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Search the Public Notice PortalA poultry farm is set to return to full capacity after a fire destroyed one of its chicken sheds.
Shropshire Council has approved a like-for-like replacement at Park Farm in Edstaston, north of Wem, following the July 2025 blaze that left the site one shed short of its usual operations.
The decision allows R H Price Ltd to rebuild the third of four broiler houses, restoring capacity for around 28,000 birds and bringing the site back up to its pre-fire total of about 89,000 chickens.
Planning agent Ian Pick, of Harrison Pick Ltd, said in a statement: "The loss of this structure has temporarily reduced the site’s operational capacity, and its replacement is essential to maintaining the viability and efficiency of the business.
"This planning application proposes to construct a modern replacement building on the same footprint and to the same dimensions as the original."
The farm supplies standard broiler chickens to the UK retail market and operates under an Environment Agency permit, which remains in force.
Planning officers made clear that the scheme does not increase bird numbers, building size or site intensity compared to the previous set-up.
Park Farm is located in open countryside off the B5476, with the nearest residential properties about 300 metres away.
The new building will use a steel portal frame and will be finished in olive green with a goosewing grey roof to match nearby agricultural buildings.
Equipment will include automated feeding, non-drip nipple drinkers, fan-assisted ventilation, and heating via the existing recycled wood-fuelled biomass boilers.
Highways officers had no objections to the plans and confirmed that all HGV and farm traffic will continue to use existing routes, with no change to overall vehicle movements per flock cycle.
The farm operates eight flock cycles a year.
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Environmental protection concerns about noise and manure management were recorded, but the planning report notes that these are covered under the Environment Agency permit, not planning conditions.
No public objections were logged, and Wem Rural Parish Council supported the application.
In his report, case officer Andrew Huntley concluded that the development "would not harm the character of the countryside, the amenity of nearby residents or highway safety," and would have "no greater environmental impact than the previous building."
Park Farm will now be able to resume full operations under the same environmental and operational controls it had before the fire.
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