Controversial Shropshire chicken sheds plan thrown out

The proposals for the four sheds holding up to 216,000 birds at Hopton Heath, near Craven Arms, were thrown out by members of Shropshire Council's south planning committee.

They said the risk of polluting the nearby River Clun – a habitat for the rare freshwater pearl mussel protected by European law– was too great, despite the authority's planning officers recommending that the scheme should be approved.

The plans had caused an outcry when it emerged last week they would be looked at again by councillors despite a High Court ruling overturning planning consent initially granted in December last year.

Shropshire Council planning officer Tim Rogers, speaking at yesterday's meeting at Shirehall in Shrewsbury, explained to the committee that the first decision was only quashed as Natural England had not formally withdrawn an earlier objection to the plans when councillors approved it.

But now Natural England had withdrawn that objection, so applicants Bedstone Growers at Heath Farm were free to resubmit as a fresh application. This time councillors said they had grave concerns about the potential for waste from the site to get into the protected river – especially as Natural England had insisted on a stringent range of measures that must be adhered to.

Councillor Andy Boddington, representing Ludlow North, said if something went wrong it could hit the Clun Valley hard.

He said: "We have signed up to a commitment to keep the Clun Valley pure. I think we're taking a huge risk against European laws and our own policy.

"There are a large number of things they have to get right to make this work. And this is not something that's absolutely necessary to the countryside – it's not something unique and it isn't the only place we could have it."

Councillor Nigel Hartin, for Bucknell, said: "Let's be clear, opposition is total in the area except for those who have an economic interest in the project."

Councillor Cecilia Motley, for Corvedale, said: "There is an awful lot of potential for pollution getting into the watercourse, despite mitigation.

I don't think we should be encouraging development that we know has the potential to add to that problem."