Shropshire firm gets green light for reservoirs project
A Shropashire agricultural business is set to diversify after plans to construct reservoirs on its land were given the green light.
Agricultural contractors Adrian Marsh Ltd, of Tern Hill in Market Drayton is making the changes so it can rent out land to vegetable growers once it has built reservoirs on a number of its sites in Stoke Heath, Wistanswick and Tern Hill.
Mr Marsh, who owns the business said: "We have some land that is suitable for growing vegetables but there was no irrigation on it. So we wanted to source water out of a river in the winter time when there is plenty of water about and into a reservoir.
"Then in the summer it can come out of the reservoir into the field when there isn't as much water about. We will be renting the land out to professional vegetable growers."
The contractor already supplies fertilizer, grass silage services, bailing and wrapping as well as gritting and snow ploughing services. But with the reservoir build, it will be able to rent out the land to businesses growing vegetables for supermarkets.
Mr Marsh said: "We need the water to get the quality of vegetables up to standard for supermarkets. People wouldn't rent the land without irrigation so it is important to have the reservoirs.
"It will probably end up being rented to somebody in Newport or Shrewsbury way.
"The three reservoirs in total cover about 850 acres of land around Market Drayton."
"We are quite pleased that we are able to do this, it will be good for the business."
The plans were approved by Shropshire Council officers at a recent meeting. In a report, planning officer Tim Rogers said the development is "necessary to support the farming enterprise on the land" and would not have any "detrimental" impact on the open countryside.
He added: "The proposed irrigation reservoir will be constructed on an established agricultural holding and will allow the agricultural crops to be irrigated rather than relying on rainfall.
"The crops will only receive irrigation when required – at time of low rainfall and will allow the crops to grow at a steadier and healthier rate.
"This will produce a greater yield without needing to apply extra amounts of artificial fertilisers and chemicals."
