64,000 Telford chicken farm set for go ahead

A revised proposal for the development at Ellerdine Heath, near Telford, has been recommended for approval ahead of a meeting of Telford Wrekin Council's planning committee next week. Heal Farms Ltd, which is behind the plans, has said a new access road would be built to allay fears of residents over lorries thundering along country lanes.

The applicants believe it would provide a "safe and satisfactory" solution to the problem by taking delivery lorries away from roads.

But the new proposals have angered staff at nearby Hilbrae Pets Hotel, which re-homes dogs from across Shropshire. Its owner Marty Burrell branded the plans an "atrocious idea".

More than 200 letters of objection have been received to the new plans, and objections have also lodged by Wrekin MP Mark Pritchard, ward councillor Stephen Bentley, and both Waters Upton and Ercall Magna parish councils.

A report due to go before the planning committee on Wednesday says: "The proposal will be an appropriate development in the rural area and will help support economic growth.

"The application has demonstrated that the building will not have an unacceptable impact on highway capacity or safety.

"It is not considered that the development will have an unacceptable effect on neighbouring properties and uses."

Mrs Burrell said: "It is contrary to everything that the council says regarding the environment. The new plan is to rip out a long length of hedge and have an entry way in the field opposite.

"It is unsafe because it is right by a dodgy blind bend. These lanes are 60mph. It is really dangerous and all of us who live here are already in danger with the number of fast cars being driven by idiots and the amount of farm traffic we get.

"This farm wants to increase traffic by hundreds of vehicles a year going in and out. The road is just not suitable."

She said even though the danger to the lane outside the hotel had gone, she still had concerns the plans could have a "detrimental" effect on the charity.

She said: "I was concerned about the dogs being disturbed and I still have those concerns with vehicles coming and going at night.

"They will bark and neighbours will get fed up. The good relationship we have got with them now would be disturbed if they complained about noise. I am also very worried about the smell. If somewhere smells badly you assume as a customer it is that place. We cannot tell anyone who comes here it is not us that smells."

Thousands signed a petition against the original application last year.

A final decision will be made by members of the council's planning committee at the meeting on Wednesday, which will take place at The Whitehouse Hotel from 6pm. Members of the public are welcome to attend.