Soft-fruit grower S&A Produce is expecting a planning decision on workers’ accommodation proposals for its site in Marden, Herefordshire, next week.

Following recent submission of a planning application for a reduced amount of seasonal workers’ accommodation at Brook Farm, S&A’s proposals are due to come before the planning committee at Herefordshire County Council on 17 March.

The revised proposals for workers' accommodation at Brook Farm include a reduction in housing capacity from 1,000 people to 852 people, and the assurance that all accommodation will be either in caravans or dormitories.

Frank Green, S&A md, said: “We have been eager to take on board local feedback regarding the future of our operations in Marden. The recent changes to our plans for Brook Farm represent a significant improvement to existing facilities and, I believe, address the concerns of the local community and the council’s planning committee in respect of the last planning application.”

The committee’s decision is extremely important for S&A. The group has already received planning approval for its operations at Brierley and for polytunnels at Marden, and Green believes consent for this application is the final element needed to secure a stable and sustainable future for S&A.

Green said: “Seasonal workers are a vital part of our business and if we are bringing people to work on our farms we have to be able to provide good-quality accommodation. There really are no alternatives to accommodating our seasonal workers at Marden to support our operations there. Suitable alternative properties do not exist within a reasonable distance of S&A’s sites and having staff living away from the company’s operations would increase traffic coming to and from the site and reduce our ability to provide support for our employees’ welfare. We have worked hard on this application and I am hopeful of a positive result.”

Topics