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John Craven investigates dairy farming. 05/06/2011 ##################################### More on this subject from the Guardian newspaper: # Lincolnshire's US-style 'mega' dairy farm on hold as plans are withdrawn Nocton Dairies says Environment Agency objections derailed proposed 3,770-cow facility but a new submission is likely. Controversial plans to build a huge, US-style "mega" dairy facility at Nocton Farm in Lincolnshire, housing thousands of cows, and compared by critics to a battery chicken farm, have been withdrawn. Nocton Dairies, blamed objections from the Environment Agency for the decision but hinted that a new plan would be submitted. The company singled out the environmental regulator's concerns over risks to the water table and whether the change in land use would benefit the public. The planned 3,770-cow dairy had sparked a huge public protest, with concerns about the environmental and animal welfare impacts of the project. More than 72,000 people signed an online petition opposing the plans, and 1,600 objections were lodged with local planners. Nocton Dairies announced it had written to North Kesteven council to formally withdraw the application. The company said in a lengthy statement that the Environment Agency's "precautionary stance and requests for new information reflect uncertainty with agriculture in general and the design of the modern dairy farm in particular". It claimed that despite its best efforts to address the agency's concerns, a "lack of relevant research" meant the company had been unable to provide the reassurances required. The original plans for the UK's largest dairy farm would have meant 8,100 cows being housed on a single site at Nocton Heath. Opponents labelled the proposal as "the equivalent of a battery chicken farm for cows". That application was withdrawn last year, but the two farmers behind Nocton Dairies re-applied in November with a plan involving less than half the number of cows. In its statement, Nocton Dairies said: "Our other two applications for a pipeline and reservoir remain active. "Our farm at Nocton is a tremendous site with much potential for the future, so we won't be selling it, but will now be taking some time to consider our options." The company also questioned the accuracy of many of the animal welfare objections. Campaigners welcomed the decision. Emma Hockridge, head of policy at the Soil Association, said: "This is good news, particularly for struggling small and family dairy farmers. "Already up to three dairy farmers give up in Britain every day and the unit was likely to mean yet more small family farms going out of business. Nocton was a potential animal welfare disaster and highlighted the way in which our farming systems have become increasingly divorced from what nature intended. "Treating animals as little more than factory commodities raises serious questions about both the ethics and the resilience of our present systems for feeding ourselves." Suzi Morris, UK director of the World Society for the Protection of Animals, said: "This is fantastic news and greatly welcomed. While the Environment Agency's objections were the final nail in the coffin for the Nocton plans, our own research made it clear there was a huge range of reasons why Nocton should not be given the go-ahead." http://www.guardian.co.uk/environment/2011/feb/16/lincolnshire-mega-dairy-farm-plans-withdrawn