighford Parish Council, given that Mr Busby is vice chair and a Derrington ward member.

Karen Davies, who spoke against the application at Thursday’s meeting, said: “Local residents are dismayed that the applicant has been allowed to proceed with this major development and construct the polyhouses and ground source heat system without planning permission. This total disregard for the planning process sets a dangerous precedent that others will surely follow and is highly detrimental to the quality of life of local communities in Stafford Borough.

“The development has a major impact on the landscape – in reality this ia an industrial scale development in a rural area. The polyhouses will extend to over nine acres at a height of 24 ft, plus associated infrastructure such as water silos, and unlike polytunnels the construction is permanent.

“Crossing Lane is already busy and dangerous – huge tractors and trailers moving amid disability scooters, wheelchairs and pedestrians – many of whom are elderly. A couple living at the end of Crossing Lane have abandoned their daily habit of walking down the lane altogether, due to the fear of meeting large farm vehicles.”

The meeting heard that workers on the farm paid UK tax and National Insurance. And environmental measures included a tree planting scheme.

Committee member Councillor Marnie Phillips said: “There are pros and cons on both sides to me. We are looking at a development that is going to be providing fruit for the majority of the year for local shops and the UK and that’s going to mean we are not going to have to import; for me knowing there will be an offset of the carbon footprint makes a huge difference.”