Asked by: Lord Berkeley of Knighton (Crossbench - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs:
To ask Her Majesty's Government, what assessment they have made of river pollution caused by existing chicken farms; and what discussions they have had with the Welsh Government about possible river pollution from chicken farms which have planning permission pending.
Answered by Lord Goldsmith of Richmond Park
Agriculture is recorded as the industry most responsible for Water Framework Directive 'Reasons for Not Achieving Good' (RNAG) status in England. The sector accounts for a third of all reasons, the majority coming from nutrients in livestock manure when it is inadequately applied to land. When fertiliser, including from chicken farming, is spread at the wrong time and in the wrong place it can run off to water courses during rainfall events.
We are unable to attribute the contribution by livestock sector. Whist poultry will contribute to this, other sectors, such as dairy, beef and pigs, are more intensive. They create larger quantities of manure and slurry and are likely to have a higher influence on overall pollution incidents.
We devolve environmental policy to the other UK administrations. England's approach differs from that in Wales by using a designation process to determine the location of Nitrate Vulnerable Zones (NVZs). These at-risk areas require landowners to follow rules for storing and applying organic manure. In 2018 Defra introduced the Farming Rules for Water which standardise good farming practices and offer a new, modern approach to regulation whereby farmers and land managers can determine which approach is best for their land. Under these rules, farmers must consider the soil and crop needs of their farm before applying manure.
Both England and Wales use the Environmental Permitting Regulations for intensive poultry farming (above 40,000 poultry places). Permitted poultry farms are obliged to control manure and other pollution risks. A new development will need to have both planning permission and an environmental permit before it can operate.
My department has not held discussions with the Welsh Government about possible river pollution from chicken farms which have planning permission pending. The responsibility for Town and Country Planning in Wales is a devolved matter for the Welsh Government. Guidance to local planning authorities in Wales is provided by Welsh Ministers, according to planning policies for Wales.