Chicken farm plan hits hurdle over drainage query

S V Taylor & Partners wants to build a 180,000-bird chicken farm at its site in Rowton

A plan to spend £3.5m to develop a 180,000-bird chicken farm has run into objections.

The site at Barnes Farm in Rowton, near Waters Upton north of Telford, has an anaerobic digester that could be used to turn nearly 2,000 tonnes of chicken manure into gas for the National Grid.

But S V Taylor & Partners, the farming company that runs the site, has been asked to explain how it would stop water getting into the River Tern from the farm.

Telford & Wrekin Council's drainage experts said they needed proof of how dirty water would be dealt with in order to remove their objections.

They have asked the company for updated documents that include a "drawing showing the full discharge route to the River Tern".

The farming business covers 950 acres and is currently operated as a mixed dairy and arable business.

The proposal involves building four poultry houses and associated infrastructure such as feed bins and dirty water tanks.

Each poultry house would accommodate 45,000 birds, with a total site capacity of 180,000.

The farm also has a 5MW anaerobic digester that supplies gas to the National Grid, and the proposal includes processing an estimated 1,984 tonnes of chicken manure through this plant.

Planning agent Ian Pick, of the consultancy Harrison Pick, has submitted documents to the council stating that the farm business wants to further diversify.

Mr Pick said this decision "stemmed from the financial volatility of the dairy and arable sectors".

The plan is open for public comments on the council's website.

This news was gathered by the Local Democracy Reporting Service which covers councils and other public service organisations.