Egg farm can now crack on
Scheme approved despite petition
A farmer’s application to create a free range chicken egg-laying facility near Abernethy has sailed through a council committee stage despite a fuss kicked up by an animal rights pressure group.
Robert Wilson convinced councillors to back his proposal to house up to 32,000 hens in a new 163-metre by 16m agricultural building to be constructed in a field on his farm north of the village at a meeting last week.
Local authority officers had already recommended elected members approve the application, asserting in their report of handling that any additional noise and odour emanating from the new facility could be controlled through planning conditions.
Officials had drafted conditions stating all equipment being used on the farm to gather and pack eggs must not exceed certain levels at day or night while also requiring Mr Wilson to prepare an Odour Management Plan to the satisfaction of the council’s environmental health team.
Appearing before the council’s planning and development management committee, Mr Wilson also told members the new facility would only see a few extra lorries use local roads every week to deliver chicken feed and take away eggs.
Neither councillors nor officials made any mention of PETA’s (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) well-publicised 2300-strong petition against Mr Wilson’s proposal during the meeting and it was only fleetingly mentioned in the report of handling.
It said concerns raised through the petition about animal welfare on the farm had been “noted”.
The document continued: “Nevertheless, this is not a material planning consideration and the responsibility for adherence to welfare standards will rest with Scottish Government.”
Mr Wilson was previously said to have been puzzled by PETA’s objection to his proposal, reportedly commenting earlier this year: “I can’t understand why a petition by animal rights campaigners was set up against my plan, when free range eggs are exactly what they have campaigned for.”