Trefeglwys councillors against 220,000 chicken farm
A community council has come out against proposals for a huge chicken farm to be built between Trefeglwys and Caersws.
In November 2020, an application has been submitted to Powys County Council by farmers RJ Hughes & Co to build poultry units at Argoed Farm, which would see 220,000 broiler chickens reared for meat at the site.
The farm has 32,000 egg laying chickens on the site.
Trefeglwys community council clerk, Sophie Palmer, said: “Trefeglwys councillors discussed this proposal at length and have a number of concerns over the proposals.
“There is concern over the scale of the development, and although there is already a poultry unit at this site, the alterations proposed will make it a much larger scale unit, and there are concerns for the small rural village that this will impact.”
She explained that the roads would need to undergo “major changes” to be able to take the lorries which would go back and forth to the site.
Ms Palmer said that the frequency of visits would increase from the current 55 a year to 400.
“Trefeglwys community council would like to request assurances about how the road structure will be utilised and what works will be carried out in order to ensure proper and safe access for the vehicles required for the unit along with other road users,” said Ms Palmer.
In a planning statement agent, Mandy Seedhouse of Berrys, said;
“To help ensure the viability of the farming business for future generations,
and to help meet the high demand for chickens, it is proposed to locate
four broiler poultry buildings and associated infrastructure on the farmland.
“Three of these units will be new build, and the existing egg unit will be
converted into a fourth broiler building.”
The broilers will be brought in as day old chicks at a 50-50 mix of males and females, and at the end of the growing period they will be collected and transported to a processing plant.
Ms Seedhouse, has also pointed out in a design and access statement that the applicants have made road widening and surface improvements in the past to improve lorry access to their farm.
A decision will be made on the application in the future.
