Planning decision on poultry farms deferred for review

Planning decision on poultry farms deferred for review

5 August 2020

A DECISION on plans for two poultry farms in Ballynahinch and Seaforde was deferred at last week’s meeting of Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s Planning Committee, while a proposal for a third in Dundrum was withdrawn from the schedule.

Planners were recommending that an application to allow a Ballynahinch poultry farm to double its capacity by replacing two existing poultry sheds at the Magherahamlet Road with two new facilities containing a total of 74,000 hens should proceed.

Permission was also being sought for four feeding bins, two gas tanks, an underground wash tank and the retention of an existing weigh bridge, biomass boiler shed, pellet bins, water tank, site office and associated works.

Several politicians had expressed concern about the application — including South Down MLA Jim Wells and Rowallane councillor Patrick Brown –  who both opposed to the approval recommendation.

Despite the planners’ approval recommendation, it was agreed at last week’s meeting held in Newry, to defer a final decision until a site meeting takes place.

The planning application for a building capable of housing up to 8,000 birds at an established poultry farm at Keel Point in Dundrum, close to the Murlough Nature Reserve, was withdrawn from the schedule at the planning meeting.

Planners were recommending that permission should not be granted for a proposal which involved the removal of an existing poultry house and replacing it with a larger one.

The National Trust is opposed to the Dundrum proposal, arguing that it would cause “unacceptable harm to the fragile environment of the Nature Reserve” while the applicant argued that planners appeared to be treating the proposal as a “brand new enterprise” and not the replacement of an existing free range poultry unit. 

While planners were recommending that the Seaforde proposal should not be given the green light, a final decision was deferred to allow the applicant time to provide additional information.

Permission is being sought for two poultry houses for almost 74,000 chickens at an established Moy Park poultry farm, with the planned development considered necessary in order to facilitate additional bird capacity on-site as part of the company’s expansion programme.

Planners say while the addition of two further poultry sheds and ancillary works would not cause “unacceptable damage”  to the rural character of the area, they were recommending that the application should be refused.

They argue that if it is allowed to proceed, the proposal would have an “unacceptable, adverse impact” on the conservation of designated sites in the area and it has not been demonstrated that the proposal will not have an adverse impact on the natural or built heritage.