Controversial plan for salmon-rearing 'factory' in Cleethorpes set for High Court hearing this week

The grassy site proposed for the controversial salmon-rearing project

                                                                       

THE proposed salmon-rearing factory behind Blundell Park will be back in the spotlight tomorrow - in a court room in Leeds.

It was back in November 2023 that  a firm, Aquacultured Seafood Ltd, secured planning permission to develop the project on the ABP-owned site of the former railway sidings  adjacent to the sea wall near the Fuller Street footbridge.

However, while the developers have been approaching potential investors for the £75-million scheme, objectors have not been allowing the grass grow under their own feet.

The organisation, Animal Equality, has successfully applied  for a judicial review on the basis of what it perceives to have been a deficiency  in how North East Lincolnshire Council planners determined the proposal.

In particular, AE are challenging the following advice given by the case officer to planning committee members: 

This stated: "Regarding fish welfare and the moral concerns of fish farming, these have been noted.

"However,  they are not considered to be material land use planning considerations. 

"Indeed, the salmon project proposal is akin to other well-established intensive livestock units such as for chickens, turkeys and pigs."

Barristers representing the two parties are due to thrash out the arguments in front of Deputy High Court judge Karen Ridge at a hearing tomorrow, Wednesday February 12.

However, it is far from certain that her judgement will be announced on the day - it may take a week or even much longer.

If the judge finds in favour of North East Lincolnshire Council, Aquacultured Seafoods will be able to continue their quest for funding, possibly buoyed by any  publicity generated by the unusual court case.

If the judge comes down on the side of Animal Equality, the planning consent risks being annulled, meaning the original application will either need to be determined anew or a fresh one submitted.

It is possible that this week's hearing will be a test case for similar livestock-rearing applications all over the country. 

One individual who will be particularly interest in the outcome of the legal proceedings  is the Duke of Northumberland - not a familiar face in Cleethorpes but believed to be Aquacultured Seafood's largest shareholder.  

It is not know if he will attend the Leeds hearing.