A farm has submitted planning permission for a rural workers’ house to help with the rearing of young calves.

The plans would see new permanent farm workers’ accommodation built at Shottesbrooke Hill Farm on Drift Road.

While the site falls within a Green Belt location, the applicant argued that “special circumstances” would apply due to its support for agricultural business.

Calves sourced from across the county will be reared at the farm, according to the planning statement, which is cited as a key reason why the building is needed.

The statement reads: “It should be noted that whilst there are important factors in calf rearing husbandry such as feed preparation, bedding, handling, and clerical work etc. by far the most important factor is the regular observation of the calves throughout a 24-hour period.

“The LPA approved specialist calf rearing unit and isolation unit allows for a high level of observation to be undertaken from a health and welfare standpoint.

“The rearing of bucket/bottle calves equates to an essential/functional need for a stockman to be present night and day all year-round on an agricultural holding. Any health ailment with a calf is to be dealt with via emergency treatment/action, not to do so will be a prosecutable offence via the law relevant to welfare of animals.”

They further claimed it would be “unreasonable” not to acknowledge the need for a rural worker to be based on site.

The statement adds: “I assert that any reasonable person would conclude that the current livestock enterprise at Shottesbrook Hill Farm has a functional/essential requirement for a full-time rural worker to be present within sight and sound of livestock 24 hours per day seven days per week throughout the year.”

If approved, the building would include several green features including an air source heat pump, an electric vehicle charging point and solar panels.

To find out more about this planning application, visit RBWM’s planning portal with the reference 23/02714/FULL.