Chicken farm plans set to be approved

Plans for the new chicken farm in Shropshire were submitted seven years ago

Plans to create a 230,000-bird chicken farm look set to be given the go-ahead following a seven-year battle over planning permission.

The scheme earmarked for North Farm near Felton Butler, in Shropshire, would see four 109-metre chicken sheds built along with feed bins, a biomass store and an amenity building.

The proposal was submitted by LJ Cooke and Son in 2017 but a decision was recently deferred twice by Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee.

The scheme is set to go back before councillors on Tuesday and planning officers have recommended it for approval.

More than 1,000 people signed an online petition when the application was first submitted and the council has received 32 letters of objection from residents.

Complaints included the high number of poultry farms already operating in the area along with concerns over traffic and pollution.

Changes have been made to the ventilation systems, to deal with odour pollution, and highway improvements were added to the plans following the last council deferral in November.

"It is considered that the assessments submitted in relation to noise and odour impacts have satisfactorily demonstrated that the operation can be undertaken at this site without adversely affecting local amenity to an unacceptable degree," said a report by Shropshire Council’s planning officer.

A planning and design statement submitted by Roger Parry and Partners, acting as agents for the applicant, said the business had chosen to diversify to "support their arable enterprise".

It said the applicant wished to enhance the business to "create a sustainable future for themselves and their young family".

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