A FORMER chairman of Powys County Council’s (PCC) planning committee, has blasted councillors for not being consistent when dealing with chicken farm planning applications.

At Thursday’s planning committee meeting (July 4) councillors nodded through an application for a 100,000 broiler chicken farm between Llandrindod Wells and Newbridge-on-Wye with barely a question asked

This followed a previous application for a 37,000 bird unit at  Old Impton Farm near Presteigne which was deferred following a lengthy 75 minute discussion.

Then members had requested photo -montages of the site in order to understand how the lie of the land before deciding the application.

Cllr David Price, (Independent – Llanafan Fawr), said: “I’m shocked. No request was made for a photo montage on this application.

“One could argue that perhaps that it was needed as equally as the previous. application.

“I’m highly in favour of this application and indeed voted for it. I do believe that we should be seen to be acting consistently.”

Planning development manager, Peter Morris, said that if members wanted photo montages of chicken farm applications that would need to be added into the Supplementary Planning Guidance (SPG).

Mr Morris said: “That would be where we tell applicants what’s required.”

“I would advise that we move cautiously, preparing a photo montage could be quite an expensive task. We do have requirements for landscape visual impact requirement.”

The application made by Raymond Powell was to build two agricultural buildings for poultry rearing.

Each of the buildings will measure 104metres by 24.7metres with a ridge height of 6.282metres.

It would accommodate a total of 100,000 broiler chickens (bred for meat).

Penpound farm is 1.4 kilometres north-east of Newbridge on Wye and four kilometres south west of Llandrindod Wells.

Cllr Michael J Jones (Independent, Churchstoke) proposed the application be given consent.

This was seconded by Cllr Phil Pritchard (Independent – Welshpool) and passed unanimously.