'1m chickens a week' Wrexham farm plans refused

The expansion plan would have created 200 jobs, company bosses had said

Plans to increase a poultry plant's production limit to one million chickens per week have been refused.

Maelor Foods in Wrexham, which already has permission to process up to 400,000 birds each week, wanted to increase its production by almost 150%.

The proposal was recommended for approval after owner Salisbury Poultry said it would create 200 new jobs.

But Wrexham council's planning committee refused the application after hearing concerns over bad odour.

The proposals for the £20m factory, which opened in 2017, were initially suggested to be rejected by the authority's highways department because of the likelihood of danger to road users.

But chief planning officer Lawrence Isted said he was satisfied when the company vowed to carry out road safety improvements, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

However, community leaders said the odour created by the building had left residents in nearby areas feeling ill, leading councillors to turn the application down.

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"They were unable to have their windows open, unable to sit in their gardens and unable to sleep at night because of the noxious smell in their own homes," said councillor John Pritchard.

"These smells are making some people feel physically sick. This is only with 400,000 chickens, so what is it going to be like with one million?"

Maelor Foods' managing director Raj Mehta with Welsh ministers Lesley Griffiths and Ken Skates at the opening of the factory

Mr Pritchard read out a letter which revealed that Natural Resources Wales had received 12 complaints about the site since it opened in November 2017.

The agency said the issues were caused by effluent tanks and offal trailers and it was working with the company to address problems.

The council's business and investment team said Maelor Foods has already delivered an investment into the county of £20m and their latest plans would bring a wider range of job opportunities.