Last call for 150,000-capacity chicken farm comments

A Welshpool County Councillor has urged objectors to plans for a 150,000-capacity chicken farm to make their feelings known quickly.

Residents have fears over the impact that the major development of an intensive broiler unit and silos at Frochas Farm will have and have been contacting Llanerchyddol Ward Councillor Graham Breeze.

“The proposed development is just over a mile from Welshpool town centre and residents at neighbouring properties feel it may have a direct impact on homes and businesses in terms of ammonia emissions, pollution, manure odour, waste, house and land value, noise pollution and an increase in heavy vehicle traffic,” said Councillor Breeze.

Roger Parry & Partners, representing the developers J.T. Owen & Co, have informed residents they have until January 11 to make their opinions known to a published consultation document. It is claimed the facility would provide an economic boost for the area with more than one million chickens produced every year.

“Although the farm business is successfully run, the business is always looking at diversification, especially given the beef and sheep sectors being hit financially in recent years,” the applications states.

“The proposal is a farm diversification scheme for JT Owen & Co and is a sustainable economic development as supported by national, regional and local planning policy.”

Councillor Breeze said: “While this proposal is not yet at planning application stage the pre-planning consultation document gives everyone the chance to study the scheme and voice their opinions at an early stage, so I would urge everyone interested to do exactly that before Friday’s deadline.

“I would also urge people to attend a meeting of Welshpool Town Council’s planning committee on January 16 (7.15pm) when the consultation document will be discussed.