Campaigners fight poultry farm plans

Plans for a new poultry farm which could house 180,000 birds have attracted more than two hundred objections.

RH-J Farms has applied to build four units on land at Grange Farm in Toynton St Peter near Spilsby, Lincolnshire.

248 objections have been received, citing concerns over bad smells and run-off from chicken waste that would pollute local waterways.

The consultant working on the plans said neighbouring properties were too far away to be affected and the water system was sealed.

East Lindsey District Council documents state the applicants propose to diversify their existing arable and pig farming business into poultry production.

They also operate an anaerobic digester plant at Grange Farm which generates biogas.

The new poultry units would be accompanied by feed bins, a gate house, a plant room, substation and a dead bird shed.

A report from the applicants said a pre-application inquiry concluded the proposed development was considered acceptable in principle.

However, Bini Pitwell from the Coalition Against Factory Farming said: "People do not want these factory farms and it doesn't matter if you are local or not, factory farms are affecting all of us, whether it's water abstraction, pollution or the climate."

Ian Pick, from planning consultants Harrison Pick, prepared the application for RH-J Farms.

He said there would be "no adverse impact on the amenity of residents purely because it's so far away".

Mr Pick said there would be detailed odour monitoring and there was "no question" of polluting rivers as it was a sealed system.

He added there had been an "uptick" of applications for poultry units because leading supermarkets and food companies had signed up to a Better Chicken Commitment.

This set a limit on the number of birds which could be housed per square metre.

East Lindsey District Council will decide whether to approve the application at a future meeting.

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