'Awful odours and immense suffering' - Plans for new 160,000-bird chicken farm near Telford spark backlash

Plans for the new poultry houses, which would be built on land to the southwest of Meadow Farm in Sheriffhales, east of Telford, were submitted to Shropshire Council last month.

The proposals are requesting permission for four new poultry houses, each with the capability of accommodating 40,000 birds.

According to the documents, throughout the year the farm would house seven and a half flocks of birds, or 1.2 million chickens.

The site would be located just off the A5 near Crackleyback, with plans to improve the existing single-track access if the plans are approved.

But the proposal has not been welcomed by residents, who have been objecting en masse to the plans using a template provided by campaign group Coalition Against Factory Farming. 

As of Wednesday morning (June 4), 200 objections had been lodged against the planning application, with just four supportive submissions.

Concerns from the dozens of objectors include "awful odours, ammonia and dust pollution" which most objectors say will "lead to people feeling sick". 

Most of the objectors also raised a number of concerns over the plans to transport and dispose of the waste generated by hundreds of thousands of chickens. 

The planning application states manure would be removed from the site in sealed trailers to mitigate odour impacts and disposed of via an anaerobic digester plan in Oswestry. 

Documents state that "all dirty water arising from the development will be removed from the site for disposal through a licensed wastewater treatment works".

However, commenters raised concerns over the potential impact anaerobic digesters have on rivers and of the amount of water a site of its size would use.

Objectors also criticised the size of the proposed farm, calling it a "factory farm" which could lead to the "overcrowding, stress and immense suffering" of birds.

But not everyone is so opposed to the plans: in support of the application, Mr Dorse wrote: "If applications like this are opposed, it will just mean food is imported, using more fossil fuels and increasing CO2 production. 

"The standards used abroad will no doubt be lower than UK ones. This is yet another example of regulation in this country forcing businesses to close whilst importing substandard goods, produced to standards that would be illegal in this country."

A consultation on the plans is open until this Saturday (June 7). A decision on the plan will be taken at a later date.