Bird flu delay for multi-tier mega unit

Plans to develop Britain’s biggest ever free range farm have hit a major delay after objectors raised the issue of avian influenza dangers.

The scheme would involve building 10 huge multi-tier sheds to hold 320,000 birds in a picturesque Peeblesshire valley in the Scottish Borders. Glenrath Farms Ltd, Scotland’s biggest independent egg producer, has applied for planning permission for just one structure consisting of two16,000 bird units linked with an egg store.

The company, which bought the farm at Blythbank, near the village of West Linton, especially for the massive project anticipated pressing ahead with nine more of the 162m long structures after the first was completed. But the Scottish Borders Council’s planning committee has now demanded an environmental impact assessment on the first building. Councillors voted by 6-5 for the assessment even though planning officials had decided it was not necessary and had recommended giving approval. Under Scottish Executive regulations no ES is necessary because less than 50,000 birds would be housed in a single shed.

A submission from objectors claimed the EU has put free-range units at the forefront of its battle against the spread of avian flu and noted that the proposed shed was just 700 metres from a primary school. One councillor said he had “real concerns” about avian influenza.

Residents claimed that the first phase could not be treated in isolation from the larger development and as such, demanded an environmental statement. Consideration of the proposal will now be delayed for at least three months.

“I am absolutely baffled,” said Glenrath founder and chairman John Campbell.

“The advice on an environmental statement is crystal clear yet the majority of councillors chose to ignore it despite the fact that 60 jobs are on the line.”

He claimed any protracted delays could affect his company's progress in meeting market demand.

“A company of our size must be able to plan for the future,” he added. “Certainly the stakes are high and it was predictable that the topic of avian flu entered Monday’s debate.”

Objectors have also raised issues of manure disposal, smell and noise pollution, an increase in traffic, unsocial hours of operation and the impact on existing paths, cycling and trekking routes.

Glenrath Farms, which produces one million eggs a day and supplies major supermarket chains in Scotland and England, recently recorded profits of £5million—a 19 per cent increase on the previous year. The company already operates the first major multi-tier system in Britain, also housing 32,000 free range birds but built on another site.

…and stack-a-hen row reaches media

The issue of multi-tier systems has already reached the national press.

In an analysis of welfare standards in egg production systems The Independent newspaper has described the introduction of the European system into the UK as controversial. Many in the egg industry believe that when consumers are confronted with the facts about multi-tiering their reaction could result in irreparable damage to the image of free range.

There are also concerns that the system—dubbed stack-a-hen by critics—which allows an on-the-floor stocking rate of 15 birds per square metre will drive down the price of eggs for the entire sector.

The Independent quoted BFREPA vice-chairman John Widdowson saying: “The pressure is definitely on to produce cheaper free range eggs. We need to retain consumer confidence and fight very hard to ensure that standards are kept high. The balance between affordable free range eggs and hen welfare is a knife-edge; if we lose consumer confidence we’ve lost everything.

“Some aspects of multi-tiering are good, chickens like using overhead space to flap around in and there is a belt system to collect droppings. An enthusiastic free range farmer could use the system perfectly well but multi-tiering wants watching and is causing some concern. Some of the excesses of the continental approach would not work over here. Consumers would not think this is how chickens should be kept.”