Bacup farmer’s 27,500 hens plans are step nearer (From Lancashire Telegraph)

Bacup farmer’s 27,500 hens plans are step nearer

2:00pm Wednesday 18th January 2012 in Bacup By Vanessa Cornall, Reporter

THE long-running saga over the expansion of a Rossendale poultry operation, which will see battery chickens replaced by free-range hens, looks set to be resolved in a farmer’s favour.

Plans have been unveiled by Paul Harrison to introduce 27,500 extra chickens to Hey Head Farm in Tong Lane, Bacup.

It will dramatically increase the size of the business, which previously had 12,000 hens on site.

Mr Harrison had been told by councillors that a previous unit, to the north-west of the complex, was unsightly.

But a fresh proposal, sited a little further north and of smaller dimensions, appears to have found favour with planning experts.

Planning officer Richard Elliott said in a report: “The scheme is considered acceptable in principle, it being for an agriculture purpose within a countryside area.

“It would not result in unacceptable detriment to the essentially open and rural character of the countryside, neighbour amenity, highway safety or footpaths.”

Architect Steven Hartley said that the building would, due to changing legislation, allow the operation to change from housing battery hens to free-range chickens.

County council land agents have confirmed that the new location is better suited to the poultry unit. But they have concerns about dung storage – the farmer intends to spread some on his land but the agents have queried what will happen during the off-season.

The final decision over the new plans rests with the borough’s development control committee.