Stop Industrialisation of Duck Nest Farm

15/10/2021

As expected, a planning application, 21/03490/CM, has been made to fix discrepancies that were found on site that did not match the original refurbishment planning permission (20/0435/CM). This time round we can actually see the application on the online public access, linked below. The application describes the following alterations: 6 larger storage tanks instead of the original 8 smaller tanks and replacement roofs on 3 of the buildings.

Although this application would fix the discrepancies in the approved drawings from the original planning permission it still does not allow them to operate as an animal rendering facility. This would require a ‘change of use’ application.

It is also unclear whether the roof replacement they are claiming has taken place on Building 2 is in fact a new building. It was previously three buildings, each with differing roof heights, pitches and orientation (all logged on the drawings for 20/0435/CM), but now has become a totally uniform building with a single level ridge and eaves lines, which would take an engineering miracle to achieve. This can be seen in the photos.

The council needs to be tackling the main issue at the farm and that is the lack of planning permission for rendering processes and not allowing little applications like this to be slipping through the gaps, making it a lot easier for them to scale up their operations under the radar. They have an EA permit for rendering – it doesn’t get any clearer than that as a statement of intent.

https://newplanningaccess.eastriding.gov.uk/newplanningaccess/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=QZHCA4BJGKV00&activeTab=summary

21/09/2021

Be in no doubt - Duck Nest Farm is now ready to start unlawful rendering of animal by products on an industrial scale.

We have a Briefing Note showing that Duck Nest Farm has been equipped with new crushers, cookers and other process machines, and obtained a Permit for rendering from the Environment Agency, but there is no planning permission for that use. A copy of the Briefing Note can be accessed via the link below:

https://ln5.sync.com/dl/3cd318740/prmmrkrd-u5x947id-g92vxnvw-mfyx8cwf

The Environment Agency Permit issued 27 May 2021 has only just come to light. It was obtained by the operator to allow newly installed rendering lines to run. This is a whole new set of processes for Duck Nest Farm, massively different to how the site has been used in the past. Duck Nest has a planning approval (Lawful Development Certificate) that allows animal by products (primarily blood) to be sterilised so it can be used as a fertiliser. But rendering involves many more operations - crushing, cooking and processing to create meal, fat and oil from animal by products, which would be stored on the site and then sold on to other industries.

The recent unusual strong smells coming from the farm and increase in HGV movements that local residents have reported, often occurring in the middle of the night, suggests that trial running of the new equipment might already have started, in spite of having no planning permission.

Although an Environmental Permit has been issued for rendering, that does not bypass the need for planning permission. We think there is a chance that the Environment Agency was misled by the Duck Nest Farm operator into thinking that planning permission for rendering already existed. The bottom line is this - if the owners want to carry out rendering at Duck Nest Farm they must make an application for planning permission to East Riding Council. That application process would be public and allow the affected communities in and around Holme-on-Spalding-Moor to have a proper say.

The Council has been sent the Briefing Note so it can take action to prevent the operator running the rendering equipment without planning permission. The Environment Agency and Animal Plant and Health Agency will no doubt also get a copy so they can review the situation.

If you need to fact check any of the Briefing Note content we suggest you get in touch contact East Riding Council as they have all the detailed background information to hand. The best contact is the planning enforcement officer: Mike Roebuck: [email protected] tel.01482 393788

This all reinforces what was said a few weeks ago – the operator at Duck Nest Farm is trying to bring about these changes sneakily to deny local residents any involvement. That must not be allowed to continue. If you have not done so already, now is the time to contact the Council planning officer, Mike Roebuck, and your ward Councillors, so they can be given the strongest possible encouragement to take this matter seriously and act before it gets any further out of hand.

06/09/2021

The ‘non-material amendment’ application (reference 21/40132/NONMAT) that was made last month at Duck Nest Farm has been withdrawn! This application was made to fix discrepancies that were found on site that did not match the original planning permission.

This may mean that they have been told by the planning officer the application needs to be a ‘minor material amendment’. For this type of application, we will be able to see what has been submitted and be able to comment on it.

We will keep you updated when another application is made. We can’t let them continue to make changes under the radar and deny local residents of their opinion.

20/08/2021

-UPDATED KEY CONTACTS-

East Riding of Yorkshire Council
01482 393 800
County Hall, Cross Street, Beverley, HU17 9BA

Alan Menzies
Director of Planning and Economic Regeneration
[email protected]

Stephen Hunt
Head of Planning and Development Management
[email protected]

Building Control Services
[email protected]

Environment Agency
0370 8506506
[email protected]
National Customer Contact Centre,
PO Box 544, Rotherham, S60 1BY

Your Ward Councillors for Howdenshire
Councillor Victoria Aitken
07721 411620
[email protected]

Councillor Linda Bayram
07956 310720
[email protected]

Councillor Nigel Wilkinson
07903 725 436
[email protected]

Your local MP
Mr David Davis, Member of Parliament for Haltemprice and Howden
[email protected]
House of Commons, London,
SW1A 0A

Thanks to those who noticed the errors/typos in the email addresses.

12/08/2021

A planning application (reference 21/40132/NONMAT) was recently submitted to East Riding of Yorkshire Council to fix several discrepancies found on site that did not match the original approved planning drawings.

However, when you go on the council website you cannot see any documents regarding the application. This makes it impossible for anybody to know what changes they have made. The applicants have submitted what is known as a ‘non-material amendment’ application. For this type of application, it is at the local authority’s discretion whether or not to release the information to interested parties. In this case it seems that the local authority has decided against releasing any information to the public, excluding us from knowing what is really going on at Duck Nest Farm. We have requested the documents but have been denied so far, which is worrying.

The council have also made it so nobody can comment on this application online. So, any queries or comments on the application will have to be sent via email direct to the case officer Matthew Sunman ([email protected]). We would urge you to make contact to draw attention to this as soon as possible. The council has to make a decision on this by 30 August, so it is important to get in contact with them straight away.

02/08/2021

This is what is coming our way!! The article below is about the Duck Nest Farm owner's existing rendering plant in Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire. Serious operational failings blighting the local community!!

Residents say the smell is getting worse

16/07/2021

Duck Nest Farm is being developed to make it ready to become a major processing site for animal waste – a rendering plant for animal by-products.

These changes at Duck Nest Farm are taking place now, below the radar, denying local residents like us of any opportunity to ask questions and influence the unfolding course of events.

We need to make a fuss! This is what they are trying to avoid!