Muthill poultry farm could be in pipeline

A company is considering applying for permission to build a brand new poultry farm on land east of Muthill.

Aviagen is already awaiting the outcome of an application to construct four sheds capable of housing a total of 26,000 chickens in a field near Murthly.

That application drew over 240 objections from locals last year including two from doctors who warned Perth and Kinross Council the proposed development will inevitably result in a mix of unpleasant emissions being released into the air around the village.

They added:“Poultry manure contains high levels of phosphate and local disposal of this is likely to run off into water systems and ultimately the River Tay. The environmental impact of this concerns us deeply.”

Now it has emerged Aviagen is weighing up whether or not to apply for permission to demolish a“derelict”poultry unit said to be on land next to the Machany Water near Ladyton Farmhouse and build another four sheds for a further 16,000 birds.

It appears from documents published online Iain Boyd of SAC Consulting asked PKC to consider whether Aviagen would have to complete an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for the proposal just last month.

The local authority has already advised Mr Boyd it does not want to see an EIA as it considers the proposal is“unlikely”to have “a significant effect”on the environment.

The council has said Aviagen will have to complete a flood risk assessment and an ecological survey of the area, however, as otters have previously been spotted on the Machany Water.

A screening opinion published by PKC states:“It is the opinion of the planning authority, having taken account of the characteristics of the potential impact of the development in terms of extent, scale, magnitude, complexity ... frequency and reversibility, it is unlikely that the development would have a significant effect on the environment.

“A detailed study through an EIA is therefore not required.”