Plans for poultry farm could be back on table
New plans for a chicken farm near Murthly could shortly be submitted to the council.
Poultry breeder Aviagen withdrew an application for the facility to be built close to Murthly Primary School.
The original plans drew over 250 objections.
But the company has now confirmed that it is reviewing the proposal.
A spokesperson for Aviagen said: “We are extremely grateful to the council for explaining the specific changes needed to revisit our application.
“We are currently reviewing those proposals.”
Aviagen had applied to build four sheds capable of housing a total of 26,000 chickens in a field south-west of Murthly.
Last year it was reported that three doctors wrote to Perth and Kinross Council raising concerns about the plan, saying the proposed development would result in a mix of emissions being released into the atmosphere around the village and its primary school, which is said to be within 400 metres of the site.
Strathtay ward Conservative councillor, Anne Jarvis ,said:“The application was withdrawn after discussion with the planners, but it is expected to come back in a different form.
“It will need to be quite different or there will be similar objections.”
Murdo Fraser, who is standing for the Conservatives in the Perthshire North seat at next month’s Scottish Parliament elections, said: “There is a great deal of opposition locally to the proposed chicken farm, and I am pleased that Aviagen decided to withdraw the application in light of this.
“This episode highlights once again the deficiency we see in our planning laws.
“Too often planning applications are opposed by local communities, rejected by the local council as planning authority, and then granted on appeal by Scottish ministers.”