Farm requests irrigation pond be built for water supply

A Surrey farm is seeking permission to build a new irrigation pond, citing climate change as a "major operational risk" to its water supply.

Reid Manor Farm Limited put forward a prior notification application to Tandridge District Council for excavation works to install the pond in a field to the west of Lingfield.

The applicant said that "mixed farming activities" took place in the area, with hay production being the largest operation.

The proposals represent a "critical business asset" in cultivating aquatic plants, it added.

The planning documents said: "There are a number of other farming activities the business is currently exploring and in the process of setting up to support the farming business."

The document also stated how climate change had worsened summer droughts in the South East, as well as unpredictable rainfall patterns, making reliable water access a "major operational risk".

The applicant pointed to a government statement published in its Farming Roadmap 2050, which said that it would become increasingly important to hold more water on farmlands to help reduce the impact of flooding and support farmers during drought periods.

The document also added that access to the farm via Brickhouse Lane would not be changed as a result of this new development plan, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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