Objections raised to plans for Ellerdine Grange Farm to house 48,000 chickens in egg laying units

Plans have been submitted for two barns housing 24,000 chickens each at Ellerdine Grange Farm in Telford.

Applicant J A & O Griffiths is a farming business which started in 1961 and has grown into one of the UK’s largest egg producing, packing and processing businesses.

Ellerdine Grange Farm is a family run businesses farming both arable and livestock enterprises on farms across North Shropshire producing potatoes, cereals and oilseeds.

“The proposed scheme is to ensure that Ellerdine Grange Farm remains viable,” says a design and access statement prepared by agent Roger Parry & Partners .

“Farm businesses need to change and grow in response to market forces and legislation if they are to survive.

“Poultry is becoming an important element in the agricultural economy. The current market dictates that agricultural must adapt to meet consumer demands.”

Plans have been submitted to Telford & Wrekin Council for the proposed egg laying units which will include an egg packing room and an outside run on each side for the birds.

The chicken units are proposed to use the Kipster system to provide carbon neutral eggs.

Greenhouse gas emissions are proposed to be ‘reduced to as little as possible’ by using upcycled chicken feed, using solar panels and by drying chicken litter within the unit and then removed from the farm.

Ventilation is proposed to be based from fans and an air scrubbing system, which the applicant says will remove ammonia, odour and dust from the air.

The entire south facing roof is proposed to made up of 1,032 solar panels which will generate sufficient electricity to power 200 homes.

The buildings will operate on a 70-week laying cycle, following which the chickens will be removed, the unit cleaned down and replacement chickens bought. The turnaround period for each cycle will take ‘around’ two weeks.

Proposals state that during the normal operation of the proposed unit, lorry traffic would amount to nine visits per week. Peaks would be generated at the beginning and end of each flock cycle for bird delivery and collection.

In addition to the lorry traffic, the chicken units would require six full-time workers.

If proposals are refused the applicant said that the site would be would reinstated as a dairy farm and would be visited by a daily HGV milk tanker along with lorries delivering feed, bedding and fodder.

“There is a clear argument that the traffic generation associated with the proposed development represents no more traffic than the historic use of the site as a dairy farm,” adds the application.

Applicant J A & O Griffiths said that the units would produce 24.5 tonnes of poultry manure each cycle which would be removed via conveyors every five to seven days before being collected and discarded off-site.

“Adequate provision is made for the disposal of foul and surface water drainage and animal wastes without risks to watercourses through sustainable drainage techniques,” the applicant added.

“Adequate provision is made for access and movement of machinery to avert the perpetuation, intensification or creation of traffic hazards.”

Since being submitted application has received six objections from residents of Ellerdine and those that use the area.

Fears raised include waste created by the chicken units contaminating ground water resulting in the potential pollution of nearby lakes and ponds.

One Ellerdine resident argued: “The single lane road network is poor, it will not sustain the amount of traffic. If the poultry units were to go ahead it would have negative consequences to the enjoyment of our homes. We have far too many poultry units in the area.

“This site is a very poor choice, poor road network, far too close to residential properties.”

Concerns have also been raised about horses using the surrounding roads from a nearby equestrian yard and the potential impact of rain water washing waste into Ellerdine Lakes Trout Fishery.

Plans can be viewed on the Telford & Wrekin Council planning portal on their website, application number TWC/2024/0148. Comments can be made during the consultation phase which ends on March 15.