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Planning application 26/02174/EIAMAJ

Dear Cllr Brown,

We are writing in relation to planning application 26/02174/EIAMAJ, which seeks permission for the construction of an intensive poultry unit and associated infrastructure at land adjacent to Underlands Lane, Melmerby.

We object to this proposal for the following reasons:

•    Operations on the farm – as well as the chickens’ waste and the bodies of dead birds – would likely produce strong odours, disturbing residents and impacting their quality of life.
•    Ammonia from chickens’ waste would be emitted from the farm into the surrounding area. The ammonia will likely harm air quality and potentially have a detrimental effect on human health, wildlife, and the environment.
•    Due to various farm operations, the site would require visits from heavy goods vehicles. The increase in vehicle movements to and from the farm would likely intensify traffic on nearby routes. This may cause residents' frustration and could lead to an increase in traffic accidents. The emissions from the vehicles would also create air pollution.
•    The proposed facility would not be eco-friendly. Animal agriculture is a leading driver of the climate catastrophe, and to address it, a transition away from animal farming is imperative. Accordingly, new animal farms, particularly mega farms such as this, should not be green-lit.
•    The UK does not need another chicken farm. Animal-free diets are on the rise – the number of vegans quadrupled between 2014 and 2019. Yet the BBC has confirmed that just 17% of fruit and 55% of vegetables consumed in the UK are grown by our farmers. We need more plant farmers, and councils must encourage this shift.
•    The facility would be a breeding ground for disease. The UK is experiencing a bird flu outbreak. We must prevent the development of new facilities that pose such risks to public health.
•    The Animal Welfare (Sentience) Act 2022 recognises that animals are living, feeling beings with the capacity to experience a range of emotions, whose welfare should be considered accordingly. We urge you to consider the suffering that millions of chickens would endure on the proposed farm. Bred to grow unnaturally large and heavy upper bodies extremely quickly, they would suffer from severe health problems, including difficulty breathing and heart failure, and after a couple of weeks, some would starve as a result of the crushing weight of their bodies leaving them unable to walk to reach food or even stand. The sheds would only be cleaned out between flocks, forcing birds who cannot stand to sit in their excrement for most of their lives. The acrid litter would burn the chickens’ legs and feet, leaving them in constant pain. Chickens naturally live for up to 11 years, but those raised on this farm would be killed at around 42 days old by being gassed or electrocuted at an abattoir before workers slit their throats – sometimes while they’re still conscious.

We urge you to consider these concerns when determining this application, and to reject this proposal.

Yours sincerely,