PLANS for a large-scale chicken farm near Talybont have been refused by planners after receiving more than 450 objections.

An application to build the intensive poultry farming unit at Ty Nant Farm was turned down by Ceredigion council at the end of February, who said there was “not enough information” on the impact of the development.

The scheme would have seen infrastructure built to house 110,000 chickens, plans which caused “great concern” among residents, with 455 objections lodged to the planning department, and thousands signing a petition against the scheme.

In an environmental statement, produced for the proposal, the owners of Ty Nant commented on the proposed development’s capacity to help meet the “rising demand for poultry meat in the UK and becoming self-sufficient in poultry meat”, thus reducing greenhouse gas emissions by not having to import the meat.

But hundreds of objections were registered saying the plans would “reduce landscape value”, “significantly increase traffic”, cause “pollution by chicken manure”, “air pollution” and concerns over animal welfare.

Objector Antonia Lohman said: “Intensive ‘farming’ has nothing to do with farming in the general sense, it is a the most cruel way of producing meat - the term ‘poultry production’ says it all.

“It is a hazard for the environment, increased traffic, air pollutants and pesticides entering groundwater, to name but a few.

“It is a serious health hazard.”

A petition against the plans, started by Jessica Ketteringham, was signed by more than 4,000 people.

She said that the scheme would be a “terrible development in many ways.”

“There is a huge demand for cheap chicken from our urban population, but there are good, affordable and healthy, alternatives,” she said.

“For chicken and eggs, we need to think smaller and outdoor in Wales.”

Peter Foulkes, the chair of the Cambrian Mountains Society, said the group objected to the plans.

“Since its inception in 2005 the Cambrian Mountains Society has been supportive of the farming community in the Cambrian Mountains, and believe that diversification has an important role to play in bolstering farm economies,” he said.

“But it sees this return to the factory farming techniques of the 20th century as not the way ahead.”

Brinley Davies of Penlan Farm supported the plans saying there is “need for more chicken.”

“I would rather buy chicken that has been reared locally and in the UK where standards are regulated,” he said.

Council planners found that “despite the application being under consideration since November 2019 the council have been unable to be in a position to make an informed decision on the proposal due to the lack of information submitted and assessed by the relevant consultees.”

“This includes details relating to environmental and ecological issues and impact on protected sites, environmental protection issues, and potential impact on listed building.

“In view of the lack of information it is recommended that the application be refused.”

The plans were refused last week by Ceredigion council planners.