Plans for a heifer accommodation building and associated works at one of Pembrokeshire’s largest dairy farms, with a milking herd of 2,000 cows, have been submitted.

In an application to Pembrokeshire County Council, Hugh James of Langdon Mill Farms Ltd seeks permission for a 160-metre-long heifer accommodation building, a slurry separation/dewatering building and associated yard areas at the Farm, near Jeffreyston, Kilgetty.

A supporting statement through agent Reading Agricultural Consultants says: “The holding currently has a milking herd of approximately 2,000 cows, which are housed indoors for the majority of the year, with dry cows and heifers grazed outdoors when weather and soil conditions permit.

“There has been significant investment in buildings and infrastructure at the farm over the last decade in respect of cattle accommodation, slurry storage, milking facilities, Anaerobic Digestion (AD) plant, feed storage. Recently a calf and weaned calf accommodation buildings were approved by PCC with construction almost complete.

“Following the completion of the calf and weaned calf accommodation buildings, the farm will be rearing all of the cattle under seven months at Langdon Mill Farm, before being transported off site to be reared at three farms in the local area. At 22-months the in-calf heifers are brought back to the maternity building to calve and then are introduced into the milking herd.”

It says the proposed building would be used by heifers between the ages of 7-22 months.

It adds: “The siting of the proposed heifer building is directly influenced by the adjacent calf and weaned calf buildings, with livestock being moved from one building to the next as they get older. By positioning the buildings next to each other, it will be possible to move livestock between the buildings without the need for vehicular transportation.”

The application will be considered by county planners at a later date.