Councillors told to approve chicken farm expansion despite concerns

Twm Owen, local democracy reporter

Councillors were told they should approve plans to expand a chicken farm by some 80,000 birds despite the concerns of the environmental regulator.

Natural Resources Wales has already granted an environmental permit, in 2021, for the expansion from approximately 220,000 broiler chickens, raised for their meat, to around 300,000 at Coombe Farm a mile from Shirenewton, near Chepstow.

But members of Monmouthshire County Council’s planning committee, who followed a recommendation to approve an application for two new poultry units to accommodate the additional birds, were told the Welsh Government agency is concerned over future management of waste and a “current flaw in the Welsh regulations”.

Manure

The body charged with protecting Wales’ natural environment highlighted Welsh regulations only focus on nitrogen and not phosphorous, that is also found in chicken manure.

The body is the council’s official advisor but it hadn’t objected and planning officer Amy Longford said those concerns were also shared by its own biodiversity officer.

She told the committee: “If the standards set by the Welsh Government currently are insufficient it is for the standards to change and this is a matter for the Welsh Government.”

She said the council had also considered the Welsh Government’s objections to a number of chicken farms in Powys, which have been placed on hold as a result, but said those mostly related to proposals in phosphorous sensitive areas where development is restricted.

Anaerobic digester

Manure will be collected from the farm and taken to an anaerobic digester, in Lydney, and waste water to treatment works at Nash, in Newport, which Natural Resources Wales is satisfied with.

In response to its concerns “over the ‘chain of custody’ of the waste” the council has required a management plan that makes the export of the waste a condition of the permission and requires records to be kept. Any changes would have to be submitted to the council and the two units closed until the revised plan is approved.

Shirenewton councillor Louise Brown said the community council had a number of unresolved concerns and wanted the additional annual 472 HGV deliveries to the farm limited to the working week.

The Conservative said local residents are already concerned at the existing two units and said: “On hot days local people may not be able to sit outside.”

She also said ammonia from the existing units is already impacting on the nearby Coombe Valley ancient woodland but the committee was told heat exchangers which will have to be fitted to the new, and existing units, would reduce that and ammonia levels in the area have dropped.

Trellech Tory Jayne McKenna said the farm, which was granted permission for the first two units in 2016, has operated “as far as I’m aware without incident” and said: “We can’t be adverse to producing British food for British people”.

Odour

St Arvans Conservative Ann Webb said: “Where I live you expect this odour from time to time and it disappears in three days, or if it’s raining within a day. If you live in the countryside you have to accept it.”

Labour member for Cantref, Sara Burch, said she understood, from the committee’s site visit, the units would allow the farm to expand and maintain its 200,000 birds in line with higher welfare standards, and additional space, being demanded by supermarkets.

But Ms Longford said the use of the units and total number of birds up to 300,000 would be a matter for the farm.

The application was approved by 12 members and two abstained.