§ Mrs. Ann WintertonTo ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs what discussions she has had with the Department for Transport, Local Government and the Regions on the planning guidance currently issued to local authorities relating to the siting of new generation mobile chicken units on poultry farms. [16040]
§ Mr. MorleyWe have had no recent discussions with DTLR on this subject. Guidance on temporary structures used for agriculture, including mobile poultry units, is contained within PPG7, Annexe C, paragraph 11.
DEFRA contributes to both national and regional planning guidance on a range of aspects. Through Government Offices, DEFRA provides technical advice to local planning authorities. This includes advice on giving farmers flexibility to adapt to changing animal welfare legislation. In doing so, local authorities are enabled to take due account of these aspects when they prepare their local development plans and assess individual planning applications.