CORNWALL Council has approved a planning application (ref PA20/11185) for the construction of two poultry sheds, a services shed. feed bins, an access road and related earthworks as an extension to a long-established chicken farm at Kelly Bray.

While the application received general support from town and parish councils and a number of officers and agencies, the delegated planning officer report makes it clear the Tamar Valley Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB) was opposed, while the planning officer disagreed and recommended that the scheme should be approved.

The chicken farm, KB Products in Station Road, is on land which has been used for poultry production since 1918 and now has produced broiler chickens since 1990. It currently has 10 poultry sheds with a capacity for 170,000 chickens. Since 2013 the chickens have been bred indoors to higher welfare ‘Red Tractor’ standards.

The plan is for construction of two additional poultry shed designed to accommodate a further 80,000 birds, bringing the farm’s total capacity to 248,000.

Callington Town Council stated “there is no objection in principle to the application, subject to consultations with neighbours”, but it wanted to ensure that any conditions should include successful and permanent shielding, through planting, from the view of the general public and that the Public Health Team is satisfied that noise and odour pollution is reduced and mitigated”.

Stoke Climsland Parish Council said it was supportive of expansion of local businesses, particularly food providers, and commended the comprehensive screening system in the plans, but it believed solar panels should be fitted to the shed roofs and also stated: “The road directly outside the proposed development is notorious for flooding due to field run-off, so... a drainage system capable of coping with this would be highly recommended”.

The Cornwall Council Lead Local Flood Authority also wanted more detail on foul and surface water drainage, but Public Protection Contaminated Land Planning Consultations concluded “there is a low risk of land contamination for site, we therefore have no objections for the proposed development”. The Countryside Access Team said it had no objection to the proposal, and nor did the Environment Agency. However, The Tamar Valley AONB said it objected to the current application “given that it represents further cumulative development that does not conserve and enhance the landscape character within this section of the AONB.”

The delegated planning officer disagreed and Cornwall Council has approved the plans with conditions.