Campaigners in Berkshire’s Kennet Valley have welcomed the news that the Environment Agency has now escalated their previous concerns to the status of a ‘formal objection’ over plans to build a huge, intensive poultry unit to house 32,000 chickens in an area located within the floodplain of the River Kennet – a highly sensitive Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI). Serious concerns have also been raised by Natural England, the government body charged with the protection of SSSIS.

Local residents and angling clubs have been working with Angling Trust and Fish Legal to coordinate objections to the plans from the Sutton’s Estates which will eventually come before West Berkshire Council’s Western Area Planning Committee. All groups have raised serious concerns about the risks of nutrient pollution, including nitrates, phosphates, and ammonia, leaching into the river and its surrounding groundwater. This increase in agricultural runoff threatens to further degrade the ecological health of the Middle Kennet, which was downgraded to ‘Poor’ status in 2022 under the Water Framework Directive, with diffuse pollution from agriculture cited as a key contributing factor.

The Environment Agency’s formal objection, which campaigners have described as ‘game changer’, is based on the following key points:

• The effect on River Kennet SSSI and Chalkstream Priority Habitat
• Insufficient information from the applicant on addressing pollution risks
• Direct hydraulic connection to the Kennet and surrounding SSSI via groundwater
• Potential pollution of both groundwater and the River Kennet
• Risks of polluting wash off from the manure spreading.

Solicitors at Fish Legal, which takes action against polluters on behalf of its member angling clubs, have also submitted further objections on behalf of Newbury and Civil Service Angling Associations, saying:

“Our member’s fishing grounds are located on the River Kennet SSSI and the Kennet and Avon Canal, both of which are in very close proximity to the proposed site and are therefore at increased risk of nutrient run-off.  The Groundwater Report notes that there is a hydrogeological connection to the River Kennet SSSI which is located south of the proposed site. Any rainfall runoff will flow south towards this. As it is only 190m downhill of the proposed site, it is not difficult to imagine an intense rainfall event causing significant damage.”

The River Kennet is one around 200 precious chalk streams in the world, supporting a unique and fragile ecosystem renowned for its wildlife and fish species such as trout and grayling. It is already under pressure from both sewage and agricultural pollution as well as habitat degradation.

Martin Salter, long time Kennet angler and Head of Policy at the Angling Trust, commented:

“It’s high time that the Sutton’s Estate recognised that the game is up and withdrew 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. As major landowners with over 16,000 acres at their disposal they have plenty of other options well aware from our precious rivers.”

Dougie Hull, Chairman of Newbury AA said:

“This issue is a major wake-up call for all river catchment areas, not just the River Kennet. Our green & pleasant land, and the rivers that sustain it, is put at serious risk due to industrial farming practices such as these which are driven solely by profit, convenience and demonstrate a lack of care for the environment.”

Local resident and campaigner Janet Coleman added:

“We are grateful and hugely encouraged by the Environment Agency’s strong objection to this local landowner’s application for an intensive poultry unit in an AONB so close to the River Kennet SSSI.  We feel it is a ‘game changer’ for our campaign and the EA’s welcome stance should give others hope that our national regulatory body now takes very seriously this threat to our environment. The local planning authority should now follow suit and refuse all applications for these potentially polluting poultry factories in sensitive areas.”

Posted 11/06/25