Villagers ready for chicken farm fight
RESIDENTS are gearing up for a fight against plans to create a massive chicken farm near Tewkesbury.
Herefordshire-based Kinsey Hern wants to set up a facility that would rear 1.4 million chickens per year.
Four large poultry units, that would house the birds, would go on fields at the former Starveall Farm site at Pamington, which his family bought in 2009 in order to set up the operation.
Mr Hern, on behalf of his family's firm, Kington-based FC Jones and Co, presented his plans to Monday night's meeting of Ashchurch Rural Parish Council.
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Dozens of villagers attended, amid fears the development could cause problems. They are concerned about the farm's lorries using Pamington's narrow country lanes and the smell coming from the site.
Mike Hill, of Pamington Court Farm, was alarmed to discover that lorries will use the roads 430 times per year.
He said: "The road down from the A46 to Pamington has got a crack all the way down the middle.
"Also, cars will have to make way for the lorries and go on to the grass verges to let them pass. That will cut them up to blazes."
He added that the lorry movements could spoil the enjoyment of the lanes for ramblers and, though Mr Hern said lorries would not go through Pamington village, he felt some might if drivers got lost.
Yvonne Walker lives in Pamington and used to live close to a chicken farm at Churcham, near Gloucester.
She said her biggest concern was over the 850-year-old Starveall Lane being affected by the new business' lorries.
She said villagers liked to walk along the quiet country lane, enjoying its huge amount of flora and fauna.
And she feared the chicken farm would smell. She said: "At Churcham, if the wind was in the wrong direction, it was not pleasant at all."
Mr Hern hopes to submit a planning application for the development before the end of the year.
He insisted residents need not worry about his plans, saying he had spent a lot of time and money on carrying out an environmental impact assessment.
He added: "We've taken a lot of time to make sure that we haven't missed anything out.
"We wouldn't put a planning application in if we thought the smell or the traffic would be a problem."
In his presentation to the council, Mr Hern addressed the often controversial issue of chickens' living conditions when he said he was aware of "strong consumer demand for high welfare but cost effective poultry products".
Comments
by Shireresident
Sunday, September 30 2012, 3:30PM
“So where else are these chicken farms supposed to be located other than the countryside? Traffic movements at slightly more than one a day are hardly going to be that disruptive. Doubtless villagers will be concerned but living in a rural area already surrounded by large smelly farms it's hardly surprising that these things will happen. They could always take their chances and move to Hesters Way or Barton street if things get too unpleasant. Let's hope this gets decided on planning criteria and isn't shanghaied by the political aspects referred to by interociter. I'm not holding my breath though as the rural lobby seem to be dictating these things locally and nationally at the moment, glad I'm not a badger!”
by allihpk
Saturday, September 29 2012, 8:06PM
“Weren't these made illegal years ago? If not, I'll put £10 on the angry looking one.”
by geraint2010
Saturday, September 29 2012, 11:52AM
“This all sounds a case of "out of sight - out of mind". Anyone genuinely concerned about the welfare of chickens should refrain from eating the meat altogether or canvass hard for improvements in how the animals are reared and accommodated. Impeding the expansion of UK chicken farms only leads to more imported chicken from countries with lower welfare standards than our own and over which we have no control at all.”
by interociter
Saturday, September 29 2012, 10:27AM
“I have just been emailed with the news that they have a County Couincillor living in Pamington, could prove interesting!”
by Bonkim2003
Saturday, September 29 2012, 9:16AM
“joholly - If it was not for the table, the chicken would not have existed - so no point taking their side. On a practical note - popular sentiments do not stop planning consents or their refusal - otherwise council planners would be wasting huge sums of public money going through the courts on the whim of locals 'who shout loudest'.”
by joholly
Saturday, September 29 2012, 7:28AM
“Sounds like a case for WALLACE AND GROMIT - or the next sequel of SHREK.
This story has attracted more comment than building 1300 homes in the middle of Leckhampton/Shurdington. Glad to see readers with their fingers on the pulse - lets fight for the chickens!!!. Oh- Apathy wins the day again..............”
by Bonkim2003
Friday, September 28 2012, 11:35PM
“Refusing planning application - there are Defra and Env Agency regulations on smells, chicken numbers per unit area, water and air pollution, noise, etc; similarly traffic movements, location near houses/wind patterns, etc, planners simply check for compliance with regulations in the environmental or traffic/other reports. As a commercial facility it would be welcome anywhere unless there are any deficiencies. Protesters therefore need to check their technical facts and planning rules carefully before embarking on any serious challenges to the planning authority.”
by interociter
Friday, September 28 2012, 5:12PM
“Fantastic news, a few extra jobs and all that lovely manure, what else could you want? I am sure that the new shiny parish council will be thrilled to have it in their patch. This can only be a "Win Win" situation. Glory be!”
by FreeRadical1
Friday, September 28 2012, 4:33PM
“This is not a traditional farm. It is a factory that happens to have living things on its production line.”
by gallopingbear
Friday, September 28 2012, 12:04PM
“THIS is the problem
http://tinyurl.com/bnosx5a
People are squeamish and buy cheap meat regardless of what kind of a life it has had. Nobody wants to see chicken farms, because they want it to be out of sight, out of mind, and prefer to go along to the supermarket and buy something prepacked and processed, that looks as far removed from real chicken as possible.
1.4 mill chicken does seem a hell of a lot. But then, i'm not a chicken farmer and don't know how the numbers compare with those of other UK farms.”