Four separate chicken farms have been given the go ahead in Welshpool, Llanfair Caereinion, Llanidloes and Llandrindod Wells which would bring more than 130,000 birds into the area.

Powys County Council has granted planning permission to three free range egg production units and one pullet rearing unit, all with associated works.

The approvals come just days after campaign groups were told there was to be no moratorium on chicken farm planning applications in Powys.

The poultry unit in Welshpool, to be built on land west of Wern Y Weeg, in Dolanog, will be home to 36,600 chicks, and be built alongside new feed bins and changes to the existing field access.

The chicks will remain for 18 weeks at a time, meaning that overall it will see about 84,180 chicks a year.

This application was first submitted in October 2017 but was met with objections from nearby residents and from Natural Resources Wales which expressed concerns about pollutants which could harm nearby ancient woodland as well as groundwater.

Elsewhere, in Llanfair Caereinion, the application for Cross Farm, including silos and all associated works, was unanimously supported by Llanfair Town Council, which wanted to support a local family business.

This application would provide a multi-layered egg laying production unit with room for 32,000 birds, located north of the current farmyard on what is currently agricultural land.

However the application states that a public footpath runs through the proposed site, it was recommended the applicant seek a legal diversion from the council, as no legal development can take place on a public right of way until a legal order is confirmed.

The third poultry unit and silos is to be built on land at Ddulley Bank Farm, in Llandrindod Wells.

This proposal will provide a 32,000 free range bird egg laying production unit, and will include a service area, office and egg store.

This application too was supported by Llandabarn Fynydd Community Council, which declared the application another example of “a young couple diversifying to help keep the farm viable in these uncertain times”.

The final application is for another 32,000 bird unit which will be built at Blaen Glyn, in Llangurig.

This proposes a single building, about 91m long and 21m wide. The farm is looking to broaden its enterprise.

Llangurig Community Council initially submitted some concerns to this application last year, with concerns for large vehicles using the narrow roads as well as health concerns for residents.

The application was approved on the grounds that the access to be used by vehicles was to be increased to allow for larger vehicle access.

There has been controvery recently over changes to planning rules in Powys which allow larger applications to be approved by a planning officer.