Derbyshire abattoir expansion plans approved despite concerns

Councillors approved plans to expand Pickstock Abattoir on Tuesday

An abattoir in Derbyshire has had expansion plans approved despite concerns from residents.

At a South Derbyshire District Council meeting on Tuesday, plans to expand Pickstock Abattoir in Coal Lane, between Hartshorne and Ticknall, were approved by councillors.

A resident had claimed discoloured water was running into the surrounding field, "killing plants and trees".

Meanwhile, the owners said their application had already been validated.

The meeting was told much of what had been applied for had already been built, with concerns from residents over other potentially unauthorised development, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

The owners - the Pickstock family - said their application had been validated nearly three years ago, and that its applications for extensions were required by the Food Standards Agency to rectify issues and standards not kept up to code by previous management.

Ross Pickstock, who owns the business with his father and sister, said some buildings had been "mothballed", and the Food Standards Agency found them to be no longer fit for purpose and should be demolished, with some parts of the site also found to be "free draining into the surrounding area" - also to be demolished and improved.

'Piecemeal and unregulated'

Council officers said other works - a straw barn which had been temporarily used for livestock - had been built through a "prior notification application" and had been properly vetted.

But councillors voted to remove permitted development rights from the site, to ensure any other changes would require planning permission.

Steffan Saunders, the council's head of planning, said the expansions were seen as "business critical" and were "proportional" for the site and to meet its "operational needs".

But a resident speaking on behalf of eight homes close to the site said the property had become dominated by "piecemeal and unregulated development", including artificial lighting near their houses.

During the meeting, councillors called on the business to work closely with neighbours.

Councillor Amy Wheelton said: "I have huge sympathy for residential amenity and the neighbours. It was noisy, I think it was the refrigerated lorries.

"We want to support you but residential amenity needs to be improved and you need to be a good neighbour."

Councillor Andrew Kirke added: "It is incumbent on the owner of the business to be a responsible business owner and I would like to see closer working and cooperation with the neighbours."