Wednesday 15 September 2021

The Chicken Farm extension proposal - MPC's response

 

21/00870/FUL | Erection of 2 No. additional poultry houses and associated infrastructure on existing poultry farm. | Astmans Farm Poultry Unit Maisemore Gloucester Gloucestershire GL2 8HP 

 

Thank you to all those people who attended the Maisemore Parish Council meeting held on Monday 13 September 2021 at Maisemore Village Hall. 

A near capacity (for the Committee Room) crowd turned out and people were able to raise a wide range of issues with Mr and Mr Smith - the owners.

The owners have agreed to share the production cycle timetable with the Parish Council and we'll advise you on here each time it's received. Although a cycle is in theory 48 days long, it can vary depending on how quickly the chickens grow and what size is required by the processors. 

Not all the smells in the village originate from this facility, despite people here blaming it all the time. We were categorically assured that the "bad smell day" in early September was NOT a consequence of this facility.

Certain times in the cycle are likely to lead to more odour risk than others, and the provision of the timetable will allow us to more closely monitor what might be going on.

One interesting fact gleaned on Monday was the fact that last year the "gable fans" - only turned on when the temperature inside is getting too excessive for the roof fans to cope with - were only turned on on one day in 2020.

 

Following the meeting, the draft MPC response, strongly objecting to the expansion on many grounds, was refined to accommodate additional points raised during the meeting, and submitted to TBC yesterday. It is now available on their website via this link:

https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/files/1EC7946F8F124672175C94C6500B7736/pdf/21_00870_FUL-MAISEMORE_PARISH_COUNCIL-986903.pdf


 

It has to our surprise been initially published in non-redacted form. However if you find the copy you download has been redacted, please contact the MPC clerk to request an original copy - clerk@maisemore-pc.org.uk.

 

There have also been 31 public responses to the consultation (not counting statutory consultees' responses) - not surprisingly all are objecting to the expansion - they're available at: 

https://publicaccess.tewkesbury.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=documents&keyVal=QVXLVBQDGAO00

Please note that it's not too late to submit your own comments if you haven't already done so - please copy the MPC clerk in on your response. Note submissions published at TBC's website are redacted and hence appear anonymously.