HOW TO OBJECT TO THE PLANNING APPLICATION REF: 17/01033/EIA
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What’s proposed is to build 4 large sheds (300 feet long and 80 feet wide), each housing
52,500 chickens. The poultry will be raised from day old to up to 38 days old, then taken away
to be slaughtered and processed. It’s largely an automated process, which will create just one
full time job on site. Large amounts of feed will be brought to the site by goods vehicles, and
waste will accumulate as chicken litter whilst the birds are on site. At the end of each cycle
the sheds will be cleaned out and the decaying poultry litter (2,300 tonnes a year) removed.
The sheds require ventilation for temperature management, and unfiltered exhaust air will be
pumped into the atmosphere by high-speed fans and allowed to disperse over the
surrounding area. Despite the site being just 700 yards from homes on the Wenlock Rise
estate and less than a mile and a half from Bridgnorth High Street, Shropshire Council initially
approved this proposal on 29th August 2017.
Following a successful legal challenge in the Court of Appeal, Shropshire Council’s original
decision to approve the intensive chicken farm at Tasley has been quashed. The Council
must now decide on the planning application again. The revised application has been
modified slightly. It is now proposed that the chicken litter produced by the farm will go to a
biodigester for energy production, rather than being spread as fertiliser on land near the farm
and elsewhere in Shropshire. It’s not enough. The revision doesn’t deal with the many other
problems associated with the proposal.
We all need to OBJECT to the planning application for the intensive poultry development at
Tasley on the edge of Bridgnorth.
Shropshire Council is required to decide whether the planning application meets legal
requirements and complies with its planning policies. But it’s not clear-cut, so your views can
help persuade the planning committee to use their discretion to reject the application.
You don’t have to be a planning expert to have your say – let them know what matters to
YOU.
If you formally objected to Shropshire Council in 2017, please do so again, and if you didn’t
before, then please, please do so now. Let them know that simply taking the manure
somewhere else doesn’t make the proposal acceptable.
How to Make Your Objections to Shropshire Council
You can register your formal objections to the planning application, number 17/01033/EIA, by:
(A) Online: https://pa.shropshire.gov.uk/onlineapplications/
applicationDetails.do?keyVal=OM9675TDK7W00&activeTab=summary. You’ll
find details of what’s proposed under “Documents”. You can add your comments under
“Comments”. If you’ve used Shropshire Council’s online planning system before, you’ll need
to log in, if not you’ll need to register. We recommend that you draft your comments first
before inputting them. You can comment more than once, so if you decide afterwards that
you’ve missed something you can add a further comment.
(B) By letter. Please head your letter “17/01033/EIA – objection to the Footbridge Farm
planning application”, and add the statement, “Please add to the online planning application
documents”, then send your letter to: Kelvin Hall, Development Management, Cantern Brook
Offices, Stanley Lane, Bridgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4SF. Please give your name and
contact details.
(C) By email. Please compose your objections in an email, make sure you set the subject
field as “17/01033/EIA – objection to the Footbridge Farm planning application”, add the
statement “Please add to the online planning application documents”, then send your email
to: Kelvin.hall@shropshire.gov.uk
Your comments will be added to the planning system and will be available to view publicly
and by the members of the Planning Committee, but your personal details will be redacted.
The Planning Department will summarise the comments made in the formal report they
prepare before the final decision is taken.
When to Object
Please give your comments as soon as you can so that they are in time to be included in the
Planning Department’s report. You can still comment right up to the day before the Planning
Committee meeting.
How to Make Your Objections known to Political Representatives
In addition to making your formal objections to Shropshire Council, please, please, please
make your feelings known to political representatives, be they a Member of Parliament, a
member of Shropshire Council, a member of your Town Council, or a member of your Parish
Council.
Local Shropshire councillors and Bridgnorth Town and Tasley Parish councils
objected to the original proposal – please let them know your views on the amended
proposal!
MP
Rt Hon Philip Dunne MP, 54 Broad Street, Ludlow, Shropshire SY8 1GP.
philip.dunne.mp@parliament.uk
Shropshire Councillors
Bridgnorth East and Asley Abbots area:
Christian Lea, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND.
christian.lea@shropshire.gov.uk
William Parr, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND.
William.parr@shropshire.gov.uk
Bridgnorth West and Tasley area:
Elliott Lynch, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND.
elliott.lynch@shropshire.gov.uk
Les Winwood, Shirehall, Abbey Foregate, Shrewsbury, SY2 6ND.
les.winwood@shropshire.gov.uk
Bridgnorth Town Council
College House, 4 St Leonards Close, Birdgnorth, Shropshire, WV16 4EJ.
info@bridgnorthtowncouncil.gov.uk
Tasley Parish Council:
9 Stretton Close Bridgnorth WV16 5DB
tasleyclerk@gmail.com
Reasons to Object:
Here are some suggested objections that directly relate to planning regulations. These are
categorised by:
• Pollution
• Ammonia
• Anaerobic Digester
• Climate Emergency
• Health
• Location
• Traffic
Please use any of these that you feel are relevant to you or your community.
Pollution Based Objections
• 309 tonnes of manure per 48-day cycle will be taken to an anaerobic digester at Bitterley
- Bioaerosols (micro-organisms) and dust will be expelled into the air when the sheds are
emptied into HGVs and unloaded again at Bitterley every 48 days. The odour and dust
impacts of this activity has not been assessed.
• Odour from the sheds, given the prevailing Westerly wind that will take the smell directly
over Bridgnorth, affecting individuals, businesses and tourism.
• The polluting effects of the ‘dirty’ water used to clean out the poultry sheds at the end of
the cycles, has not been assessed. The application does not state anything other than it
is stored in a concrete tank and then taken off site. Where does it go and what will be
done with it?
• Bioaerosols (micro-organisms) and dust and from the air will be expelled into the air by
high speed fans and distributed over the surrounding area.
Ammonia Based Objections
• The production process will generate a variety of gaseous substances, including
ammonia.
• Ammonia pollution from farming is already a significant source of air pollution in
Shropshire, and some parts of Bridgnorth already have illegal levels of nitrogen dioxide
pollution. Ammonia from the poultry farm will combine with this nitrogen dioxide to form
PM2.5 particulates that have strong negative impacts on public health. The government
recognises this as a significant pollution source, and has set a target to REDUCE
ammonia emissions. For more information see the governments Clean Air Strategy 2019:
https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/clean-air-strategy-2019
• The ammonia released from the proposed chicken factory will impact on sensitive
nationally recognised wildlife sites such as Thatcher’s Wood and Westwood Coppice Site
of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI), which is already being affected critical levels of
ammonia deposition from the atmosphere.
• Ammonia emissions will significantly contribute to the acidification of water sources with
devastating effects on biodiversity and drinking water. The nearby Mor Brook and its
tributaries is in a nitrate vulnerable zone.
• The increasing number of intensive poultry farms in Shropshire, of which there were over
100 as at 2017, and the number is still rising. Shropshire Council published interim
planning guidance in 2018 because of the very high background levels of ammonia in the
County. They stated international wildlife sites are already at circa 200% to 600% of
critical levels, which is above the threshold at which species are lost and habitats
damaged. They stated that these very high background levels of ammonia are due to the
large number of ammonia producing intensive livestock installations in the County. This is
a very valid reason for refusing this planning application, particularly as there are two
SSSIs in close proximity to this proposed intensive factory farm, which will emit further
ammonia into the atmosphere.
Anaerobic Digester Based Objections
• According to Parliament.gov.uk the “Lagan Rivers Trust and Friends of the Earth
Northern Ireland were concerned that the intensive use of anaerobic digestion facilities in
Northern Ireland had not been regulated properly, and had led to increased nitrate
pollution from its over application to farms and associated elevated ammonia emissions.
The Agricultural Industries Confederation also thought that anaerobic digestion had led to
increased ammonia emissions.” Reference -
https://publications.parliament.uk/pa/cm201719/cmselect/cmenvaud/656/65607.htm
• There is no mention in the application where the resulting digestate from Footbridge farm
manure will be spread, and neither have the potential polluting affects been assessed.
• The liquid digestate that will be produced from the Footbridge farm manure will contain
high ammonia levels and can reduce earthworm numbers if spread incorrectly. This has
not been addressed.
• Anaerobic digesters also produce wastewater effluent that needs to be disposed of.
There is no mention of the anaerobic digester wastewater effluent relating to Footbridge
Farm manure, where it goes to, or what will be done with it. Neither have the potential
polluting effects been assessed.
Climate Emergency Based Objections
• Given that Shropshire Council recently declared a Climate Emergency and plans to be
carbon neutral by 2030, this chicken factory will emit significant amounts of ammonia,
contrary to the EU National Emissions Ceilings (NEC) Directive to reduce ammonia
emissions.
• The application does not address the potential for renewable energy generation through
solar panels.
• The stated design life of the buildings is 50 years, but the application does not appear to
address adaptability (for example, in the event of improved practices in the poultry
industry) or the effects of climate change.
Health Based Objections
• The impact on Health, particularly those with breathing conditions, of ammonia and dust
from the installation and movement of manure given that the air quality pollution at places
in Bridgnorth is already twice recommended levels.
• This development would significantly contribute to air pollution levels, yet Shropshire
Council recognises the significant effect that poor air quality has on public health.
Location Based Objections
• This development is located close to an existing employment site (Bridgnorth Livestock
Market), residential areas of Tasley, and areas that have been scheduled for
development under SAMDev. The proximity of the proposed development to sites
allocated for future housing and employment development will reduce the desirability of
the neighbouring sites for future development, and jeopardise their viability.
• This proposed development would fail to satisfactorily maintain, respect and reflect the
value and sensitivity of distinctive attributes of the existing landscape of the site within
which it would be located.
• This proposed development would be incongruous and out of scale with the landscape of
the site and locality.
• This development would fail to safeguard the character and appearance of the site and
locality. Landscaping would not satisfactorily mitigate the effects over time.
• The proximity of the proposed development to a listed building.
Traffic Based Objections
• Traffic issues with increased numbers of HGVs on the B4364 and the narrow road and
footpaths near Warthill Farm, which are required for access to the anaerobic digester
plant at Bitterley.
• The potential impact of increased HGV traffic on the numerous listed buildings along the
route the lorries will drive along to get to the anaerobic digester at Bitterley.
• The potential impact of increased HGV traffic on walkers, cyclists, horse riders and
motorists using the rural roads between Footbridge farm and Warthill Farm. The B4364
has sharp blind bends and the road narrows in many places, particularly at Neenton
where the road narrows significantly.
• The potential impact of increased HGV traffic down the poorly maintained narrow lanes
near to, and in, Bitterley. The HGVs would pass through a ford, directly past Bitterley
primary school and the 12th century grade II listed church. On the day we drove through
Bitterley two children were walking along the edge of the narrow lane (with no pavement)
where HGVs would pass.
Examples of Important Concerns not relating to Planning Regulations.
These are real and valid concerns, but may not be taken into account when the Council
assesses this planning application. Please use any of these, or more, that you feel are
relevant to you or your community.
• Animal welfare – the cruel and inhumane treatment of living creatures.
• Antibiotics in the chicken feed affecting human health and contributing to antibiotic
resistance.