I think that the "but" addition to the signage, announced today, is brilliant. I don't know to what extent the organisers are aware of the similar (and very successful) campaign to keep Fridays out of Horsmonden a few years ago, but for those who are unfamiliar with the background, all the documents associated with the application for planning permission may be found at https://twbcpa.midkent.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?keyVal=NNVG9VTY0XN00&activeTab=summary.
I also understand that Horsmonden Parish Council rejected the application on the following grounds :
– The Highways aspects: lorries would have to negotiate a 90-degree bend to get in and out of the site.
– There would be no controls over where lorries would go once permission was granted.
– Environmental impact on woodland
– Size of the proposed building
– Run-off from the exposed land
– Lack of opportunity for employment
– The economic benefits do not outweigh the environmental impact on an AONB
– There is no comparable use of land in the area.
Not all of these are equally applicable to Chainhurst, but many are.
I totally agree! It’s an insane and insensitive proposal on all counts! You are doing a really job good and we really appreciate the time and energy you are putting into this.
Thank you
I do apologise P. Taylor. Your views and comments are also very much appreciated in our fight to stop this. Thank you
Hi Mia. Firstly, we do really appreciate and need your comments in this forum, thank you. We would very much welcome more views from others...
Regarding Fridays Ltd., and DHA's expertise in selecting the right locations for such large-scale chicken farming proposals - they are NOT very clever at doing the job properly. They must be desperate to make more money while the demand for free-range eggs is there. They turned over £52m in 2018 (latest accounts available at Companies House) which was an increase of £2m from 2017, they don't need the extra income as far as anyone can see.
Graham Fuller himself commented (at a recent face to face residents meeting) that the Covid 19 pandemic has increased the demand for free range eggs and "the company" are responding to this demand. They were turned down on one hen house in Horsmonden, now they are desperate to make Reed Court Farm their next destination for not one, but THREE, of these industrial chicken houses, and guess what will pay the consequences for this, THE ENVIRONMENT, followed by the quiet village of Chainhurst and all it's residents.
Why doesn't Fridays Ltd. and DHA try to protect THE ENVIRONMENT. Why don't they change the way they do things and choose the correct location for this type of large scale industrial chicken farming. Why doesn't the authorities like Maidstone Borough Council, Tonbridge Wells Borough Council etc, help them, to find suitable locations for this type of industrial sized farming if they also feel the need to authorise it? Choosing a location which is too close to a village (unlike any of their other locations), choosing a location which has a SSSI river (River Beult) running alongside it, choosing a location which has a second river (Lesser Tiese) running alongside it, choosing a location on a floodplain, choosing a location with unsuitable access that will make the local road network dangerous for the residents that live along it and near it. Do I need to go on? This has to be stopped!
It seems strange that Fridays would chose to buy land that is so obviously unsuitable when they were refused for some of the same objections. And is in many ways significant more unsuitable? Do they know something we don’t already?