Poultry units to double is size

A Herefordshire farm plans to double the number of broiler chickens it rears, despite ongoing controversy around the impact of waste from such units on rivers in the county.

GL Williams of Rogers Farm, Knapton by the A4110 north of Canon Pyon has requested what is known as an environmental impact assessment (EIA) scoping opinion, to determine whether a full EIA will be needed ahead of the plan.

A previous bid to build two broiler chicken sheds already at the farm was refused permission in 2016 but overturned on appeal, and these have now been in use for around 18 months “without any issues”, the farm’s application says.

The number of birds foreseen under the latest plan has been redacted from the application, but the previous application gave a figure of around 82,500 birds in the two sheds.

The two new units would be of the same dimensions as the previous two, at 97.5 by 18.3 metres.

Under the plan, “scrubber ventilation” would be fitted to both the two new poultry units and to the existing sheds to remove airborne ammonia “in order to preserve sensitive sites” nearby and minimise odour.

On the vexed question of the disposal of manure arising from the extra chickens, which has been associated with river pollution in the county, the application says simply: “We are aware of the need to demonstrate nutrient neutrality in respect of impacts on certain designated sites particularly where they have reached their critical levels.”

A landscape and visual impact assessment accompanying the previous application found “minimal visual effects” arising from the units. Screening measures around the new units are proposed.

Comments are not being accepted on the application.