Anthony Gill has successfully represented Gafoor Pure Halal Ltd in securing a Certificate of Lawful Existing Use in Preston for one of the UK’s largest chicken processing facilities.
Gafoor is one of the UK’s largest producers of chicken products for supermarkets and the hospitality sector. Its purpose-built facility in central Preston has operated for over twenty years. The business processes over 1.4 million chickens a week, bringing millions of pounds to the local economy and employing over 500 people locally.
Significant growth and success for the business had led to it operating beyond the scope of its planning permission.
Following an unsuccessful CLEUD application, Anthony was instructed to pursue the appeal. Given the size of the business and the multiple regulatory regimes governing its operations, this required working with Gafoor and PWA Planning to marshal thousands of documents and millions of individual pieces of evidence.
Anthony led a strategy to front-load the appeal process in order to reach agreement with Preston City Council. Working in cooperation with the Council, the appellant was able to provide extensive schedules of evidence and facilitate the Council’s auditing of Gafoor’s various databases of regulatory documentation.
The Council engaged early in the appeal process to review and audit multiple years of animal welfare, transport, and employee record evidence. The parties agreed a detailed schedule to put before the inquiry, thereby foregoing days of evidence and saving private and public resources, including multiple days of Planning Inspectorate sitting time.
The proactive approach of the parties allowed for the regularisation of the operations of a significant local employer and national business. The cooperative attitude resulted in a brief but efficient inquiry and has led to the issuing of a succinct decision letter from the Planning Inspectorate.
The case illustrates the necessity, where there is a significant evidence base, of engaging all parties at an early stage. The existence of extensive evidence is of little utility without a commitment to organise and present it effectively to the relevant decision-maker.
You can see the full decision here.
Piers Riley-Smith acted for Preston City Council.
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