Stradbroke farm set for 308,000 more chickens

A farm will gain space for up to 308,000 chickens – despite fears about the impact on the water system and frustration with Essex and Suffolk Water.

Fennings Farm, in Stradbroke, is set to add six new poultry houses to its nine existing ones after approval by Mid Suffolk District Council’s planning committee last Thursday.

The only national consultee to object during a consultation was Essex and Suffolk Water, which explained it could not meet the water demand caused by the development.

The company said a reservoir and rainwater harvesting could overcome this issue, and these are part of the plans.

However, Andrew Stringer, a Green Party councillor for the Mendlesham ward, remained unsatisfied that the reservoir would meet all the needs from the development.

“I find this one really, really difficult,” he said. “We have a water company which has been quite explicit in saying it does not have sufficient water resources to meet the demand of this proposal.

“We are also being asked to enter into a condition that sets out HGV and traffic movements – yet we don’t know what they are because we don’t know the exact regime that will be needed to transport water.

“We’re having to jump through enormous hoops, expand applications to put lagoons in to capture water. I would like to see how that will work.

“Whether we like it or not, we’re entering extremes of weather, including dryness and flash flooding.

“If we’re using the water for washing, I’d like to make sure it doesn’t enter a watercourse, and there is one running through this site.”

Officers believe it is highly likely that a condition laying out a scheme for water neutrality would successfully offset these problems – and this was added to the approval.

Julie Flatman, ward member for Stradbroke and supporter of the application, said: “Essex and Suffolk Water has been raking in money, but it hasn’t put in the infrastructure.

“We can have 150 houses built in Stradbroke but we can’t keep a really well-established local business going?

“Defra has got a job on its hands to get involved in this and make the water companies invest.

“I can probably name 50 people who have worked at the farm and have children who work there.

“We import 408 metric tonnes of poultry meat. There is not enough chicken in this country – we’ve had the avian flu.

“We need cheap, sustainable meat. Young families buy poultry, and they can’t afford a 14-pound free range chicken.”

Each new shed will have a capacity of 51,300 birds and span 110.5 metres by 22.9 metres.

Up to 308,000 more chickens will be added to the 259,000 maximum currently housed.

The chickens will be hatched in the shed and grown to 38 days old.

Matthew Ward, agricultural director of Crown Chickens, which would rent and use the site, said: “I’ve worked at Crown since 1985 and we sold out to Cranswick in 2016.

“The new factories were built in 2019 – operated out of locations including Fennings Farm.

“One of the reasons we need new, modern facilities is the Better Chicken Commitment (BCC), which means chickens have more space to live.

“We are being led down this route by supermarkets. If we’re going to stay as significant today and meet the BCC commitment, we need more space.”

The site of the farm is mainly open and rural, with a limited number of interspersed houses and agricultural buildings to the south-east.

The farm is heavily screened from public views and from the public highway by mature plants.

Johnny Rankin, agent for applicant C E Davidson Farms Ltd, said: “The regional network employs more than 1,500 people in and around mid-Suffolk, including at the processing plant, feed mills and farm.

“There is a host of other businesses in the area which are reliant on the poultry industry.

“Members will be aware of ongoing food shortages, from eggs to salad items. Home-grown food production in sustainable locations, such as Fennings Farm, will avoid future shortages of chicken.

“The proposal will allow for the existing farm operation to grow, resulting in three full-time managers and part-time staff.”

The final vote saw five for and three against, with James Caston, Lavinia Hadingham, Barry Humphreys, Dave Muller and Mike Norris all voting in favour, and Andrew Stringer, Andrew Mellen and Rowland Warboys voting against.