VILLAGES and hamlets along a route to be taken by tractors and slurry wagons accessing an 'industrial size' dairy near Gargrave are being warned to expect increased traffic.

The dairy, which can be seen from the Pennine Way, has also raised concerns from The Pennine National Trails Partnership, which has described existing buildings as 'out of character with the area'.

Souber Dairy at Bank Newton has already come under fire by residents of Gargrave because of the number of tractors with trailers using Marton Road to get to the dairy.

Now, the family run farm and dairy has applied for permission to construct a new building for the storage of silage, in addition to the two it already has.

The dairy, which has a long-standing contract with Arla Dairies, has recently bought 133 acres of farmland in Bracewell, some six miles away, which will provide wheat silage for the farm, and in addition, has contracted for the growing of maize - both of which will have to be transported to Bank Newton and stored separately from grass silage.

The dairy says the proposed storage building, which will measure more than 54metres long, 16m wide and 10m high, will 'allow the business greater food security' given that the war in Ukraine and wet weather in the UK making the cereal market 'very volatile, both in terms of prices and availability throughout the year'.

A transport statement with the application to North Yorkshire Council , states: "Both the maize and whole crop wheat will be transported from the East from the A59. Turf Pit Gate is situated south of the A59 and west of West Marton. This reduces the volume of traffic gaining access through Gargrave where access along Marton Road can be restricted due to parked cars on the roadsides."

A spokesperson for Bank Newton Parish Meeting said there had been seven objections and five no objections to the plans within the hamlet, with most of the objections to do with the movements of tractors, trailers and slurry tankers.

"Bringing in silage from Souber's multiple satellite locations will create many new traffic movements. These pose danger to other road users, create loud tractor noise for residents in villages and hamlets along the various routes and damage local infrastructure.

"The operation is on an industrial scale without a suitable access, and importantly, there is no alternative access if the bridge and road are closed for repair."

Mid-Craven Councillor, Simon Myers, at a recent area planning committee meeting of North Yorkshire Council, said he hoped the latest application for the dairy would be decided by the planning committee, and not by officers with delegated powers.

He said: "The industrial scale dairy at Bank Newton had not expanded when the (Gargrave) Neighbourhood Plan was developed. Successive planning applications have been passed and massive expansion has taken place over the last few years. Despite transport statements which assure us that there will be no intensification of heavy traffic, this is not the lived experience of residents. The business relies on everything being taken in and brought out by large vehicles on unsuitable narrow roads."

The Pennine National Trails Partnership has called for a condition - if permission is granted, for the silage building to be screened from walkers using the Pennine Way.

A spokesperson said: "The existing buildings at Souber Dairy are already clearly visible from the national trail, and their scale is out of character with the area. The addition of the proposed agricultural building can only make this group of farm buildings more prominent as the development expands further. Whilst some tree cover is apparent in the area, it does little to screen the site."

The application is currently under consideration by North Yorkshire Council.