Planners curb free range expansion

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There is growing evidence that expansion in the free range sector is being held back by local authorities as planners increasingly show the red card to proposed new units.

Among those to have their free ranging ambitions derailed by councillors are Peter and Jacqui Howells whose plans for a 12,000 bird unit on a green field site near Bury St Edmunds in Suffolk were rejected earlier this month in a 13 to nil vote.

The Howells had sold their house to fund the £450,000 project, of which the first stage was to purchase 38 acres of prime agricultural land near the village of Nowton. According to Mr Howells earlier conversations with the planning officer in charge of the case were "encouraging" leaving the couple with no indication that the application would be rejected so resoundingly. But the couple had not anticipated the barrage of opposition from nearby villagers, around 40 of whom turned up when the matter was considered by the parish council.

Here, says Mr Howells, the views expressed were ill-informed and hostile, including the vet who declared that "we've had the Woolpit whiff," referring to a nearby pig farm, "and now we're going to have the Nowton nausea."

A report commissioned by the local planning authority and carried out by Reading Agricultural Consultants confirmed that the proposed enterprise was viable and the highways department came up with no objections. But in the end it came down to the visual impact of the 85m by 18.5m building.

"The one issue that we have identified as being of considerable concern is the landscape impact of the proposed development," commented principal planning officer at St Edmondsbury Borough Council, Peter Fuller, who recommended the committee refuse the application.

"We consider it to be an isolated and sporadic development that would harm this area."

The chartered surveyor representing the Howells argued that any visual impact could be countered by planting trees, but this held no sway with councillors.

Councillor Mike Jones said that even this would mean changing the visual impact of an area of special landscape interest.

"I'm afraid this doesn't do anything for me," he said. "You can see by the number of people that have objected to it, it has little merit as far as planning is concerned."

After the hearing local residents were said to be delighted, describing it as a "wonderful result". Meanwhile the Howells—who have spent £3500 on the planning process so far—are deciding whether to appeal against the decision.

Another 12,000 bird free range house—this time in Staffordshire—has been recommended for refusal by planning officers, who cited that it would constitute a "harmful intrusion into an isolated rural area which would affect its character."

Local residents argue that the site is in an open valley of unspoilt countryside which should be protected for future generations. And the Ramblers' Association has also expressed "deep concern" over the planned development, which it says would affect the Eccleshall right of way.

A spokesperson for the Ramblers' Association said that walkers would be put at risk by a significant number of lorries and pollution from vehicles. And in an objection to Stafford Borough Council the Environment Agency has said: "We appreciate the need for the agricultural industry to diversify but such changes should be capable of being accommodated sensitively within a high quality rural landscape.

"The proposed building is huge and beyond the size of a normal agricultural building."

BFREPA council member Jeff Vergerson is regularly involved with planning applications for free range units in his role as a consultant to Deans Foods. He confirmed that it was landscape issues that were causing the most difficulties at present.

"From a management point of view a free range house is best positioned in the middle of a field but this can make its visual impact greater and runs counter to planning officers' preference to see farm buildings kept together in a cluster," said Jeff.

But it's not all about refusals and Jeff has recently helped Paul and Lynne Jarvis-Lee win planning permission for a 15,000 bird house near Kings Lynn, Norfolk.

Permission was granted despite opposition from nearby residents whose letters of protest to the local authority cited concerns about bird flu and heavy traffic down narrow lanes as reasons to reject the application.

"Often protestors' concerns are founded on the fear of the unknown and in this case we managed to allay those fears," said Jeff.