A PUBLIC consultation was held at Camelford Hall on Friday, September 21, regarding Dairy Crest’s plans for a £75-million investment at its Davidstow factory, writes David Sillifant.
Over the next four or five years, Dairy Crest wants to expand its cheese production capability from 54,000 tonnes a year to 77,000, as well as improve other areas including an additional investment in the waste water treatment plant, install new equipment inside a process building and develop a solar installation with Lightsource BP to generate electricity for its own consumption.
Members of the public were invited along to the event to garner more information while councillors and representatives from Dairy Crest, Dairy Crest Direct and Lightsource BP were all on hand to answer questions.
Dairy Crest’s project manager, Nigel Matthew explained what they hope to achieve.
“We’re putting in a £75-million investment in Davidstow to improve cheese capacity, make us more self sufficient for energy and water and increase our production for the future.
“Currently we use 500-million units of milk which will go up to 700-million a year when we’re at full capacity.
“The milk isn’t available tomorrow so we have to increase our milk pool annually to meet our demand.
“Secondly, with the level of investment, we need to make sure we’re doing the right thing and we have to keep the factory going, so we’re doing the increases in manageable steps. We can’t shut down for three months, so we have to phase it in. Every year we have an annual, one-week shut down. That’s when the major interface will take place.”
The factory is also looking to recycle more water than ever before, including the introduction of a membrane bio reactor to help increase the re-use of the 3,000 tonnes of water used per day.
Mr Matthew said: “We don’t have a trade efficient contract for our waste water, so we have to treat the water ourselves. Part of that is that we recycle the water back to the factory or we clean the water ourselves and discharge it to the local river.”
Dairy Crest is well known across the area and Mr Matthew hopes the factory will continue to grow.
He said: “This investment will help secure the employment of the existing 200 people and secure our farmers, which gives them the opportunity to expand and grow. We have 330 farmers exclusive to us in Devon and Cornwall who supply all their milk to us.
“We currently pay around £150-million a year for milk. This gives us potential to pay an extra £60-million for an additional 200-million litres a year.
“We’ve got one of the largest employers in North Cornwall, with 200 employees plus the 330 farmers within 80 miles of the factory, it gives them the ability and confidence to expand their business.
“The factory is the biggest creamery in the UK and one of the most technologically advanced in the UK and we’re committed to producing Cathedral City and Davidstow cheese.”
The plans have also been welcomed by the chairman of Dairy Crest Direct, Steve Bone.
Dairy Crest Direct is the organisation that works with Dairy Crest to negotiate price and their contract on behalf of farmers.
Mr Bone said: “In a time where we’re facing a lot of uncertainty in the agricultural industry, such as Brexit etcetera, we’re pleased there’s a company out there willing to invest in milk processing in an area where there is a lot of milk produced.
“We see it as a positive, giving our members the opportunity to supply Dairy Crest with more milk if they so wish. If the guys want to expand, the high welfare standards that we as Dairy Crest producers work to, dictate that there’s a high degree of labour necessary to look after the dairy cattle.
“Throughout that whole supply chain, there’s more of the same. Although Brexit looks like it could cause challenges on the farm, this is an expansion which could create opportunities for businesses. It’s much needed.
“We’ve been through a very challenging summer in terms of drought conditions having a huge effect on feedstock, farmers are looking for positives in some fairly difficult times.”
British-owned solar energy company, Lightsource BP, is working on a proposal to fund, develop and operate a solar installation at Davidstow.
In a statement, the company said: “The installation is being proposed on 28 acres of land Dairy Crest and will be connected directly into the company’s creamery, via an underground cable.
“The proposed solar installation will provide a power output of 5MWp (Megawatts-Peak) — enough clean solar energy to power the equivalent of 1,428 homes in the first year of supply. This will also contribute towards a local carbon reduction of 1,798 tonnes of emissions each year, which is the equivalent of taking 383 family cars off the road.
“The solar installation will provide up to 12% of the Dairy Crest creamery’s annual electricity needs, taking pressure off the local energy grid as well as reducing the site’s carbon footprint and helping Cornwall meet its carbon emission targets.
“By procuring electricity from a renewable source, at a fixed price, for 25 years, Dairy Crest are able to secure their long-term investment into the traditional industries benefitting farmers and employees across Cornwall and Devon.
“The solar installation will be designed to accommodate sheep grazing allowing the land to continue in agricultural production. The wide field margins and boundary hedgerows will be managed to create enhanced habitats for local birds and wildlife. The company has undertaken a range of environmental assessments which will be submitted with the planning application.”
Nick Boyle, Group CEO at Lightsource BP, said: “We’re pleased to be working with Dairy Crest to bring forward plans for a solar installation to provide clean energy for the company’s creamery in Camelford. All of our projects include thorough community engagement, and it’s crucial that proposals work for the local community as well as the energy customer.”
While Dairy Crest believe the plans will boost the local area, not everyone is totally convinced.
Camelford town councillor, Alan Burgis, said: “A good percentage of the town council have been up here, there are a couple of concerns but as a general rule I don’t think there’ll be too many objections.
“From my point of view, the amount of traffic coming through Camelford, would lead to an increase in 13 lorries a day from the site.
“Not all of them will come through Camelford but our concern is that there are too many coming through the town as it is!
“I noticed on the sheet, how many lorries came in each direction. Last year we had to have cracks in our property shored up and the reason is because we live in Fore Street and that with the cost of scaffolding, cost us over £5,000 which was due to the vibration of the traffic going through the town.
“That said, Dairy Crest have said they’ll contribute towards the business plan for the potential new bypass, so that could solve the problem.”
Living close to such a massive site that operates 24 hours a day has its drawbacks.
A Davidstow Residents Action Group spokesperson said: “We’re proud of the creamery in the role of the jobs they provide, but for local residents there are several issues.”
They claimed: “Number one is the bad odour emissions which reeks of sewage. Secondly there’s a lot of noise, and with further expansion it’s only going to get worse. There’s also a problem with light.
“Certain lights shine into people’s houses and the whole thing is lit up like a football stadium. Finally there’s bad transport. Lorries and tractors are working at night, which can keep people up at night.
“All of these issues are solveable but Dairy Crest need to take them into account and at the moment we’re not confident at all that they are. At this stage, we’re talking to them and hope that they’re listening.”
Edwin Dickinson lives at Barnpark Farm, which is very close to the factory.
He said: “I have made the point to them on the solar issue about the possible light reflection but they tell me they’re going to put a hedgerow up which should block it out.”
Another member of the public, who didn’t want to be named, said: “It’s interesting, if they do what they say and what they’re saying about the bypass. I’ve talked about the number of lorries but they say it won’t impact too much. I would like to find out a bit more before I make a judgement.”
Deputy mayor of Camelford Claire Hewlett said: “Camelford Town Council are broadly supportive of the expansion and keen to support our local farming community.
“We have been approached by local residents with concerns about odour and light pollution, which have been passed on to the appropriate people at Davidstow Creamery, and we were assured that mitigation measures were being put in place at the start of the planned expansion.
“Obviously we’re concerned about additional traffic movements through the town, we’ve been advised that there will only be another four movements per day which seems modest considering the large expansion in output that is planned.
“Any additional traffic puts more pressure on our road system which is already at capacity in Camelford, highlighting yet again the need for a by-pass to relieve congestion within the town.”