MEMBERS of a National Park committee agreed to carry out a site visit before deciding on a farm’s ambitious extension plans.

The application for a cattle accommodation building, associated yard area and slurry lagoon at Velindre, St Nicholas was discussed during last Thursday’s Development Management committee meeting.

The proposed development would allow the farm to expand its milking operation from 540 up to 860 milking cows.

The case officer Liam Jones recommended the application be refused.

In his report he said: “Although offering the economic benefit of one additional full time role and enhanced output at the farm the intensive nature of development is considered to represent an inappropriate and harmful industrial form of development on land within the open countryside with the National Park.”

Addressing the committee, the applicant Daniel Harries said he was born in Velindre and is the fourth generation to farm there.

He said: "A lot of thought had gone into the siting of the slurry pit. It’s furthest away from water outlets and the existing hedgerows will screen it from St Nicholas."

Mr Harries added that he had received 'overwhelming support' from locals.

Speaking on behalf of the objectors and the action group Preserve Pencaer, Brian Jackson said: “We felt the applicant’ s agent was very dismissive of our concerns and we commissioned our own report at our expense.

“It found the original information had underestimated slurry movements by a factor of five.

“This flawed data,” he said, “calls into question the responses of the consultees.”

During the debate, Councillor Rob Lewis said: “There’s obviously a shift in agricultural practice and we need to be aware of that.

“I don’t have an issue with the agricultural building, but I do understand the officer’s concern about the slurry pit.”

Cllr Lewis’ proposal to carry out a site inspection was carried. It has been scheduled to take place on Monday, September 22.