A large Herefordshire fruit grower has put forward plans for 9.5 hectares of new polytunnels. The farmland in the planning application by Marden-based S&A Produce closely aligns with a larger, 13.5-hectare site where the company sought permission to erect polytunnels last May, an application it withdrew earlier this year after it drew nearly 100 objections.
It still intends to install fixed Spanish-type tunnels over soft fruit crops, presumed to be strawberries, in a table-top growing format, along with internal farm tracks, a new 650-square-meter portal-framed farm building, two ponds, and six water storage tanks.
However, the farm “has listened to the feedback received” from its previous application and “has sought to address the concerns that were raised” in its new bid, a letter from its agent to Herefordshire Council says.
Dropping the two northernmost fields from the previous application would mean “there will be no polytunnels visible from The Vauld [or] from the Marden village side, reducing their visual impact to an absolute minimum,” while road access would be moved to the south of the site, the letter explains.
Read more at herefordtimes.com
