Plans for new free range farm hit by water concerns

A poultry company has dismissed claims by an environmental consultancy group that a proposed new chicken farm in Scotland could threaten the water supply of Edinburgh.

Glenrath Farms is currently in negotiation with planners over the development of what could be Europe's largest free-range chicken farm near Peebles.

A total of 300,000 chickens could be raised at the farm.

But now environmental consultants Living Water, specialists in environmental concerns across Scotland, have indicated that there could be serious dangers if the site goes ahead.

This is because the proposed site sits above an underground aqueduct which carries water supplies from local reservoirs to Edinburgh.

In a report Living Water says there is a "high risk" of groundwater feeding into the aqueduct being contaminated from the proposed farm.