200,000-bird chicken farm next to main road set to double in size

The plans were approved by Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee, with members voicing their support for the need to bolster the area’s rural economy and help meet the demands of the UK meat industry.

Great Ness Poultry Ltd had applied to build four more chicken sheds at its farm in Kinton, next to the Nesscliffe Bypass, joining the existing four units built six years ago. Each will house up to 50,000 birds.

Planning officers had recommended approval of the scheme despite having refused a similar application for the site 2019, when they said not enough information had been provided about the potential environmental impacts.

In a report to the committee, officers said their previous concerns had been addressed and there were no objections from the council’s ecology, archaeology, public protection or highways teams or the Environment Agency.

Great Ness and Little Ness Parish Council supported the proposals, however objections were received from six members of the public who voiced concerns over odour, lorry traffic, ammonia emissions the impact on views from Oliver’s Point on Nesscliffe Hill.

Shrewsbury CPRE also objected on grounds of odour and landscape impact.

Planning officer Kelvin Hall told the committee that air scrubbers would be added to the new and existing sheds to reduce ammonia, and manure would be taken off-site to an anaerobic digester, rather than being spread on nearby fields, to address odour concerns.

He added: “Overall we are content that the adverse visual impacts are outweighed by the benefits of the proposal.”

The committee unanimously voted to approve the expansion of the farm.

Councillor Mike Isherwood said: “Supporting local food production has a great deal of merit.

“I think it’s far preferable to extend existing premises like this rather than have new ones in new locations. Transport-wise it’s in a pretty good location, and it will help to safeguard jobs in our county.”

Meanwhile plans to triple the number of egg laying hens at another farm near Shrewsbury have been refused.

Painsbrook Farm in Hadnall wanted to build two more free-range poultry sheds following the approval of its first unit in 2019, which houses up to 32,000 chickens.

The proposed extra sheds would be the same size, bringing the total number to 96,000.

However members of Shropshire Council’s northern planning committee said not enough information had been provided to address a series of concerns over the application, and refused the expansion.

Planning officer Philip Mullineux said the application as it stood “falls well short” of the the Environmental Impact Assessment Regulations.

He said: “The application is recommended for refusal as it is considered that the application lacks sufficient detail on biodiversity, amenity, odour, highway and transportation and drainage issues.”