Council Rejects Massive Chicken Farm on River Kennet Floodplain

A victory for anglers and fishing

In a victory for environmental groups and local residents, West Berkshire Council has rejected a planning application by the Sutton’s Estate to build a large-scale poultry farm in the floodplain of the River Kennet. The proposed facility, which would have housed 32,000 chickens, was to be located in a highly sensitive Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) at Hamstead Marshall.

Local angling clubs, river groups, and concerned residents had all voiced opposition. Natural England, the government body responsible for protecting SSSIs, raised serious concerns, and the Environment Agency, following representations from the Angling Trust, submitted a formal objection.

The main concerns centred on the risk of nutrient pollution, including nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia, leaching into the river and its surrounding groundwater. The planned poultry units were to be sited just 200 meters from the river. This increase in agricultural runoff threatened to further degrade the ecological health of the Middle Kennet, which was already downgraded to ‘Poor’ status in 2022 due to diffuse agricultural pollution.

The River Kennet is one of the approximately 200 precious chalk streams in the UK, supporting a unique and fragile ecosystem with species like trout and grayling. The river is already under pressure from both sewage and agricultural pollution as well as habitat degradation.

The council’s refusal notice highlighted arguments made by the Angling Trust and Fish Legal on behalf of their member clubs and fisheries. It also reflected the concerns of other groups such as Action for the River Kennet (ARK) and River Action. A large proportion of the 233 objections were submitted by members of various angling clubs, including Reading & District AA and Newbury AA.

In their decision, West Berkshire Planners stated:

“The application site is located near to the River Kennet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is hydrologically connected to several Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), including the River Lambourn SAC, Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain SAC, and Kennet Valley Alderwoods SAC. The proposed development would have an adverse impact on the biodiversity assets of West Berkshire and has failed the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), including the integrity and derogation tests. Evidence indicates harmful effects from groundwater pollution and surface water runoff, particularly through increased phosphorus and nitrogen deposition. These adverse impacts have not been fully avoided, mitigated, or compensated, and there is insufficient information to support any contrary conclusions.”

Quotes from Campaigners

Martin Salter, a longtime Kennet angler and Head of Policy at the Angling Trust, expressed his satisfaction with the outcome:

“We told the Sutton’s Estate back in March that the game is up and they should withdraw their irresponsible application to locate a polluting poultry unit on the edge of the Kennet floodplain and just a few hundred metres from a highly protected SSSI, but they didn’t listen. It’s been a long hard campaign but I’m so pleased that common sense has finally prevailed and those of us who love and cherish Berkshire’s most famous chalkstream can breathe a sigh of relief.”

“Phosphate pollution from agriculture in general, and chicken production specifically, is now a major cause of pollution in many of our rivers with now only 14% of them meeting good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive. There has been a massive nationwide increase in chicken production rising to an estimated one billion birds per annum with a 166 million increase in the last 10 years. The Angling Trust hopes that this decision demonstrates that it is possible to fight back against locating these highly toxic poultry units anywhere that puts our precious rivers at further risk.”

Local resident and campaigner Janet Coleman also praised the collaborative effort:

“Local residents are extremely grateful for the support we received from our local angling community who were instrumental in getting Natural England involved and persuading the Environment Agency’s to eventually submit a strong objection to our local landowner’s application for an intensive poultry unit in an AONB so close to the River Kennet SSSI. This was a ‘game changer’ for our campaign and we are so delighted with the outcome”

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Written by Steve
Steve's been an angler since the age of 12, when he caught his first perch on his local canal in Warwickshire. An avid float angler for over 30 years, Steve's just as passionate about angling now, whether stick float fishing on the Avon or at his local gravel pit fishing for spring time Tench.