210,000 chicken farm ‘would hit tourism in Bridgnorth’

More than 30 residents turned up to listen to the debate, with people queueing to get into Bridgnorth Town Council’s parlour on Wednesday evening to have their say on plans for Footbridge Farm in Tasley.

Residents from both Bridgnorth and Tasley told how they were concerned about noise, dust, smells, and health issues if the plans were to go ahead.

But in a report to the planning committee, case officer Kelvin Hall wrote: “The proposal for a poultry rearing development at Footbridge Farm would be satisfactorily sited and designed, with an appropriate level of landscape mitigation, such that impacts on the landscape would not be unacceptable.”

One resident, Jane Lendrom, said she was concerned about the impact the farm would have on tourism. She said: “I live in Bridgnorth but close to Tasley. “I’m concerned about the air pollution from the dust coming over and the impact it will have on the tourism in town because it’s not a nice smell and it will impact on the town’s tourism.”

Another resident, Julian Lendrom, said if the plans go ahead the nearby properties will lose a third of their value.

He said: “If this goes ahead, the cost of our properties will go down by about a third, will the town council lower our council tax if so?”

Bridgnorth’s mayor Ron Whittle said: “Our influence over planning matters is very limited, it’s Shropshire Council that is making the decision not us.”

David Bentley said: “There’s going to be a constant flow of lorries that are going to be full of waste going right by everyone’s houses.”

Iris Madden, parish councillor in Tasley, said the council is against the plans.

She said: “As a parish council we are against this.“My huge concern is the chicken dust and the impact it’s going to have on people who already have asthma. There are also a number of primary schools and two secondary schools in the town.”

Councillor Jean Onions said: “Smells to a certain extent , you do get used to, I’m not saying they’re nice but this dust is the most important thing we’ve got to fight.”

The council voted unanimously to object to the application. Shropshire Council’s south planning committee is expected to make a decision on the proposals at a meeting on Tuesday (29). Officers have recommended delegating authority to the planning services manager to grant planning permission subject to conditions.

Agent Ian Pick said the applicants were responding to the demand for affordable meat in the UK.

He said: “The environmental agency have assessed this project and have issued the environmental permit which includes the assessment of dust and odour, they also consulted with Public Health England.

“Together with Public Health England they have concluded that there isn’t an issue. The assessment has been looked at by Shropshire Council’s health officers who said it’s robust and accurate.

“In terms of traffic, cars go directly onto the main road network.”

“We undertook a seven day traffic count and there’s an average of 1,177 full sized HGVs which go past daily, which is more than we are proposing in a year.

“There’s a small amount of employment on site but it will bring benefits to the wider poultry industry.

“The demand for chicken meat goes up year on year. Everyone wants to buy affordable meat.”