Chicken farm near Shrewsbury given green light to house 200,000 birds

The expansion plans for The Vinnals in Lower Common, Longden, near Shrewsbury, were given the green light by Shropshire Council’s southern planning committee despite concerns raised by locals about the smell and an increase in lorry traffic.

It means the farm can build two more chicken sheds, next to the first two it constructed in 2017 when permission was first granted for the diversification of the business into poultry. The units will house up to 50,000 birds each.

The applicants say the move is necessary to ensure the farm remains financially viable for future generations.

A permit variation has already been obtained from the Environment Agency and planning officers said this would control the management of the farm, including odour, noise and dust emissions.

Neighbour Hilary Frankcom spoke at the meeting against the application.

She said lorry drivers accessing the farm did not follow the route agreed as part of the original planning permission, and said it was “unbelievable” that there was predicted to be no significant increase in traffic.

Longden Parish Council chairman Paul Carter also addressed the committee, saying neighbours were already being impacted by lorry traffic and odour from the manure being spread on nearby fields.

He said: “The existing chicken rearing development has caused untold problems and unacceptable nuisance to local residents.

“The proposed extension is completely inconceivable and for too large for the local infrastructure and the wellbeing of the neighbourhood.”

Councillor Roger Evans, who represents Longden, added: “I am all in favour of farm diversification in the right place and of the right size. This is a factory in the middle of open countryside with no easy access onto any of the main highways.”

The applicants’ agent, Nick Williams of Berrys, told members the existing units were “well managed” and “an integral part of the family farming business”.

He said there would be no increase in odour as a result of the expansion, with manure to be taken off-site to be processed at an anaerobic digester, and air scrubbers would be to be added to the new units to ensure no significant increase in ammonia from the farm.

Mr Williams added that all HGVs would follow the agreed route.

Planning officers confirmed there had only been one incident since 2017 in which a driver was found to have travelled the wrong way.

The committee voted to grant permission with six votes for and four against.

Committee chairman Councillor David Evans said: “I think it is a good site, it’s a tidy site, and it’s doing everything to address problems that may arise.”