100,000-chicken farm ‘will help support jobs in poultry industry’
COUNCILLORS will be discussing a planning application to build a 100,000-chicken farm near Builth Wells.
The planning committee will be meeting on Thursday, to consider the proposal by applicant Rob Powell.
Mr Powell wants to build two poultry buildings with feed bins and all the associated infrastructure at land south of Blaenbwch Farm, Maesmynis, Builth Wells.
The two broiler rearing units will measure 104 metres by 24.7 metres with a ridge height of 6.282 metres.
This is will be to take a maximum of 100,000 broiler chickens that are specifically reared for meat production.
The process takes 45 days with each flock. Mr Powell intends to rear eight flocks a year.
A Design and Access statement by agents Ian Pick and Associates on behalf of Mr Powell says: “This proposal is one for the expansion and diversification of an existing family run agricultural business.
“The proposal will provide a diversified income and support the best cases below 1%. In one instance, the CracklessEgg has identified a number of areas needing attention. After some fine tuning of the system, gradings reported a 61% fall in cracks, saving that farm over £4,500 in downgraded eggs and losses. We’ve set ourselves the challenge of reducing this even more.
“This is fabulous news for our highend egg contacts. Our poultry team members can visit your farm with this ingenious egg and give you tangible results within a week. We can then revisit your farm, to reduce breakages even further, down to 2% or 1%, streamlining your business. “Such a service can cost £500 a day but we offer this as an added-value, free service to our Wynnstay Bulk Poultry Feed customers. This is part of a host of on-farm services we can offer poultry farms, contact us today to see how we can help you and your business.” Damage in the egghandling process creates a mess and reduces product quality and bottomline profit. Customers using the CracklessEgg can measure the impacts eggs are receiving during processing. By addressing weak spots, the on-farm quality rates can routinely improve by 2% to 10%.
■ For more details about the egg technology visit: https://aaggrrii. com/products/cracklessegg existing traditional livestock farming business.
“The returns from traditional agricultural practices have declined over recent years.
“The business has an essential requirement to diversify into the profitable poultry enterprise in order to support the existing employment and traditional farming activities.
“This requirement has been further pressurised by the changes to the single farm payment system as a result of the Brexit vote.”
The statement claims that building the chicken farm will secure employment for all the existing full-time farm workers and will support employment in the poultry industry.
Planning officer Louise Evans said: “The development will be located to the south of the existing dwelling of the farmstead at Blaenbwch and will be an isolated form of development in the open countryside.
“The site is currently an agricultural field with agricultural land to the north.
“To the south of the site, there is a military firing range.
“The application site is approximately seven kilometres south of Builth Wells just off the B4520 which is also known as Brecon Road.”
Ms Evans adds: “The development is not considered to unacceptably affect the environment.
“The development is considered to be complaint with local and national planning policy and it is for that the development is recommended for approval.”
The approval is subject to a list of 22 conditions, including a road junction improvement from the B4520 to the unclassified road that HGVs will take drive to and from the unit.