ONE of the biggest asparagus growers in the UK has been given the go ahead to create a "crucially" needed reservoir to collect winter rain for summer irrigation.

The Chinn family have been farming at Cobrey Farms for nearly a century, and recovered from a disastrous fire in 2002 which destroyed its potato and onion facilities to become one of the nation’s leading asparagus producers, supplying the likes of Marks & Spencer.

New licensing rules banning use of water from watercourses and boreholes when the flow of the Wye is reduced mean the farm needs an alternative means of irrigation, which the reservoir will help provide.

However, the business is locked in another planning battle over a renewed bid to build a reservoir at another farm, beside land associated with the Dymock Poets, having already failed three times to win approval.

Redmarley Parish Council says it is "deeply concerned" about the new prior notification bid for an "extremely large" reservoir at Redhill Farm on Bromsberrow Road, and it should be dealt with by a full planning application to the Forest of Dean Council.

The bid for prior approval to Herefordshire Council planners for Coughton Buildings was successful though.

A report on behalf of Cobrey said: "Managing crops over 3,500 acres of land, the family produce the highest quality asparagus, green beans, blueberries, rhubarb and potatoes etc.

"Chinn family farming at Cobrey Farms dates back to 1925, when Wilfred Chinn took on the tenancy of just 125 acres from Guy’s Hospital.

"Wilfred’s son, Bill, managed the farm over 18 years, before his son John returned home from university to build the business we know today.

"Disaster struck in 2002 when fire consumed the potato and onion facilities, but we were undeterred and the site was redeveloped.

"Onion production ceased to make way for the now hugely successful asparagus enterprise.

"Two of John and Gay’s sons, Henry and Chris, also joined the business in 2000 and 2007 respectively, and brought with them a wealth of experience in agriculture and engineering."

The new reservoir will service the irrigation needs of the Coughton Valley which has 285 hectares of arable land.

It will incorporate three existing lagoons and hold 174,000 cubic metres, with the balancing 116,000 cubic metres coming from other existing reservoirs and boreholes, as well as from existing licensed abstraction direct from the Coughton Brook.

Blueberries and rhubarb are all grown in the valley and the other crops in a five-year rotation except for asparagus where a plantation will be cropped for 10 years and then a 10-year break.

The report on behalf of the application added: "The main driver for wishing to build the reservoir is the introduction of licensing for abstraction of water for drip irrigation (to bring it in line with abstraction for spray irrigation).

"As part of our new abstraction licence, all abstraction from watercourses and boreholes must stop when the flow in the River Wye at Redbrook drops below 1,900 megalitres per day - called the ’Hands Off Flow’.

"On average this happens for 95 days each year. Therefore, the proposed reservoir will be crucial for security of water supply for horticulture and potato cropping in the valley."

Agreeing that prior approval was not required, the planning officer said: "Reservoirs are increasingly becoming part of the rural agricultural landscape and the reservoir is considered to integrate successfully in the agricultural landscape which it is to serve."