500,000-bird poultry farm set to get go-ahead
A £6 million poultry farm for half a million birds has been recommended for approval despite fears over the potential smell.
South Staffordshire Council is poised to give the go-ahead to Pillaton Foods' expansion plans for eight huge battery hen sheds off Cannock Road, near Penkridge.
Farmer Richard Corbett, who runs an existing poultry business near Gailey, said the sheds will be used to rear chickens from one day old for six weeks until they are 'table weight'. It is planned to operate seven flocks throughout the year with a 10-day gap for cleaning between each one. The buildings will each house 60,250 birds.
As well as the 500ft-long sheds, the plans include 20 feed silos, a 40ft high biomass building and an office. Three full-time jobs and four part-time posts will be created.
Residents have raised concerns about smells because the site is elevated and the winds generally strong. They say the scale of the development is too large for a rural area and would lead to an unacceptable increase in lorries along country lanes.
The issue is expected to be discussed at next Tuesday's meeting of South Staffordshire Council's planning committee.
Officers recommend the application is granted subject to conditions, including the approval of an odour and waste management plan.
