Round 1 of the Slurry Infrastructure Grant (SIG) was launched in December 2022, with Expression of Interest Forms required by the 31st January 2023. The RPA whittled down these applications to just 374, with Wannops Farms LTD being successful in Round 1.

Wannops Farms LTD comprises a dairy enterprise, based to the edge of Lancaster and close to the River Lune SSSI Estuary. Consequently, the holding scored highly in the Priority Zone. We did find that that this Round 1 phase was very much a postcode lottery, with location being key.

The business previously operated a ‘flying herd’, however they now breed replacement heifers, resulting in cattle numbers rising to approximately 1,000 head on the holding. The property therefore needed additional storage to meet the proposed Clean Air Act 2027, requiring six months slurry storage capacity. The farm includes over 600 acres of rotational grass leys and whole crop silage to utilise the slurry.

When we first met with the Wannop family, we initially attended to discuss the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund (FETF), Sustainable Farming Incentive (SFI) and their current Higher Tier Agreement on the Salt Marsh, however the meeting led to instructions on the First stage of the SIG.

Slurry separators were added to the list of items under the FETF shortly afterwards, and the family did briefly consider this option, however after further research they decided to progress the original plan of applying for Round 2 of the SIG to assist with the construction of a 43m diameter concrete tower, with a capacity of 1.9 million gallons of slurry. The farm was keen to allow for the future. Other stores on the holding were aging, however they are still in full working order, therefore the store has an extra capacity over the required, future proofing the investment.

The Round 2 documentation involved a full farm survey of all the dirty water collected within the slurry system, including reviews of building areas, the labelling of all yard buildings and an assessment of flow and drainage systems for clean and dirty water. This documentation was all submitted alongside the approved Planning Consent for the proposed tower, with the documentation reviewed by the Environment Agency alongside the slurry wizard calculations.

Finally, a grant funding agreement was issued and signed in May 2025, nearly 18 months from the initial Round 1 closure date.

Unfortunately, the process was very prolonged and at times, it did feel like the information requested felt very much like common sense, which a site visit could have resolved within minutes, and not weeks.

Works have now commenced on the Slurry Tower, and it is hoped completion will be in January 2026. All the equipment will then need to be detailed within a grant funding ‘sign-off’ and fully maintained for 5 years.

The 43m diameter store will have a surface area of 1,520m2. Covering this store will save the farm an average of 1,800m3 of rainwater entering the slurry system. At a spreading cost of £1.40/m3, this alone saves £2,500/year. Throughout the SIG process in general, it was impressive to see the differences between slurry calculations of different farms when comparing uncovered silage clamps and open collecting yard / loafing areas, when compared to covered systems. Covering these areas can make a significant difference to the slurry generated on farm. This is an aspect that Wannops Farms Ltd have considerably invested in over the years, as the farm has expanded to the current milking herd of 610 cows.

The grant arrived just at the right time for the business, with the farm already planning this development. Having plans in place on how your business will expand, does help when grant funding appears in small windows of opportunity. My advice is start planning – you never know what’s around the corner and make the most of the opportunities as they arise.

“I am so glad Fiona took the reins on this and kept up persistence, the information the RPA required was very detailed“