Controversial plans to build a 1,000 cow 'mega-dairy' next to a primary school in Powys, mid-Wales have been granted. The plans were called in by the Welsh government last year and green lighted on Wednesday by planning minister Carl Sargeant, who said his decision was based on economic considerations.

A public inquiry into the development recommended it be turned down in March. The proposals also proved unpopular with the local community, who were supported in their protests by animal welfare campaigners and the National Trust (who claimed the development would spoil the view from nearby Powys Castle). Locals expressed concerns over animal welfare, pollution, disease and overburdening the local infrastructure.

Last October, Powys Councillors also voted against the dairy, claiming the unit at Leighton, on the outskirts of Welshpool, goes against the region's development plans.

Mr Sargeant said social and environmental concerns of the community and local officials were outweighed by the economic case for building the dairy. He rejected the findings of the planning inspector who led the inquiry earlier this year; the inspector recommended permission be rejected on a number of grounds including uncertainties over waste water disposal, public health concerns, inconvenience to local residents, questions over animal welfare and the potential for human rights violations.   

The fight for planning permission, which would see farmer Fraser Jones increase his herd at Leighton from 300 to 1,000 cows, has been ongoing for six years.

Reacting to the planning miniseter's decision, Helen Browning, Chief Executive at the Soil Association said, “It is extremely disappointing that this development has been given the go-ahead, especially when there has been such resistance from the local community. The problems facing the pig and dairy industries will not be solved by super-sizing production; this fails to deal with the root cause of the issue. Instead we need to pay our farmers a fair price for food, whilst expecting the highest standards of care for our environment, animals and health in return. It really should not be necessary for a farmer to milk 1000 cows in order to make a good living!

"Large-scale indoor animal units such as this are common practice in the United States. Experience there has shown that they impact negatively on smaller, family farms, and can have poor environmental and animal health outcomes, as they produce much more manure than the land close by can use, and usually rely on high levels of antibiotics to control disease. We should be focusing instead on the development of productive mixed farming systems which integrate the needs of animals, crops, wildlife and people in a humane and environmentally responsible way."