Poultry farm bid faces opposition

A parish council is fighting plans for a poultry farm housing 350,000 birds.

The broiler chicken farm would be on the edge of Burton Lazars, near Melton.

Burton and Dalby Parish Council, which represents the village, said the development would "adversely affect the whole community".

In an open letter to Rutland and Melton MP Alan Duncan, parish council chairman Gerald Digby said: "The application, if approved, would potentially devastate the wellbeing of all residents bordering and west of the A606."

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The parish council said the site – a disused 10-acre poultry farm between Sandy Lane, Melton – would be in line with the prevailing wind, with some homes just 250 metres away.

Mr Digby said: "The site is immediately adjacent on two sides to our nationally important Scheduled Ancient Monument, the medieval leper hospital. The village hall is 500 metres east of the site, directly in line with the prevailing wind.

"The impact of this development will be significant, should it go ahead. The impact on the residents, not just of Burton Lazars, but also of Melton, which is 800 metres away, is the crucial thing.

"The plan also demands two separate three-bed bungalows in an established unsustainable location.

"Chicken manure is horrendous stuff. There are health risks, with a third of a million chickens, the air from the sheds will be vented into the atmosphere at the highest point west of the village which the prevailing winds will pick and spread across the whole village."

Ian Pengelly, chairman of the village hall committee, said: "We have spent a lot of money renovating the village hall, including a new outside seating area for people to enjoy the view.

"This would be spoilt as a result of the noise and smell from less than 500 metres away.

"Living in the countryside we are used to agricultural smells, but I believe this would be somewhat over the top."

Leicestershire county councillor Joe Orson, whose Asfordby division includes the village, said: "I am aware there is massive concern. I offer my support to the parish council."

Mr Duncan said: "This looks to be quite excessive in scale. Whereas we favour agricultural development, this proposal appears to include the building of three houses when otherwise they would never get permission."

A spokesman for the landowners, Springbourne Homes, of Nuneaton, said: "In recent years the site has fallen into disrepair and become a magnet for fly-tipping and anti-social behaviour.

"Our application will have the minimum possible impact on the local countryside. Modern, low level poultry farm buildings will be totally masked from view."