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Farming Today: 16/11/23 Faked evidence in livestock shed planning applications, sprouts

16/11/23 Faked evidence in livestock shed planning applications, sprouts

BBC Radio 4 - Farming Today, 16/11/23 Faked evidence in livestock shed planning applications, sprouts

Faked evidence in NI planning applications for livestock sheds is harming the environment.

After evidence is faked in planning applications for livestock sheds, a planning expert tells us there are systemic failures in environmental protection in Northern Ireland.

The widespread use of fake evidence in planning applications from livestock farms may have led to increased water pollution in Northern Ireland, including the toxic blue-green algae we reported on this summer in Lough Neagh. That’s according to the Belfast based investigative journalism network, The Detail. 
Since 2015 farmers in Northern Ireland wanting to build new sheds to house livestock like pigs and poultry have had to submit soil samples to show their land will be able to absorb the extra animal waste, or slurry, without it running off into rivers and causing pollution. A planning expert tells us there are systemic failures in environmental protection in Northern Ireland.

Heavy rainfall in recent weeks has turned many fields into quagmires, making the harvesting of vegetables a particular challenge and that includes brassicas which we’re talking about all this week on the programme.  T.H. Clements is one of the country's largest suppliers of brassicas, with 11,000 acres in Lincolnshire and another 1,000 in Cornwall.  Our reporter Bob Walker's been seeing how workers are currently braving the mud to bring in the sprout harvest. 

Presented by Caz Graham and produced by Beatrice Fenton.

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16/11/23 Faked evidence in livestock shed planning applications, sprouts

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