Turkey Breeder Granted Permission to Replace Sheds Despite Residents’ Concerns

A turkey breeder was granted permission to demolish seven poultry sheds and replace them with new buildings near a Denbigh farm, despite residents’ fears about noisy deliveries.
Clay Burrows, of Aviagen Turkeys Ltd, applied to Denbighshire council seeking permission to knock down the sheds and replace them with two linked units at his farm at Bryn Golau, Saron, Denbigh.
The decision was deferred at an earlier planning committee meeting to allow further negotiations around delivery times.
But despite opposition from residents, the planning committee unanimously voted in favour of the development.
The current poultry sheds have a permit for 87,200 broiler chickens.
The new modern turkey-laying unit would be “far less intensive” with just 6,000 birds, made up of 5,500 hens and 500 stag turkeys.
Denbighshire’s officers had agreed operating hours with the applicant of 7am–7pm Monday to Friday, 7am–5pm Saturday and Sunday and 10am–4pm on public holidays.
Six vehicles will also be permitted per 36-week cycle to move the birds during the night for welfare purposes.
Llanrhaeadr Yng Nghinmeirch Community Council was among those objecting to the plans with concerns about visibility to the site via a new access road.
Cllr Elfed Williams proposed that councillors should further restrict delivery times.
“I have some concerns about the access to the site,” he said.
“About the hours, I still have concerns about that. I accept what the agent has said today, and I’m not proposing that lorries aren’t able to use the site.
“But I am going to ask that that is restricted to midnight. I don’t think that it is right for the people that live locally that lorries would be back and forth past that time, and I’m going to propose that during June, July, and August as night falls later at that time that that is moved to 1am during those three months.”
He also had concerns about the number of lorries able to come and go from the site.
But planning officer Mark Griffin said the proposed delivery and pick-up hours were reasonable.
Cllr Elfed Williams proposals to further restrict delivery and pick-up times were dismissed after a vote was lost 10-nine.
Councillors then unanimously voted in favour of the application. Whilst officers were happy with the access to the site, there will be further consultation with the council’s highways department. ‌​‌​‌​​​‍‌​‌​​‌‌‌‍‌​‌‌​​‌​‍‌​‌‌‌​‌‌‍‌​‌‌‌‌​​