PLANS to double the size of an egg-laying farm at Llanbister near Llandrindod Wells have been rejected by a Welsh Government planning inspector.

Applicant, Ivor Goodwin already has 16,000 egg-laying hens at Forest View.

In October 2018, he applied for permission to add another 16,000 hens to the farm bringing the total number to 32,000.

But, in September 2020 Powys planners refused the application.

They explained that the applicant had “failed to demonstrate” that the application wouldn’t harm the River Ithon and Lower Cefaelog Pastures Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) or the River Wye Special Area of Conservation (SAC).

This had been based on reports from Natural Resources Wales (NRW) who believed that 20 per cent of ammonia would come from manure by hens “ranging” outside of the poultry units.

This would exceed the levels permitted in areas where there are SSSI and SACs.

But Mr Goodwin contested this sayinf that NRW had put forward an “unsound scenario.”

Mr Goodwin said that a lower number of hens would use the ranging area, with a “realistic scenario” of 12 per cent.

Planning inspector, Richard Duggan said: “These scenarios are based on peer reviewed scientific research and papers on the use of outdoor range areas, the ranging behaviour of laying hens and ammonia emissions.”

“Whilst I have taken into account the evidence presented by the appellant it is clear that the individual environmental protection agencies for the countries of the UK are currently using the 20 per cent outdoor ranging usage figure, especially as the industry is promoting much greater natural behaviour in poultry farms thus leading to much greater use of the outside range areas by laying hens.

“In addition, the lead author of the Inventory of Ammonia Emissions from UK Agriculture has confirmed that the 20 per cent figure for outdoor ranging areas is currently being used.”

Mr Duggan said: “The proposal would bring some economic benefits by way of the local economy and increasing egg production.

“However, this would not outweigh the harm to nature conservation interests.”