Shropshire chicken farm plans rejected by councillors

Councillors cited concerns over the smell and ammonia pollution while refusing the plans for the farm in Tasley, Shropshire

Plans for a chicken farm housing 210,000 birds have been rejected by councillors.

Shropshire Council's southern planning committee went against officer advice to refuse permission for the site at Footbridge Farm in Tasley.

Campaigners have been fighting the plans for four years, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Councillors cited concerns over the smell and ammonia pollution as reasons for the refusal.

But they were warned by planning manager, Tim Rogers, the authority would find it difficult to defend the refusal decision at an appeal and it would most likely be left to committee members themselves to explain their reasoning to an inspector.

The council initially approved the development in 2017, but a judicial review brought by a member of the public led to the planning permission being quashed by the Court of Appeal in 2019.

The ruling then said applicants did not adequately address concerns over odour resulting from the proposed spreading of manure on nearby fields.

At a meeting on Tuesday, the planning committee heard two significant changes had been made to the application in the wake of the ruling, but members refused the proposal and councillor Robert Marshall said neighbouring residents' "lives would be made an absolute misery" if permission was granted.