Makins, a soft fruit supplier to UK retailers, has applied to Leeds City Council to continue housing seasonal workers in 84 static caravans at Sturton Grange Farm in Micklefield, near Garforth.
The company, which supplies Morrisons and Aldi, stated that it requires space for up to 325 workers during peak season in June each year. Staff are needed for irrigation, picking, and planting. Many workers arrive in the UK under the Seasonal Worker visa scheme and stay for about six months. A planning report noted that a large proportion are students studying English or farming.
Permission to house workers on-site was first granted in 2009 as a time-limited measure. The caravans are located on green belt land, which is generally classified as inappropriate development under planning rules.
Makins said the use of caravans is necessary to support production and the supply of strawberries to UK supermarkets. "The labour requirements for the farm cannot be satisfied from the UK labour market as UK workers do not, on the whole, like doing temporary work, whereas foreign workers are happy to do so," the company said. "This is a pattern repeated across the country throughout the agricultural and horticultural industries."
The company added that the demand for UK-grown fruit continues to increase. "The ability to grow the soft fruit in this country reduces the reliance on importing the same from Europe and beyond," Makins said. "The key to the continued success of the business is the well-managed and well-organised workforce located on site."
On the question of planning policy, Makins argued that the housing proposal "continues to represent a very special circumstance. The caravans are required to ensure a horticultural enterprise continues to grow, and because there are no alternatives to the use of caravans in this location."
Source: YEP
