Rushcliffe Borough Council’s Planning Committee voted to refuse the application for a chicken factory near the village of Owthorpe at a meeting at 2:30 pm today 13 October.Â
Among the reasons for refusal were:Â
Impact on the views from the countryside – detrimental impact on landscape
Noise, odours, ammonia and heat haze
Use of greenbelt land
The effect on the operation of the observatory in the village.
The committee vote was:
Against: 7 ( seven ) unanimous refusalÂ
Three opposition committee members didn’t attend the meeting.
The application, submitted by farmer and landowner Richard Barlow with the support of agricultural consultants Ian Pick Associates, proposes a 100,000 sq. ft facility less than 500m from the historic village, which has a population of less than 100 people.
The village of Owthorpe, near Cotgrave is located at the bottom of a hillside in the Vale of Belvoir, dates back to 1086 and is characterised by its traditional and rural charm, with a 12th century Grade I listed church, significant mediaeval farming features and unspoilt surroundings, mostly arable farmland owned by small-scale farming families.
The application was met with over 400 objections, including residents, local MP Ruth Edwards, the ward councillor, the local Wildlife Trust, the Ramblers Association, the Nottingham Astronomical Society and the Astronomer Royal, the council has recommended the plans be granted planning permission ahead of the committee meeting at 2:30 pm today Thursday 13 October, where councillors discussed the proposals and made the final decision.
The facility is set to house nearly 200,000 broiler chickens in four flocks, where they will reside for 7.5 weeks before being sent to slaughter, meaning the facility has the capacity to churn through over 1.3million animals per year, bred for meat production.
