Anger over new plan for 64,000-chicken farm near Telford
New plans have been submitted to build a 64,000-chicken farm near Telford. Thousands of people signed a petition against original proposals for a 5,000 square metre poultry factory on Ellerdine Heath.
People near the site at Hilbrae say it would mean heavy lorries thundering through country lanes.
But applicant Heal Farms Ltd today revealed amended plans it claims will take delivery lorries away from roads by creating a new driveway.
The new proposals have angered staff at Hilbrae Pets Hotel, which re-homes dogs from across Shropshire.
Its owner Marty Burrell today branded the plans an "atrocious idea".
She said: "It is contrary to everything that the council says regarding the environment. The new plan is to rip out a long length of hedge and have an entry way in the field opposite.
"It is unsafe because it is right by a dodgy blind bend. These lanes are 60mph. It is really dangerous and all of us who live here are already in danger with the number of fast cars being driven by idiots and the amount of farm traffic we get.
"This farm wants to increase traffic by hundreds of vehicles a year going in and out. The road is just not suitable."
She said even though the danger to the lane outside the hotel had gone, she still had concerns the plans could have a "detrimental" effect on the charity, adding: "I was concerned about the dogs being disturbed and I still have those concerns with vehicles coming and going at night.
"They will bark and neighbours will get fed up. The good relationship we have got with them now would be disturbed if they complained about noise. I am also very worried about the smell. If somewhere smells badly you assume as a customer it is that place. We cannot tell anyone who comes here it is not us that smells."
Heal Farms Ltd said in a planning statement to Telford & Wrekin Council that the new access road would provide "a safe and satisfactory" solution to the problem.
It added: "It is proposed to create a new all-purpose access directly off the county highway – Hazels Road. The new access will join the existing track just beyond the boundary of Hillbrae. This will effectively isolate the HGV and larger traffic movements associated with the free range unit."
