AN appeal has been lodged to try and overturn a planning committee decision to reject a controversial chicken farm application near Newtown.

The Welsh Government Planning Inspectorate has confirmed that it has received an appeal nearly nine months after a chicken farm application was rejected by councillors.

At the planning committee meeting in May 2019, the committee voted against an application by Gareth Woosnam for a 32,000 poultry unit at his farm, Upper Gwestydd, Cefn Mawr near Newtown.

It was rejected on highways and ecological grounds.

A previous application had also been rejected in November 2017 following a high profile campaign against it which included a petition signed by 5,618 against the proposal.

A spokesperson for the planning inspectorate said: “The target for the appeal is April 17 and we would expect the decision to be available on or before that date.”

Campaigners against the proposal have registered their objections against the it with the planning inspectorate.

They said: “Powys (County Council) Highways are required to take an overview of a development in terms of all road users.

“Rather than hindering development it is clear that Highways Officers have endeavoured to facilitate and seek mitigation for the vast majority of IPU (Intensive Poultry Units) applications in Powys.

“With only four refusals in well over 150 recent applications decided, only four have been rejected.”

“It can be reasonably assumed that their analysis is broadly accommodating and supportive of farm diversification.

“It is clear that a number of efforts were made with this application to assist a satisfactory solution which they were unable to back.”

The farm has been owned by the Woosnams since 1937 and had been a dairy farm at one point.

The family has stressed the need  to diversify so that future generations can continue to farm there.