COUNCILLORS have granted permission for a farmer to build three large chicken shed, capable of holding thousands of birds, despite concerns from nearby residents.

Trevor Dent, owner of Manor House Farm, in Low Dinsdale, near Darlington, applied to build the sheds, each measuring 104 metres by 25metres and housing 42,666 chickens each, to join four existing units and expand his business.

The plans had sparked opposition from residents living close to the farm, in particular Dr Paul Weightman, who told councillors that the new sheds would be an ‘intensification’ too far.

Members of Darlington Borough Council’s planning committee had previously deferred a decision on the application to carry out a site visit and to allow alternative locations for the sheds to be considered.

The committee heard that the sheds would be fitted with ventilation fans to disperse odours, while new fans would be fitted to the existing sheds, and that vehicle movements would be restricted.

Mr Dent spoke at the meeting and told members that the extension was necessary if the farm is to remain sustainable.

He said: “In common with many family farms we are faced with difficult decisions about the next generation – to make the farm sustainable for the long term we need to reach a level where it is capable of providing a living for my children.

“I fully appreciate the concerns of residents. It is our home, we live there and will continue to do so. We are not a faceless agribusiness.

“We would not propose a business that we thought would put at risk anyone’s health. We have tried hard to address as many issues as possible.”

Dr Weightman, who lives 300m from the proposed site of the new sheds, criticised data showing that nearby properties would not be affected by odours from the site.

He said: “This is an intensive livestock business. The model you have, it all depends on the data you put in – in the winter when it’s cold it does not disperse and we are in a saucer.

“It’s a gut wrenching stench. It’s an intensification too far.”

Councillors agreed to grant permission for the site on the grounds that the cleaning of manure, a job done once every seven weeks between the chicken growing cycles, must be completed in one day and that the majority of van movements should be done during the day.