211166

The proposed development is considered premature and contrary to groundwater protection policies because the applicant failed to provide empirical evidence that the significant water volume required for operations could be sustainably abstracted from a 'Poor Aquifer' without negatively impacting existing private wells in the surrounding area.

• The principle of the development as an agricultural diversification and tourism project is acceptable and supported by national and local policy for the rural economy.
• The physical design, scale, and massing of the distillery buildings are of high quality and would not significantly detract from the landscape character or result in unacceptable noise or odor impacts.
• The application is fundamentally flawed regarding water supply; the lack of on-site pump tests and empirical data in an unproductive aquifer zone means the project poses a significant risk to the domestic water supplies of neighboring residents.