Burnley farmer to keep chickens in caravans (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Burnley farmer to keep chickens in caravans

2:10pm Wednesday 15th July 2009 in Worsthorne By Chris Hopper, Reporter

A FARMER denied permission to build holiday homes in his field will instead use caravans to house chickens.

Danny Myers, owner of Brownside Farm, in Brownside Road, Burnley, was last year refused permission to build nine log cabins after a 900-signature petition from residents.

Now, after approval from Burnley Council planners, he is instead using his farm for mobile caravans for his chickens to protect them at night from foxes, badgers and other predators.

Nearby residents, whose houses overlook Mr Myers’ field, branded the move “bizarre” and said it would “spoil the nature” of the site.

However, the defiant farmer said he has been forced into diversification for financial reasons and the caravans would enable him to sell free-range eggs.

He said: “It is daft that they want to control what I do on my land – this is a working farm.

“All I am trying to do is make a living. They will not allow me to put buildings on there so the only way I can get round it is to get mobile caravans on there.

“I need these to protect my chickens because when I first moved to Brownside Farm six years ago I had 1,000 chickens.

“Now I have only got 120 chickens because they get killed by foxes and badgers.”

Mr Myers currently has three caravans on his field but plans more in future.

And he claims to have the support of “90 per cent” of nearby residents despite a 900-signature petition last year protesting against proposed development at his farm.

Yesterday, a resident who has lived near the farm for 30 years said: “Keeping caravans there ruins the nature of the site because it is greenbelt land.”

Another resident, who lives in nearby Lindsay Park, added: “The proposals sound bizarre.

"I don’t want them but I know people who feel worse about it than me.”