Egg farm breached conditions of notice over plans

AN Angus farmer has admitted breaching a notice to stop building work on chicken sheds.

Angus Dowell pled guilty to breaching a planning order at Forfar Sheriff Court last week.

He runs Cononsyth Farm near Arbroath, which has 64,000 hens, and some locals complained.

Angus Council ignored them and granted conditional permission but Dowell, 29, started work before conditions, including relating to nearby roads, were met.

He was served with an enforcement notice but carried on.

He will be sentenced in August.

Fiscal depute Sam Craib told the court: “The accused and others applied for planning permission to construct two chicken sheds.

“The local authority consulted and decided to approve the planning permission but there were a number of conditions attached.

“These conditions were never fulfilled.

“Construction began. The accused was then served with a temporary stop notice but continued.

“A number of the conditions were that the accused had to provide information to the planning authority but failed to do so and continued.

“The enforcement notice remains in place.

“It seems like the buildings are operational now.”

Angus Dowell, of West High Street in Forfar, pled guilty to breaching the enforcement notice.

He admitted owning land west of North Mains of Cononsyth Farm and having been served an enforcement notice, failed to comply with the order between June 12 and November 3 last year.

Angus Dowell’s solicitor said: “It’s accepted by Mr Dowell he’s in breach of the statutory provisions.

“Planning permission was granted with a conditional approval on February 28 2023.

“Confirmation was received in June that they had been (approved) by Angus Council.”

Sheriff Mungo Bovey deferred sentencing for the road work to be done.