Controversial poultry shed plans set to get the go ahead

But a final decision on the proposal for the land north of Roden Lane Farm will be made by Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee when it meets on Wednesday.

The proposal is for four poultry sheds, 10 feed bins, ancillary works, changes to vehicular access, a biomass building and associated landscape.

Each shed would provide accommodation for up to 65,000 broilers, with the four sheds housing a total of 260,000 birds.

The sheds will be heated by two biomass boilers, housed in the biomass building to the north of the poultry houses.

The poultry buildings would be 103.7m long by 24.4m wide with a shallow pitched roof with a height of 4.82m

The site is currently a family run partnership, predominately arable based.

Ercall Magna Parish Council has objected and called the application into committee, and approval would be subject to a Section 106 contribution of £30,000 to implement a traffic calming scheme on Roden Lane.

The parish council has objected to the scheme, saying it is an "unsustainable" form of development and will be "detrimental to local amenity, offering no acceptable community gain".

The council also raises concerns about potential odour and about the affect the development could have on roads around Roden.

Joint comments have also been released from Telford & Wrekin Council ward members for Edgmond and Ercall Magna, Councillors Stephen Bentley and Stephen Burrell, saying: "There is extensive evidence that intensive poultry production has long term effects on communities, the environment and natural habitat.

"Cumulative impacts on rural area will adversely affect existing businesses and local residents.

"The rural location, site and highway are not suitable for such an ‘industrial’ development which cannot be considered as agricultural."

Mark Pritchard, MP for the Wrekin, has also spoken out against the development, saying he has concerns about highways safety and odour.

The application has also generated 46 letters of objection and a petition from the PETA organisation, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.

But three letters of support have also been received from local residents and the West Midlands Region: East Shropshire Group Secretary of the National Farmers Union.

A report going to the planning committee states: "Officers, acknowledge the large footprint of the installation and that there would be some localised impact, however this application is accompanied by an extension landscape and visual impact assessment which considers views from a number of potentially sensitive viewpoints. The site has been carefully selected because it is does not occupy an elevated position."

A decision on the plans is expected to be made at the committee's meeting at The Whitehouse Hotel in Wellington.