A CALL for a cattle underpass at a Pembrokeshire dairy farm, which was recently given approval for extensive developments, has also been backed by the national park.

In an application approved at the September meeting of Pembrokeshire Coast National Park’s development management committee, Christopher James, of Stackpole Quay Farm, through agent Cynllunio RW Planning Ltd, sought permission for a milking parlour, a collecting yard, feed pad, silage clamp, dirty water lagoon and associated works at Longhouse Farm, Abercastle Road, Trefin.

A supporting statement accompanying the application said: “The family are in the process of establishing a spring calving herd of 360 dairy cows plus 90 followers. The herd will be grazed all year round, in the spring, summer and autumn on grass, and in the winter-on-winter forage crops. The system will be a low input low output system seeking to utilise as much grass as possible to create quality milk.

“A key element of the proposal is an efficient dairy operation which includes a milking parlour, collecting yard, feed pad and silage clamp. A dirty water lagoon is also required to collect the slurry/dirty water from the collecting yard and feed pad and to store effluent from the silage clamp and parlour washings from the dairy.”

An additional application associated with the development, a cattle underpass, was currently running, members heard.

At that meeting, applicant Mr James said he had farmed at Stackpole for decades and expected this scheme would increase biodiversity, with the proposals actually seeing a decrease in building heights.

He stressed there was no intention to increase the size of the herd.

An officer report on the underpass said local community council Mathry was “particularly in favour of the application which will prevent delays to traffic trying to get to Abercastle, especially in the summer”.

The report said the scheme, which includes an associated farm track and ecological enhancements, will link parts of the farm, currently separated by the C3017 road.

“The proposal will not increase the amount of slurry created, although it will help to collect and deal with it while the cattle are passing through, rather than building up on the ground on either side of the road whilst the cattle wait to cross,” report added.

Since the planning meeting, the related cattle underpass scheme has now been approved by park officers under delegated powers.