Rural residents have blasted a further twist in a controversial Angus “pheasant factory” saga as “beyond belief and totally inappropriate”.
Objectors to the 300,000 bird capacity unit at Mains of Keithock, near Brechin, hit out after the operators lodged an appeal against enforcement action with Angus Council.
Stracathro Estates lodged the objection after claiming it didn’t have enough time to comply with demands that would have unlocked a six-month extension to their operation.
The enforcement period would be extended until September 2018 subject to the approval, implementation and ongoing compliance with measures to “control odour, noise, pollution and vermin emanating from the site”.
The estate was given five weeks until January 19 to submit odour, waste, noise and pollution management plans as well as a vermin and pest control strategy.
The appeal against enforcement action claims that the period for submission of the required mitigation measures was “unrealistic and unreasonable”.
It requested an extension to February 28 after highlighting frustrations with the Christmas break and annual leave.
Chairman Hugh Campbell Adamson said the reports have now been commissioned and they are hoping to receive them shortly.
Resident Andrew Greaves said: “This has come as a shock to us.
“Angus Council had appeared to have bent over backwards to accommodate the wishes of Stracathro Estates.
“Discussions between Stracathro and Angus Council started as early as August last year so Stracathro Estates could have been in no doubt as to what was required of them.
“Mr Campbell Adamson himself, when addressing the meeting, was fervent in his assurance that they would do all that was asked of them in return for this extension to end of September 2018.
“To announce suddenly now that they have not been given enough time to do as required is beyond belief and totally inappropriate.
“Despite our disappointment that we had to live alongside this squalid operation for another season we at least saw an end in sight — now, we are not so sure.”
Another objector, Stephen Rickman said he believed the appeal may yet prove to be a major error of judgement.
“The submission of these reports is required by the council to enable the appellants to unlock a significant concession that will allow them to continue to operate on the Keithock site from the beginning of April until the end of September this year,” he commented.
“Surely they would be better engaged in achieving that objective rather than antagonising everyone with an appeal?”
Households in the shadow of the pheasant farm will independently be submitting their comments to the Directorate for Planning and Environmental Appeals in support of Angus Council’s defence of its position.
Stracathro Estates chairman Hugh Campbell Adamson said: “The period of three working weeks between the serving of the enforcement notice and the date for providing four reports has proved too short and we are therefore appealing purely on the timing issues.
“We are not appealing against the decision itself and have every intention of ceasing operations at the current site on September 30 before moving to a new site once planning permission is obtained.”
The pheasant farm had been operating at Mains of Keithock by Brechin for two years on a seasonal basis before the owners were informed planning permission was required.
A retrospective application was initially lodged but has now been withdrawn and the company has made plans to quit the site in 2018 and move elsewhere.
An Angus Council spokesman said: “Given that the matter is now the subject of an appeal, it would not be appropriate to comment in detail on the appeal. However, our officers continue to work with parties concerned in accordance with the Council’s Enforcement Charter to achieve a resolution to the case.”
