Walsall sanctuary owner is ordered to downsize
The owner of a sanctuary in Walsall which rehouses chickens and shelters other animals has been forced to significantly downsize his operation after being told he was breaching planning regulations.
Stephen Sankey has been rehousing ex-battery chickens from his semi-detached home in Blakenall for the past eight years – usually in the region of up to 250 a month.
But the father of five has had to reduce the amount of chickens he takes in to just 50 after planning officers said there had been an unauthorised change of use of the land due to the large scale of chicken-keeping.
Council officers intervened after neighbours raised concerns and today residents claimed the sanctuary has made their lives a "living nightmare".
Mr Sankey, who runs the sanctuary from his garden with son Jason, said his frustrations were rising at having to turn away regular requests to rescue birds and animals because there was no longer room.
The 59-year-old, of Well Lane, was visited by council planning and environmental health officers on Friday and has been handed a planning contravention notice asking for more information about his operation.
He said: "I was told I needed planning permission to run the sanctuary, but I have been running it eight years.
"It's frustrating that I'm having to deal with this. I get calls around twice a day asking me to pick up animals and birds, but I've had to turn some people away. I'm looking for land to move the sanctuary to but I've not had any luck. I want a place where children will be able to come and see the animals.
"At the moment I only have 50 birds. I'm reorganising my garden and putting new sheds and fencing in.
"I've been given a planning contravention notice and I will have to send a form back within 21 days before I know what's going to happen now and if they still say I will require planning permission."
Mr Sankey also has other birds such as budgies, cockatoos and ducks and keeps larger animals such as a pig and pony in a paddock in Shenstone.
Neighbour Louise Jessop, aged 36, and her husband Robert, 46, live next door to Mr Sankey with their five children.
Mrs Jessop said: "It is a complete mess but the smell is the worst thing.
"We can't have any windows open in our house because of the stench and because we get inundated with flies.
"It also means the children cannot play in the back garden, which is awful for them.
"During the summer the smell is the worst, especially if it has rained and then the sun comes out.
"There used to be hundreds of birds in the garden and in a shed at the back.
"A lot of them have gone but this has been a living nightmare for us as long as we can remember now."
Council officers have visited the site a number of times in the past year and noted the amount of chickens reduced from around 100 in August last year to around 50.
Pens and sheds have also been removed, according to a report by Walsall Council's head of planning David Elsworthy. It was reported that the garden had also seemed tidier last month, compared to previous inspections.
Mr Elsworthy said another visit was made by officers last Friday, adding: "We will be continuing to work with the residents and are awaiting their response to a number of questions laid down in the planning contravention notice which has been issued."
Mr Sankey is on 24-hour alert from the RSPCA for whenever rescued, injured or abandoned birds need rehousing and is available on 07742 913184.
