Family-run Shropshire farm wants to build 'egg farm of the future' with support from major supermarket - but locals object

In February this year, Griffiths Family Farms submitted a planning application for the building of two new 'barn egg laying units' at Ellerdine Grange Farm that would each hold 24,000 birds.

The family-run farming business is currently one of the UK's largest egg-producing, packing and processing businesses and produces over 780 million eggs each year.

The two buildings that are being proposed are of a new, 'European' design of poultry house, based on the 'Kipster' concept - designed to produce carbon-neutral eggs. 

The Kipster model uses 'upcycled' feed such as malformed bread from bakeries, broken pasta from factories or surplus raw materials such as rice and flour, utilises solar panels and recycles chicken waste to be used as fertiliser or fuel.

In October last year,  Lidl GB announced it would become the first grocer in the country to sell Kipster Eggs, and the company threw their weight behind the Shropshire businesses application.

According to the supermarket, the Kipster concept "has been developed in partnership with scientists and animal welfare organisations to meet the needs and instincts of chickens".

The concept includes farms that exceed typical free-range standards, enable the animals to roam freely inside or out and gives the chickens access to an "indoor playground filled with daylight and fresh air". 

Peter de Roos, Chief Commercial Officer at Lidl GB, said: “When we first met with Kipster, we were instantly struck by their devotion and commitment to providing the highest welfare standards for chickens and roosters, whilst also doing right by the planet. 

"At Lidl we want to give our customers the very best products at the best possible prices, which is why we’re so excited to be the first grocer to bring Kipster’s eggs to our stores across Great Britain. 

"We would urge Telford and Wrekin Council to approve the plans to ensure that British shoppers have access to this industry-leading egg.” 

But the application has not been so well recieved in and around Ellerdine, attracting 22 objections from nearby properties. 

Residents raised concerns about the potential impact on wildlife, the highway network, odour, noise, flooding and the potential impact the development would have on nearby fishery, Ellerdine Lakes, which sits around 500m from the site.

Objecting to the plans, Ercall Magna Parish Council wrote: "The application appears to ignore the importance and proximity of Ellerdine Lakes Fishery, an important fly fishing venue that stages national and international competitions.  

"Ellerdine Lakes also hosts numerous charities supporting disadvantaged and vulnerable children & adults. The fishery site has ecological significance; it is biodiverse with numerous rare species of flora and fauna. 

"The spring-fed lakes are pristine but are vulnerable to contamination from the proposed poultry unit, as is the adjacent Lakemoor Brook."

But the council's drainage team noted that the poultry unit seems to be downstream of the Ellerdine Fishing Lakes, adding: "whilst this doesn’t rule out pollution in general, it would mean the impact on these ponds in particular is unlikely but would in any event be controlled by the Environment Agency and the need for relevant permits".

Now, the plans are set to go before Telford & Wrekin Council's planning committee at a meeting next Wednesday. 

Recommending the plans for approval, planning officers say the plans "represent well-designed agricultural buildings which assist in the diversification of the rural economy". 

They added: "The local highway network is considered capable of accommodating the extra traffic and a business concept has been put forward to demonstrate how the proposed is sustainable and supports the local economy, as well as tackling national climate change issues. 

"The proposed units will respect the site and the wider area. Given the materials and landscaping scheme proposed, the units will be well screened from middle and longer distance receptors and in light of the conclusions of the supporting reports, subject to appropriate conditions the proposal will not cause any detrimental impact upon the amenity of neighbouring properties."

The full application can be viewed online at Telford & Wrekin Council's planning portal using reference number: TWC/2024/0148