Horton poultry farm storage unit plans refused

Around a dozen attended a Dorset Council planning committee on Wednesday to make their feelings known, applauding at the vote to reject the proposal for the site in Gaunt's Common near Horton.

Several had complained that the use of the Walston Poultry Farm site for eight self-store units in former chicken sheds would add to traffic problems in the area – although highways officers claimed it was more likely to lead to a reduction in vehicles going in and out of the site.

Planning officers said the reuse of the buildings is considered acceptable and not likely to cause harm to the Green Belt, road network or nearby properties.

Four long, single storey barns with a combined internal floor area of around 2,860 square metres had been identified for conversion to eight self-store units. Parking for customers will be offered on existing hardstanding areas close to the buildings.

Each of the storage units was proposed to have a capacity of around 350square metres.

One resident who has lived in the area for more than forty years told councillors that the road through the village had become a ‘rat run’ and, with no pavements, presented a danger to residents and to children walking to and from school in the darker mornings and evening.

Adam Bennett, a chartered planning consultant, told the meeting there was strong feelings about the scheme which he described as being ‘backland development, surrounded by homes  – claiming that the site access is inadequate for larger vehicles.

He said it would be better for self-store units to be in a more industrial area, not four miles from the nearest trunk road and only accessible by minor roads.

Agent for the farm, Brett Spiller, said the low impact self-store units were a good alternative for the partially redundant poultry buildings, He said there was no highways objection and that the site had been, safely accessed by a big lorry bringing in 30 tons of poultry feed for many years, without incident.

Mr Spiller said the change in use would be an improvement on the lawful, intensive poultry farm, and the new units were ikely to be rarely visited.

A proposal to reject the application, against the recommendation of planning officers, was approved 5-2.

Dorset Council

Cllr David Tooke, who moved the rejection, said the site was unacceptable for the area and unsustainable, likely to increase traffic movements and the risk to residents.

“An industrial estate would be a much better location…it’s just too much for these roads,” he said.

Holt parish council had lodged an objection to the changes saying the storage use would not be appropriate for a rural parish and was likely to increase noise and disturbance for neighbours as well as create an increased traffic risk for children waiting for the school bus and other road users.

Similar views have been expressed in around 30 letters to Dorset Council about the application with other concerns including light pollution, harm to wildlife and potential air and water pollution: harm to the character of the Green Belt and a lack of local need for the units.