Powys chicken farm bid resubmitted at Upper Gwestydd

The proposed chicken farm building would cover 2,800 sq m

Plans to build a 32,000-bird chicken farm have been resubmitted nearly a year after they were rejected.

Gareth and Delyth Woosnam already have sheep and cows at Upper Gwestydd, near Newtown, but want to diversify.

Powys council rejected a plan last November amid concerns about the impact on local roads and the environment.

Protesters against the original proposal said they will fight the plans while the family said the development would "secure a sustainable future".

Downton Abbey actor Peter Egan, a supporter of animal rights, was among more than 5,000 people who signed a petition against the original proposal, submitted in August 2016.

Campaigners at the time said it was inappropriate for the Cefn Mawr area, which they described as a "much-loved haven of peace" and a beauty spot.

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In a statement, estate agents Roger Parry and Partners said: "The family have a keen work ethic and wish to develop their unit to provide a diversified business to sustain the family and ensure a full use of labour available on the farm."

The agent said the family had "realised the Reform of the [European Union's] Common Agricultural Policy will reduce farm incomes" and was proposing the poultry unit "to secure a sustainable future and allow family succession".

The UK government has announced a review of how farming will be supported once the UK leaves the EU.

The building would cover 2,800 sq m (30,000 sq ft) while the birds would have access to roam the surrounding land, fenced off to keep predators out.

The agents claimed the proposals would result in "minimal increases to highway movements" and "will not have a detrimental impact on local habitats".

The BBC has asked the agents to confirm whether the latest proposals have been amended.

Protesters against the original plan told the Local Democracy Reporting Service they had noted the resubmission and would be ready to fight the new proposal.