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Agriculture

Fresh Plans to Double Chicken Farm Size Revealed Despite Previous Rejection

Strategic Insights

— 1 min read

A new application to expand a chicken farm to house 32,000 egg-laying birds has been lodged with Powys County Council, just six months after a previous proposal was refused. The farm, Upper Bryn Farm, already has a 32,000-bird poultry unit, a herd of cows, and a flock of sheep. The new application aims to address concerns raised in the previous rejection, with planners expected to make a decision by September 16. Meanwhile, a Welsh Government minister is considering taking charge of the decision-making process, having been asked to "call in" the application.

Key Takeaways:

  • The new application for a free-range poultry unit at Upper Bryn Farm seeks to house 32,000 egg-laying birds, more than double the existing capacity.
  • The proposal was lodged with Powys County Council in May and is now live, with a decision expected by September 16.
  • The previous application was refused in January on concerns over highway safety and aerial emissions.
  • Changes have been made to address previous issues, with documents detailing these amendments lodged with the new application.
  • All planning proposals for chicken farms in Powys County were issued with "holding directions" between January and May 2023, pending a Welsh Government minister's decision on whether to take charge.
  • Powys planners were told they could continue processing the application, despite the holding direction not preventing applications from being refused.

Statistics:

  • 32,000: The number of egg-laying birds the new poultry unit will house, more than double the existing capacity.
  • 2 years: The length of time 12 planning applications, including the Upper Bryn Farm proposal, have been in limbo.
  • 1: The number of "holding directions" issued by the Welsh Government to all planning proposals for chicken farms in Powys County between January and May 2023.

Sources:

  • Powys County Council (no date) - application for a free-range poultry unit at Upper Bryn Farm.
  • The Telegraph (no date) - "Upper Bryn Farm application: New proposal to expand chicken farm"

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