Sandfields Farm Luddington Road Stratford-upon-Avon CV37 9SJ

Proposal

A balanced cut and fill earth moving operation to create a farm reservoir to store winter water for irrigation use in the summer months. No materials will be brought onto or leave the site. Why necessary for agriculture: The proposed reservoir will allow Sandfields Farms Ltd to abstract water during the winter period from the River Avon at Manor Farm Luddington, when water river flows are higher and store it for use during the summer growing season in accordance with the terms of an Environment Agency abstraction licence. This approach supports sustainable water management by capturing water during periods of surplus and reducing the need for abstraction during environmentally sensitive low-flow periods. The reservoir is therefore a vital piece of agricultural infrastructure that will help secure the long-term viability of the business, protect the productivity of land farmed, and maintain the supply of high-quality British-grown produce to our customers. It will strengthen the resilience of the business to climate change, safeguard employment, and contribute to domestic food security by ensuring the continued production of fresh salads and vegetables in the River Avon catchment. Why designed for agriculture: There is an existing underground irrigation mains system serving the farm this is used during the summer months when water is pumped up from the River Avon, the reservoir site has been chosen to utlise the existing pipes lines and pumps which are close by.