Slurry lagoon will hold one million gallons

Graham Morton, of Simpson’s Farm in Darkwood Lane, wants to store the manure from his 250-strong dairy herd during the winter months instead of spreading it all year round.

In a document to the South Ribble planning committee the farmer says the lagoon is required under Environment Agency and DEFRA regulations. At present, the farm only has storage for four weeks of slurry in various underground and above ground tanks.

“The existing storage facility demands regular journeys to spread the slurry on the land throughout the year, necessitating frequent tractor journeys to and from the fields. The nutrient value of the clurry will not by utilised by a growing crop during the winter months and is therefore effectively wasted on a dormant crop.”

The lagoon will be 36.5m in diameter and 4.8m high.