27/08/2025 - Campaigners win battle to halt polluting poultry units in the Kennet Valley
Local angling clubs, river groups and concerned residents have welcomed yesterday’s decision by West Berkshire Council to reject the planning application by the Sutton’s Estate to build a huge, intensive poultry unit to house 32,000 chickens in an area located within the floodplain of the River Kennet at Hamstead Marshall in 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 and, after representations from the Angling Trust, the Environment Agency who submitted a formal objection to the plans.
With the planned poultry units sited in the Kennet floodplain just 200 metres from the river. most objectors 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 River Kennet is one of around 200 precious chalk streams, 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.
The Council’s refusal notice highlighted the arguments made by the Angling Trust and Fish Legal on behalf of their member clubs and fisheries in the area and reflected the concerns of Natural England, the Environment Agency, Action for the River Kennet (ARK), River Action and others. A large proportion of the 233 objections were submitted by members of Reading & District AA, Newbury AA, Civil Service AA, Red Spinners AS and other angling interests concerned at the potential damage to this famous river.
West Berkshire Planners said in their decision:
The application site is located near to the River Kennet Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) and is hydrologically connected to several Special Areas of Conservation (SACs), including the River Lambourn SAC, Kennet and Lambourn Floodplain SAC, and Kennet Valley Alderwoods SAC. The proposed development would have an adverse impact on the biodiversity assets of West Berkshire and has failed the Habitats Regulations Assessment (HRA), including the integrity and derogation tests. Evidence indicates harmful effects from groundwater pollution and surface water runoff, particularly through increased phosphorus and nitrogen deposition. These adverse impacts have not been fully avoided, mitigated, or compensated, and there is insufficient information to support any contrary conclusions.
Martin Salter, long time Kennet angler and Head of Policy at the Angling Trust said:
“We told the Sutton’s Estate back in March that the game is up and they should withdraw 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, but they didn’t listen. It’s been a long hard campaign but I’m so pleased that common sense has finally prevailed and those of us who love and cherish Berkshire’s most famous chalk stream can breathe a sigh of relief.
"Phosphate pollution from agriculture in general, and chicken production specifically, is now a major cause of pollution in many of our rivers with now only 14% of them meeting good ecological status under the Water Framework Directive. There has been a massive nationwide increase in chicken production rising to an estimated one billion birds per annum with a 166 million increase in the last 10 years. The Angling Trust hopes that this decision demonstrates that it is possible to fight back against locating these highly toxic poultry units anywhere that puts our precious rivers at further risk.”
Local resident and campaigner Janet Coleman added:
“Local residents are extremely grateful for the support we received from our local angling community who were instrumental in getting Natural England involved and persuading
the Environment Agency’s to eventually submit astrong objection to our local landowner’s application for an intensive poultry unit in an AONB so close to the River Kennet SSSI. This was a ‘game changer’ for our campaign and we are so delighted with the outcome”
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