Inland salmon farm decision near Salisbury could be overturned following legal challenge

Plans for an inland salmon farm near Salisbury could face a major setback after a legal challenge led to Wiltshire Council indicating that the original planning decision may be overturned.

Wiltshire Council approved plans by Avon Valley Salmon in May for a proposed fish farm at a former trout farm in Downton, near Salisbury.

However, Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) launched a judicial review challenge in the High Court in June.

The campaign group argued that the council had failed to carry out an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) before approving the development.

CAFF also raised concerns about animal welfare and the potential environmental impact of the proposed operation, particularly because of its proximity to the River Avon Special Area of Conservation.

The group questioned how waste and sludge produced by the fish farm would be managed and whether it could eventually affect nearby rivers or land.

CAFF said the lack of an EIA meant the potential scale of the environmental impact had not been properly assessed.

Wiltshire Council has subsequently written to CAFF indicating that it intends to rescind the original planning permission because an EIA was not carried out.

The council has created an order seeking to quash the original planning decision, although the matter remains subject to legal proceedings and the proposed Consent Order has not yet been finalised or approved by the High Court.

The development's owner, Julian Connor, said the decision would delay the project but would not necessarily prevent it from going ahead.

He said the company had not previously been required to complete an EIA but accepted that the council now considered one necessary.

The proposed salmon farm would use existing concrete tanks at the former trout facility rather than the old outdoor trout ponds.

Avon Valley Salmon has said the operation would use a closed tank system, specialist filtration and wastewater treatment technology designed to prevent pollution entering the nearby River Avon.

The company also says fish waste sludge would be transported to specialist facilities where it could be used as fertiliser.

The proposed building would cover the tanks and help prevent birds from contaminating the water. The company says this would also reduce the need for antibiotics that could interfere with its filtration system.

However, campaigners remain concerned about the potential environmental consequences and say there are still unanswered questions about how waste from the operation would ultimately be handled.

Wiltshire Council's cabinet member for development management, Councillor Adrian Foster, said the issue remained subject to ongoing legal proceedings.

He said it would be inappropriate for the council to comment further until the proposed Consent Order had been finalised by all parties and approved by the High Court.

The future of the proposed inland salmon farm therefore remains uncertain, with the planning decision potentially set to be overturned before the project can proceed.