Walkers Crisps potato farm reveals reservoir plan to tackle climate change threat to crops
A Shropshire farm which grows potatoes for Walkers Crisps has announced plans to build a reservoir to help protect against the effects of climate change.
Oaklands Farm in Pitchford, Condover, says that the reservoir will ‘provide long-term water security’ to support the business’ current operations.
The farm grows more than 23,000 tonnes of potatoes for Walkers Crisps and 4,000 tonnes of potatoes for Kettle Foods, plus a variety of cereals and other crops across a total of 4,000 acres of agricultural farmland.
The reservoir would be around 100 metres long and 70 metres in width and located on existing arable field. The farm says that the proposed site has ‘minimal ecological interest’.
Plans submitted to Shropshire Council were found not to need prior approval.
“The proposal would enable the applicants to be adequately prepared for irrigation requirements in 2024, given the unpredictable climate conditions experienced in recent years,” said the application’s planning statement.
“The reservoir will fill naturally through the collection of rainwater, which on average receives 739mm of rainfall annually for the SY5 postcode region; and pumping from existing sources.
“The harvested water will be used as a reserve for irrigation of the cropped ground, should it be required due to unpredictable weather conditions including droughts as starting to be experienced more extremely over the past years.
"Crops such as potatoes are especially susceptible.”
The applicant says that currently rainwater runs into an adjacent watercourse which drains into the Cound Brook, leading to the River Severn which is prone to heavy flooding.
The reservoir is to be constructed using ‘a cut and fill exercise’ with excavated soil moved and used as fill material for the reservoir embankments.
Any surplus soil will be placed in the embankment slopes to the lower sides. Topsoil is to be re-laid over the embankments of the reservoir and sown with an appropriate grassland/wildflower seed mix on land which cannot be cropped.
“The revised site is well away from public land or highways and there are no public footpaths in the vicinity,” added the application.
“Visually it is considered that the reservoir will be hidden from public views due to the existing natural screening and topography of the land.
“In keeping with the applicant’s commitment to farm to a high environmental standard, as part of the project they propose to restore a pond which was originally adjacent to the earlier approved application site to improve the current habitat potential.”
Applicant J R O Griffiths says that to align with Walkers Crisps’ efforts to encourage environmental enhancements it is aiming for a holistic management approach, trialling zero planting methods and soil improvement.
The applicant uses organic waste incorporation and is trialling various environmental working practices and robotics for the optimum growth and harvesting of the potatoes.
Further measures include green initiatives such as a solar PV system on potato storage buildings and a ground Source Heat Pump system to provide heat, while benefitting from the facility to chill 12 potato stores.
