February 11, 2020 2.50 pm This story is over 49 months old

Chicken farm expansions to house 133,200 more birds near Lincoln

The sites will have a total capacity of 225,700.
| Photo: Adobe Stock

A poultry rearing company has been given permission to expand two of its facilities near Lincoln, expanding its capacity by more than 133,200 birds.

Stonegate Farmers, which describes itself as “free-range and organic egg specialists” has been given the go-ahead by North Kesteven District Council to replace five poultry rearing units with another five at West Lodge, in Roxholm, and replace another five with six units at Bloxholm Farm, in Bloxholm.

The company says the move will “improve the efficiency and operation” of the facilities, which it says are currently “of poor quality.”

How the Bloxholm facility would be laid out.

The sites will have a total capacity of 225,700.

A report from officers added: “Part of the general justification for the proposals relates to a reduction on dependence on import of egg laying birds from the continent.”

The authority’s economic development team said the proposal was in keeping with the number of poultry needed to supply major food processors.

The plans for the Roxholm facility.

“The district is an established centre for poultry production, rearing well over three million birds a year and poultry farming is an increasingly successful diversification for arable farmers, taking advantage of comparatively low land take and local if not on-farm feed prices,” said the report.

Officers concluded the proposals were both acceptable.

SUBSCRIBE TO LOCAL DEMOCRACY WEEKLY, our exclusive email newsletter with highlights from coverage every week, as well as insights and analysis from our local democracy reporters.