A village community has cried “fowl” over details of a chicken farm plan that has raised fears of a plague of vermin.
Ardler residents will soon share their village with up to 32,000 free range birds as a result of a massive expansion of Grewar farms.
Peter Grewar has grown his business in recent years, with the approval of the community, but his latest “secret” plan has caused outrage.
Locals have complained their lives will be blighted by a foul stench, heavy goods vehicles and “rats, crows and foxes” if councillors back the free range chicken unit.
More than 100 letters of objection have been submitted to Perth and Kinross Council while social media and newsletter campaigns have started.
A hastily-arranged meeting was attended by more than 40 villagers aggrieved negotiations had been ongoing for months behind closed doors.
Mr Grewar gained credit with those gathered by attending and taking the time to detail his plan and answer questions.
Residents, however, remain hugely aggrieved and a further public meeting will take place on Tuesday in the Ardler Tavern.
Councillors, including Perth and Kinross Provost Dennis Melloy, have been invited to attend.
The chicken farm will be built on a 1.8 hectare mixed farm and woodland site to the south of the Grewar farm.
Mr Grewar’s application stresses the proposal “locates the poultry house at a reasonable distance from residential properties”.
Mr Grewar has described the unit as “a small development in terms of bird numbers” and promised a “robust” noise and odour management plan will be put in place before the site opens for business.
There could be up to 12 HGV visits per week through a combination of egg collections, feed deliveries and manure removals.
In their letter to councillors, local residents write of their “anger” that “such a development could be planned so close to the village without local people being consulted before it appeared in the summary of planning applications in the local press”.
Ardler resident Anthony Troon is among those with deep concerns and said: “No matter the claims made this really is an enormous development.
“Our projections, given the outside land that will be used, are that this is so big it would swamp the size of the village.
“Residents have significant environmental and pollution worries, with the odours from the sheds, HGV visits and the possibility of the site attracting vermin among the most serious.
“The meeting at the village pub was one of the largest I have seen locally for some time and illustrates how much anger there is.
“Mr Grewar attended the meeting and that was most welcome but I hope he realises that, with hindsight, not previously speaking to the community was a bad idea.”
Another resident said: “Some protesters who have experience of living close to intensive egg production units or broiler chicken plants say that they inevitably attract vermin, including rats, crows and foxes.”
