A poultry farm which will house more than 300,000 chickens at once has been approved despite residents’ fears about the smell.
The £6 million facility at Leadenham attracted 281 objections from concerned local people.
However, North Kesteven District Council’s planning committee backed the plans last night, saying there was no reason to believe that it would have an impact on them.
Six poultry houses for broiler chicken production will now be built at Leadenham Poultry Farm on Sleaford Road.
The applicant was submitted by Richard Williams who runs several other similar farms in Lincolnshire.
Jane Salmon, who lives in the nearby village of Brant-Broughton, warned councillors that the farm would harm local businesses.
“This large scale industrial development will blight lives of residents and businesses alike. The planning department has not taken into account multiple objections, including farmers who say it’s in the wrong place,” she said.
“The reports claim it is a ‘remote rural area’ but it is less than a mile away from Brant Broughton, and only two fields away from two tourist sites. These businesses, a caravan site and a glamping site, rely on good reviews and bring hundreds of visitors to the area. This will be a detriment to them.”
The farm will supply a nearby chicken processing facility | Photo: PETA UK
Councillor Marianne Overton MBE, who represents the ward, also said she had serious concerns.
“This is an extremely large development which people are concerned about. Just because there are others in the area doesn’t mean we want more,” she said.
She added that she didn’t have much faith in computer models which said smell levels would be acceptable, saying: “They will look at annual average which won’t worry you – it will be the one-off events [which will cause problems.]”
Ian Pick, the applicant’s agent, said the site had been chosen specifically to minimise impact.
“A plethora of technical assessments have been carried out on the site suitability, looking at odour, ammonia, highways, landscape. The assessments show that the development falls well below thresholds,” he said.
“This site has exceptional merits. It is 550m from nearest neighbour and 1.4km from the nearest settlement of Brant Broughton. This is far greater than the guidance from the Environment Agency, which is 400m.”
Other members of the planning committee said these types of development were to be expected in open countryside.
Councillor Terry Boston said: “Lincolnshire is an agricultural county. There are beautiful views, but agriculture has been in existence and has been complained about since draining of fens. It is a fact of life. We must continue the tradition of agriculture in this area.”
He added that the council would likely lose a costly appeal if they rejected it.
Councillor Ian Carrington agreed, saying: “There is nothing strange about this kind of use in this area. It is well separated from residential areas.
“A million or 600,000 chickens would be a lot, but 300,000 is par for the course.
“There is no reason to doubt the officers’ reports which say there will be no harm to nearby residents.”
The plans were approved by nine votes to two.
The Lincolnite welcomes your views. All comments are reactively-moderated and must obey the house rules. Please stay on topic and be respectful of other readers.
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!
Exciting news for MyLocal app users and The Lincolnite readers! Our latest update is now available to download from your app store and comes packed with the best local news experience you can enjoy.
Revamped News Feed: Enjoy faster loading times and smoother scrolling that make catching up on local news a breeze.
New Play Video Feed: Dive into a dynamic video feed that brings local stories to life in a whole new way.
Enhanced In-App Browser: Access external links quickly and efficiently, right from the app, without any distractions.
Update your MyLocal app from your app store (version 2.73) now and start enjoying these great new features today!
P.S.: Start your MyLocal membership today to support MyLocal and The Lincolnite deliver you a better local news experience and honest journalism from across Lincolnshire.
P.P.S.: We have some huge things in the pipeline, stay tuned!