The National Farmers Union is appealing on behalf of Valley Grown Nurseries to communities and local government minister Eric Pickles after the Lea Valley salad grower’s appeal against a district council planning decision was dismissed by a government inspector.
Valley Grown Nurseries applied to expand its operation at Nazeing in Essex for an 8.7ha glasshouse and 4,500m2 warehouse adjacent to Lea Valley Regional Park. However, despite support from Epping Forest District Council for the proposals, the council’s planning committee turned down the application after lobbying from local residents, and a subsequent appeal by VGN was also dismissed.
Jimmy Russo, owner of VGN, told FPJ: “We find this very disappointing, not just for VGN but for growers in the UK in general. We are now going down all the right channels with the NFU and will try to get to Pickles.”
VGN said that the sticking point appears to be the visual impact of the proposed development. “Show me something that doesn’t have a visual impact,” said Russo. “The problem is that if you make that precedent, going forward it is not good for glasshouse development in the rest of the UK either. The reality is that if you can’t expand, then you haven’t got a business and then there will be job losses and dereliction.”
Russo was critical of the Lea Valley Regional Park Authority for its opposition to the development. “They are totally disrespectful to people who have an industry,” he said. “Growers should be allowed and encouraged to expand to grow more local produce. VGN has had a nursery on this site for 100 years this year and we want to be able to stretch the season, to start earlier and finish later.”
The alternative, he warned, is replacement of UK product with imports from the Netherlands.
No comments yet