Judgement day for Tasley chicken farm plans

Shropshire Council granted planning permission for the farm in Tasley, which will house more than 200,000 birds, in September 2017.

The proposals have since been under scrutiny from residents, leading to Tasley Action Group forming to fight the plans.

Farmer, Matthew Bower of Tasley, wants to produce 1,570,000 standard broiler chickens annually in four large sheds at Footbridge Farm.

Manure

It will generate more than 2,300 tonnes of chicken manure every year, to be spread on Mr Bower's land and other local fields.

The scheme has already come under challenge at London's High Court due to environmental concerns by residents.

The action group raised a judicial review against Shropshire Council citing “inadequacies” in the manure management report and the council’s “failure to take account of the impact of spreading manure from the chicken farm on the residents of Bridgnorth”.

But Judge Rhodri Price Lewis QC ruled there was nothing unlawful about the council's decision.

Now, the action group is taking Shropshire Council to the court of appeal where a panel of judges will decide whether the plans are fit to go ahead.

Generations

George Edwards, a spokesman for the group, said: "We want to win this appeal because it's the only way to stop this factory farm polluting the land, our lives and the air we breathe for generations to come.

"Despite measures being taken to reduce the environmental impact, smell and toxic fumes per factory farm, the number of these factories has increased to such an extent that total levels of pollution will actually increase.

"Furthermore, these so-called measures are being used to justify building more factory farms that are also closer to residential communities, as can be shown by this planned chicken factory on the outskirts of Bridgnorth and Tasley.

"Factory farm chickens are raised in such unsanitary conditions, they must be fed medicated food to stop them dying before being harvested as cheap processed food. These conditions are ideal for breeding germs that can no longer be treated with antibiotics. All this has been ignored by the council.

"We have had to raise a lot of money to fight a legal battle lasting nearly two years against the Council, who are using public money to defend their policy of building obsolete factory farms that pollute the air and land, putting gain and profit before public health and safety.

Shropshire Council needs to seriously consider its obligations to look after the best interests of the public they serve, and deliver sustainable stewardship of Shropshire lands”.