A NEW chicken farm would be a "blot on the landscape in more ways than one" if it is given the go ahead, objectors have said.

Plans have been submitted to Powys County Council to build two poultry units housing 23,500 chickens at Lower House Farm near Clyro.

An opposition group, made up of farmers, business owners and residents who say their properties would be adversely affected by the scheme, has gathered to fight against the proposals with worries about damage to the environment, the smell due to the ammonia, road safety, the effect on local tourism and a lack of provisions for protected species.

The applicants, JR Lloyd Rees and Sons, are hoping to use the poultry units for fertile egg production and planning permission was previously granted on the site for a single poultry unit for the production of approximately 10,000 birds within one building. This permission was never implemented and now a second application has been submitted for two units on the same site.

The opposition group, made up of around 12 local residents, has also launched an online petition to hand into the council to oppose the plans and is hoping to get at least 100 signatures.

Julie North, a local resident, business owner and member of the opposition group said the poultry sheds would predominantly affect the residents of Bronydd.

"The village residents will be mainly affected by the winds. In brief these include significant levels of air emissions associated with units, storage of waste material on site and potential for pollution, movement of waste material to off-site storage, and the subsequent spreading of waste/manure. "As unpleasant as the smell will be it won’t effect the planning decision. We are opposing the application due to the environmental grounds.

"We have instructed an independent environmental report which highlights many concerns about the development which was recognised by Natural Resources Wales (NRW) in their consultation response.

"In particular we are concerned about the great crested newt and white-clawed crayfish which are both found in the Clyro brook which has tributaries adjoining the proposed chicken farm and in the River Wye Special Area of Conservation, into which the brook flows.

"Any damage caused to rivers, brooks and the wildlife living in them, is irreversible and more protection is needed at the relevant sites."

Ms North said the group has other concerns. "As well as the environmental worries, there is also the long-term increase in the background levels of ammonia which causes a build up of chemical nutrients in the soil. There is also the volume of waste material that would be produced from the birds requiring storage and spreading."

The opposition group has also raised fears about the extra traffic. According to the planning application submitted to the council, the units will be in operation "24 hours a day, seven days a week". The majority of the deliveries will "take place between 7am and 8pm Monday to Friday".

Egg collections will take place twice a week using an 18.5 tonne lorry as well as feed deliveries once a week, the collection of birds at the end of the cycle and the removal of litter.

Ms North said the main A438 is a "busy main road" and even though the planning decision won’t be swayed by the traffic she said: "There have been two fatalities in the last two years on this stretch of road. It is a dangerous part of the road and transport is an issue."

Ms North, who runs a bed and breakfast near the proposed site, said local tourism could also be affected: "It’s not going to do any of our businesses any good by telling customers to ’take a left at the chicken sheds’."

James Lewis of Black Mountain View caravan park, a newly-established business directly opposite the planned development, said: "Why would tourists want to stop and spend time in an area where there will undoubtedly be unpleasant smells carried by prevailing winds?"

Ben Corbett, partner at Berrys chartered surveyors and town planners in Hereford, said: "Berrys was appointed to assist Andrew Lloyd of JR Lloyd and Son in putting together the planning application for the two poultry sheds at Lower House Farm, Clyro.

"Following on from a pre-application to Powys County Council, a number of specialists were appointed to provide reports to support the planning application.

"As part of this process, Berrys is now working with Powys CC to respond to, and where necessary mitigate, those issues raised by Powys County Council, their experts, National Resources Wales and other concerned parties.

"The development will be constructed using the best available technology to provide the optimum environment for the birds within the building and while minimising the impact on the surrounding area.”

Ms North said: "As a opposition group we want to raise awareness of the proposed poultry unit plans as when it is up it will be too late for people to have their say. It’s more about letting people know and giving them the chance to object, if they so wish."

Powys County Council will continue taking comments up until the final decision is made and anyone wishing to object should either visit the website at www.powys.gov.uk with planning reference number P/2016/0397 or visit https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/cluckoff-say-no-to-factory-chicken-farms-near-hay and sign the petition.