WORK taking place on a farm near Looe is being carried out in order to level land in anticipation of future agricultural activity.

A waste recycling and recovery permit has been issued by the Environment Agency (EA) to the owner of Kilminorth Barton Farm.

According to information provided by the EA under the Freedom of Information Act and Environmental Information Regulations, the terms of the permit allow the holder to store a maximum 60,000 cubic metres of waste materials for up to 12 months, before it is then used in the construction, reclamation, restoration or improvement of land.

The permit allows mostly inert, inorganic categories of waste to be brought to the site and stored prior to use, and these include things like wastes from quarrying or mining, from the manufacture of ceramic goods or plaster, or construction and demolition materials such as bricks and concrete. It’s the responsibility of the operator to ensure that only the permitted types of waste are accepted and detailed records are required to be kept.

The site shown on the permit has a small part of its boundary with the edge of Kilminorth Woods. The terms of the permit state that no activity can be carried out within 50m of a nature reserve or ancient woodland.

Planning permission was granted at Kilminorth Barton Farm in 2020 for the construction of a 40m by 25m grain store. A separate application was also made at the time, said the agent, for agricultural access and an area surrounding the building to enable machinery movement. At the time of these applications, the applicant explained that the development was needed to ensure the continued viability of the farm.

The store and surrounding area would be needed for an expected yield of 1100 tonnes of wheat as well as the combine harvesters, tractors, telehandlers and seed drills associated with the arable operation.