A NEW egg production unit housing 12,000 chickens is to be built in Bradworthy.

Mark and Kim Mills were given the go ahead to create the new business at Little Dowland Farm by Torridge District Council last Thursday.

The authority had received 15 letters of objection to the plans and the application had been called in by Cllr Adam Symons following concerns over the scale of the development in relation to highway access, potential pollution to local watercourses and the impact on local biodiversity.

The new 85.5m by 18.3m unit, which will be 5.4m high, is to be sited in a field in open countryside surrounded by hedgerows and the birds will have 6.3 acres of land to roam.

The closest house is 230 metres away and councillors have asked for a planting scheme to provide additional screening.

Although the site is not designated, it is believed there are dormice in the hedgerows and planning officers said they would include conditions to protect them.

Mr Mills and his wife bought the site in 2007 as it had received permission to develop a smaller egg production unit in 1998.

He told councillors that the couple both work extremely hard and are under no illusion that the project will be easy or without challenge.

Mr Mills, who studied rural science, said issues of animal welfare are high on their agenda and they will be operating under the RSPCA freedom food scheme.

Cllr Adam Symons said: "This is a big shed, twice the length of Riverbank House in open countryside and is not particularly well screened.

"There are serious concerns including highways, biodiversity and pollution run-off.

"The roads are very small and we are looking at a 19 tonne goods vehicle which is not something you want to meet on those roads.

"It's a sensitive site, there are dormice in the hedgerows and potential risk to waterways and loss of amenity to local residents.

"I'm very supportive of farming diversification especially if it brings jobs, but this is a stabling unit rather than a farm and is pretty much self contained."

Mr and Mrs Mills said the development is low labour intensive with themselves and occasionally their son helping out.

There will be two lorries once every 14 months to deliver the birds at the beginning of the flock cycle, two egg collection lorries every week and one feed delivery lorry every two weeks.