Coldwater Salmon founder sets out vision for UK site as canopy plan draws scrutiny.
Coldwater Salmon founder Julian Connor has defended plans to redevelop Barford trout farm near Downton, Wiltshire, into a closed-containment salmon facility, as new details emerge on the project’s scope and the public response.
According to the Salisbury Journal, Wiltshire Council has received 196 comments on a planning application to install a canopy over three concrete-lined ponds at the site. The structure is intended to prevent pollutants such as bird droppings entering the water and to allow environmental control through artificial lighting. The green ponds connected to the River Avon will not be used.
Connor said the project reflects the company’s commitment to combining technology and sustainability:
“We have a responsibility to produce food in a way that is not only efficient but also respects our planet. Our farm is a testament to the idea that a high-tech, sustainable model can deliver premium-quality salmon without compromising our oceans. We are excited to bring this new era of aquaculture to the UK,” he told the Salisbury Journal.
Coldwater Salmon already operates Swiss Lachs, a land-based recirculating aquaculture system established in 2013 in Switzerland. The company says its closed-loop model eliminates the risk of escapes and disease transmission, requires no chemicals or antibiotics, and ensures all waste is recycled.
The canopy application has attracted objections from Foodrise, the Green Britain Foundation and local group For the Love of Water (FLOW), alongside individual residents. Letters of support cite the farm’s decades-long use for trout production and argue the cover will improve biosecurity and fish welfare.
Coldwater Salmon took on the Barford site, formerly operated by Trafalgar Fisheries, earlier this year.
