Longden chicken farm set to double capacity

The units will house up to 50,000 birds each

A poultry farm has been granted permission to double its capacity from 100,000 to 200,000 chickens.

Plans for The Vinnals in Longden, near Shrewsbury, were given the green light by Shropshire Council despite concerns raised by local residents about the smell and an increase in lorry traffic.

The farm can build two chicken sheds next to two it constructed in 2017.

Applicants said the move was necessary to ensure the farm remained financially viable for future generations.

A permit variation has been obtained from the Environment Agency and planning officers said this would control the management of the farm, including odour, noise and dust emissions.

The first two chicken sheds were constructed when permission was first granted for the diversification of the business into poultry, the Local Democracy Reporting Service said.

Neighbour Hilary Frankcom said lorry drivers accessing the farm did not follow the route agreed as part of the original planning permission.

Planning officers said there had only been one incident since 2017 in which a driver was found to have travelled the wrong way.

Longden Parish Council chairman Paul Carter stated neighbours were already being affected by lorry traffic and odour from manure being spread on nearby fields.

The applicant's agent, Nick Williams of Berrys, said existing units were "well managed".

He said there would be no increase in odour as a result of the expansion, with manure to be taken off-site to be processed at an anaerobic digester, and air scrubbers would be added to the new units to ensure no significant increase in ammonia from the farm.