Grimsby salmon farm case goes to High Court

Animal Equality is challenging a planning decision which was made in favour of the farm proposal. The campaigning group won the right to a judicial review in September last year, but the case has only just been heard. A court ruling on the issue is expected within the next two or three months, and possibly sooner.

Animal Equality UK was represented at the hearing by the UK law firm Advocates For Animals, which is dedicated to animal protection.

It said earlier that the case includes some important legal principles regarding animal welfare in planning decisions, and will impact millions of fish.

The company behind the £100m project is Aquacultured Seafood which first announced the plan two years ago. Its planning application received overwhelming approval from North East Lincolnshire (Grimsby) Council approval a few months later.

The project, which will produce 5,000 tons of salmon a year, also has the backing of the town’s extensive seafood industry.

The council was also represented at the High Court hearing last week and both parties presented their case to Judge Karen Ridge.

Animal Equality UK has maintained that the council planning committee was wrongly informed that animal welfare cannot be a material land use consideration on such issues, adding that the guidance it received should be ignored.

Both the council and Aquacultured Seafood say the project will create more than 100 jobs and make an important contribution to the town’s seafood industry. The site is on former industrial land which has been designated for seafood development.