High court hearing over 1,000-cow mega dairy plan

Farmer Fraser Jones, of Lower Leighton Farm, near Welshpool, was given the go-ahead to build the dairy after a public inquiry earlier this year.

But The World Society for the Protection of Animals (WSPA) was granted the judicial review against the Welsh government's decision.

The hearing was due to start in London today, but it is not yet known how many days it will last.

Mr Jones said: "I am heading down to London for the hearing but the silence from the court has been deafening. I don't really know the process or how long it will take.

"To be honest I think it is scandalous that the WSPA are trying to destroy me because this hearing has again put my plans on hold."

When Mr Jones was granted permission for the farm by Welsh Assembly planning minister Carl Sargeant earlier this year, he said he would triple the size of the herd.

Mr Sargeant, the Welsh Assembly's planning minister who has approved the plans, said the economic benefits for the development were "hard to ignore."

The project which will include creating three large buildings, a fodder storage unit, two slurry stores and a water storage tower, was initially refused by Powys County Council. But the Welsh Assembly called in the application in January 2013.

Giving his reason for approval, Mr Sargeant said: "The economic benefits of the proposed development outweigh the social and environmental objections."

The appeal by the WSPA has been backed by Torchwood actor Gareth David-Lloyd, who said: "I've signed the WSPA petition because I want to defend the Welsh countryside and cows from the damage these factory dairy farms can do."

A campaign group was set up against the plans in the village of Leighton called the Campaign Against Leighton Farm Expansion (CALFE).

The group said the mega-dairy would be too close to the local primary school and would have a detrimental effect on the landscape, environment and the local community.

A spokesman for CALFE added: "CALFE is not an anti-farming lobby, we fully support Welsh dairy farmers in their desire to competitively produce milk.

"However, this is not a normal dairy farm, it is a mega-dairy, it is nine times bigger than the UK average. The farmer concerned has our full support to modernise his existing facilities but the scale proposed is totally inappropriate. This mega-dairy is a large-scale industrial-agricultural development."