Free-range egg farm proposal rejected

Objectors worried about noise, odours and pollution

Plans for a free-range egg farm housing up to 12,000 hens have been rejected.

Bosses at Highcliffe Farm in Winston, near Darlington, had hoped to build an agricultural building to boost egg production.

The proposal included new feed bins and tanks for the hens, a bird housing area alongside an egg store and an egg packing area with two external feed bins.

Nearly 100 objections from residents supported Durham County Council’s recommendation for refusal.

Concerns were raised about the potential impact of odour and noise on the nearby Winston Bridge holiday park, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

One objector worried the River Tees could be polluted by waste, impacting fish stocks, other wildlife and people who use the river for leisure.

David Lobley added: "I have no wish to see it become a river where the water doesn’t flow and it boils with every poison you can think of.”

Despite concerns over the scale of the proposed farm, the applicant Zoe Huxtable said the average size of free egg units in the UK is 32,000 birds.

But the council's refusal notice claimed the land which would be lost "positively contributes to the character of the local area and wider landscape".

It continued: “The development has not provided evidence that its impacts could be adequately mitigated in respect of Nutrient Neutrality and therefore, adverse impacts on the Teesmouth and Cleveland Coast Special Protection Area cannot be ruled out in regard to nitrate.”

The applicant has been contacted for comment.