Feathers f ly in the village with 250 people (and 600 chickens)
IT is a typical close-knit rural village with a population of only 250.
But the chatter among neighbours in Luthermuir, Kincardineshire, is being drowned out – by scores of noisy chickens.
Residents say about 600 birds are being kept at a poultry enterprise in the village and crowing cockerels are depriving them of sleep.
The birds belong to Mitchell Simpson, who keeps them at the rear of his home in the main street.
The poultry cages are sited in woodland next to the local park and villagers say the cockerels’ crowing
‘The noise can be deafening’
can even drown out spectators at the local amateur football team’s games on a Saturday afternoon.
Janette Anderson, treasurer of Luthermuir AFC, said: ‘The crowd gets the cockerels all stirred up and they get even noisier.
‘You would think there would be some kind of by-law against a livestock enterprise on this scale in the centre of a village.
‘It’s right by a play park and the chickens got out once and were running around the children, which wasn’t safe.’
Local councillor Dave Stewart said: disposal, noise, smells and an increase in vermin.
After receiving complaints about the existing poultry sheds and claims they block access to the village park, planners say they have exhausted every possible solution to the situation. Last night, Mr Simpson claimed he was being targeted by a section of the village community. He said: ‘I don’t know what all the fuss is about. I am hoping to move the birds to another site.
‘I know people are saying I have 600 birds here, but at the moment I only ‘The noise can be deafening. Everybody is complaining.
‘It’s not just at dawn that the cockerels are crowing, it’s day and night. You hear them at 2am, 3am, 4am.’
Mr Simpson, a joiner, wants to relocate his poultry to a 12-acre woodland site on the edge of the village. However, a recent planning application for the erection of a twostorey building, including a flat and joinery workshop, along with a poultry rearing and egg production unit for up to 600 birds at Caldhame, was rejected by councillors.
Planners recommended refusal because the move would breach the local development plan.
They also took account of objections from residents worried about inadequate drainage, bird waste
‘I don’t know what the fuss is about’
have about 160 and only about 12 of them are cockerels.’
Mr Simpson, who has kept poultry at his home for more 30 years, believes the dispute is actually about access to a road that he owns leading to the village hall.
He has now closed the route because of ‘damage’ being caused by heavy trucks.
He added: ‘I think this is the village community council putting pressure on me about my road.’
The poultry keeper added that he had received no complaints about noise from his immediate neighbours and that many residents in the village buy his eggs.
He added: ‘No one has complained to me. The community council have their own agenda.’