Planners refuse 8,000-bird shed near Murlough

Planners refuse 8,000-bird shed near Murlough

10 February 2021

PLANNERS have refused an application to build a poultry laying shed for up to 8,000 birds at Keel Point in Dundrum.

Confirmation of the refusal for the sheds and a feeder bin close to the Murlough Nature Reserve has been posted on Newry, Mourne and Down Council’s planning website.

Planning papers say the proposed development site contains within it a number of large agricultural houses which are used as poultry sheds.

The papers say that history would indicate that planning permission was granted in 2011 for the alteration and extension of an existing chicken house, but only refers to one of the buildings on the site, with the permission not implemented.

Amended plans were lodged in December 2019 which prompted four letters of objection, three of which were from the same person, outlining a number of concerns including that there are four large existing chicken houses at the site with issues in relation to flies and smell.

The other objection was lodged by the National Trust.

Planners have confirmed that the initial planning application was for a poultry shed capable of housing up to 16,000 birds and a feeder bin, before the proposal was subsequently amended for the shed to house 8,000 buds.

The proposal rejected by planners was seeking approval to remove an existing shed currently housing 6,000 birds with a new shed, 86 metres long and 16 metres wide, in the footprint of the previous building.

The Environment Agency has acknowledged that while mitigation measures proposed by the applicant would lead to “significant reductions” in emissions from the facility, they would not be sufficient to reduce them below what has been described as the “appropriate critical load level”.

Planners say they cannot ascertain that the environmental information provided as part of the application contains “complete, precise and definitive findings”, capable of excluding “all reasonable scientific doubt” as to the effects of the proposal on the protected habitats and species in nearby protected areas, including Murlough Nature Reserve.

They said that taking into account all material considerations, including objections and consultee responses, and having considered all relevant planning policy, the Keel Point application was being refused.