Inquiry hears Shropshire poultry units would bring in £4 million
Six poultry units in the Shropshire countryside would bring around £4 million to the area and create the equivalent of three full-time jobs and up to 58 more in supporting industries, a public inquiry has heard.
On the seventh day of the inquiry into Shropshire Council's decision to refuse planning permission for poultry units at Vantage Farm in Bletchley, near Market Drayton, Guy Maxfield, of Roger Parry and Partners chartered surveyors, was called to give evidence supporting an appeal by applicants Michaela and Mike Harrison.
The inquiry into the scheme, which also involves creating control rooms, feed bins, a biomass store, boiler room and a weighbridge, was scheduled to end last week, but resumed at Shrewsbury's Shirehall yesterday having overrun its anticipated six days.
Mr Maxfield, who has been involved in the application since 2009, urged planning inspector Richard Clegg to give "significant weight" to the economic benefits the plans would bring.
These were not presented in detail during the original application, he said, as the scheme was already recommended to go ahead.
He said one poultry manager, one assistant manager, and various part-time positions would be created at the poultry farm itself, but the new units would create man-hours equivalent to 57.7 full-time positions indirectly, such as production of feed, delivery and processing.
Altogether it amounted to a £4 million investment in the local economy.
He said the plans contributed towards a drive to make the UK's food supply more secure and the poultry farm would contribute to Bletchley's "nature as a working village".
"It isn't likely to impact on tourism, this isn't an area known for tourism," he said.
If the poultry farm did not go ahead the applicants would attempt to expand the existing dairy farm but, he said: "Any investment would be limited to land availability."
He said a "super dairy" at Lower Leighton Farm near Welshpool had been allowed after a similar public inquiry by Welsh Planning Minister Carl Sargeant, despite being close to the grade I listed Powys Castle, because it was judged the economic benefit outweighed all else. The Vantage Farm project would have much less impact on its surroundings, he said.
But Johnathan Easton, representing Shropshire Council, said Lower Leighton Farm was under Welsh planning policy, which explicitly says economic benefits can trump environmental and heritage considerations – whereas the UK planning policy does not.
It depended on the particular circumstances as to how much weight was given to economic benefits, he said.
A site visit was being carried out today.
