Another 32,000 chickens are set to be housed at a farm near Lledrod after planning for a new poultry unit was agreed.

Ceredigion County Council’s development management committee unanimously approved the full planning application by Mr GEH Jenkins, for the erection of a poultry unit at Pwllpridd at its meeting on Wednesday, 13 July.

The farm is already home to around 48,000 free range egg laying chickens with two adjoining poultry houses, a planning report states, and the new unit will accommodate 32,000 free range chickens for egg production along with associated feed bins, internal farm access and associated works.

The new unit will be 127.5 metres long and 20 metres with, standing just under six metres high, with “pop holes” to allow the chickens with daytime access to “outside ranging areas.”

Concerns about the impact on the Teifi special area of conservation have been raised by Natural Resources Wales but this can be managed by a condition to export all manure off site and a drainage plan, the committee heard.

“Notwithstanding this, given the nature of the proposed development and the proximity to the River Teifi SAC the local planning authority is required to undertake a habitats regulations assessment,” a planning report adds.

No other objections to the application were received.

The committee agreed that approval be deferred subject to the outcome of the habits regulations assessment.