July 20, 2020

Campaigners call for suspension of poultry farm permits in Powys, Wales

Campaigners in mid Wales are pushing for a stop to approvals of new poultry farms due the potential impact of phosphates and ammonia on ecology and biodiversity, BBC reported.

According to the Campaign for the Protection of Rural Wales (CPRW), the Welsh principal area of Powys has an estimated 10 million chickens at 200 farms. The organisation voiced its concern over the impact on Powys' landscape as ammonia emitted from poultry units could damage plants and phosphates from chicken manure could pollute rivers.

However, farmers said their units were operated in line with strong environmental standards.

CPRW also added that 139 applications for poultry units had been approved in Powys since 2015 to house a total of 4.5 million chickens, with only one application being refused.

"I'm concerned that the rivers will just die. They are dying and that means the whole ecological chain," said Dr Christine Hugh-Jones, secretary of Brecon and Radnorshire CPRW. "I think we're seeing an unprecedented density. I think until people know what the impact of all this is, and some basic research is done on it, there should be a moratorium on more approvals."

Gwyn Price, a lamb and beef farmer in Radnorshire who also has poultry sheds for 24,000 chickens, said: "When you go for planning permission for a chicken house there are a lot of regulations.

"Our rivers are tested regularly and although the chicken sheds are increasing the actual phosphate levels in the river, NRW (Natural Resources Wales) tell us, are going down.

"So it proves there is not a strong link between the chicken farmers and the phosphate."

He said diversifying into poultry and egg production had enabled many farmers to secure their businesses, which kept young people in rural communities.

Powys County Council said it was "unable to impose a moratorium on any type of planning application".

- BBC