Community fights proposed 1.2 million bird megafarm in Sheriffhales

The contentious development, currently under consideration by Shropshire Council planners, is facing widespread opposition from a community concerned about environmental degradation, public health, and quality of life.

The proposal outlines the construction of four poultry houses, along with essential infrastructure including feed bins, a dead bird shed, dirty water tanks, a biomass boiler house, and drainage systems. The land, originally approved for a pig unit, is now slated for broiler chickens, with the applicants citing business diversification as the driving force behind the change.

However, local residents have mobilised, vehemently arguing that the megafarm will unleash a torrent of detrimental effects. Concerns range from pervasive bad odours and air pollution – including ammonia and dust – to the severe threat of river contamination. While the applicants propose transporting chicken manure to an anaerobic digester in Oswestry, the subsequent spraying of the end product onto fields has been widely linked to substantial river pollution, a critical issue for the already strained Severn River basin.

Cathy Whitehorne, a key organiser behind the community's pushback, minced no words in her assessment, declaring the project a "clucking disaster for Sheriffhales and the surrounding area." She highlighted the potential for a significant impact on residents' quality of life, an increased risk of bird flu pandemics, damage to the local environment, and concerns for animal welfare.

"Shropshire already has millions of chickens with around 60 birds for every resident," Whitehorne stated. "We are drowning in chicken waste, our rivers are dying as a result, and our quality of life is being impacted by the air pollution these farms cause. We’re asking Shropshire residents to help us fight back by submitting an objection – it only takes a minute."

In a concerted effort to galvanise opposition, local residents on Monday delivered 400 leaflets throughout the community, urging people to submit their objections before the critical June 6 deadline. As of Wednesday morning, the planning application had garnered over 183 objections, with only four submissions in support.

This isn't the first time an application at Manor Farm has faced community resistance. In 2021, a previous proposal to relocate a pig rearing operation away from the village due to smell issues was approved by Shropshire Council’s southern planning committee. However, an accompanying application to build 31 houses on the site, intended to finance the relocation, was refused following strong resident complaints about over-development of the countryside.

Whitehorne expressed satisfaction with the recent leafleting efforts, noting "really supportive conversations with people" and successfully raising awareness about the need to stop the farm. She pointed to Shropshire's broader struggles with unsustainable industrial farming, referencing a current court case against another Intensive Poultry Unit near Shrewsbury.

"We’re calling on the new Liberal Democrat administration not to repeat the mistakes of their Conservative predecessors," Whitehorne urged. "They need to protect our rivers and countryside, instead of greenlighting more megafarms. We also think they should await the decision on the Shrewsbury court case before making any planning decision in Sheriffhales. If you’re a Shropshire resident, please help us by objecting before 6 June."

Objections can be submitted via the Coalition Against Factory Farming caff.org.uk/manor-farm or on the Shropshire Council planning portal using reference 25/01501/EIA