A farmer in Co. Mayo has been granted planning permission to construct a poultry shed which, when complete, will house 39,000 broilers.

Planning permission had initially been rejected by Mayo County Council; but An Bord Pleanala has overturned the decision on a number of grounds.

Gavin Canning is proposing to demolish existing farm buildings and to replace them with one large poutry house, as well as a meal bin and soiled water tank at Ballylahan, Foxford in Co. Mayo.

The site of 1.57ha is in a rural area about 5km south of Foxford, according to the inspector’s reports. The site consists of part of a farmyard, including two farm buildings, and part of an adjoining wooded area.

Canning has proposed to demolish two existing farm buildings and erect a new poultry shed with a stated area of 1,952m².

The poultry house is expected to be 92m long, 22m wide and 6m high. It would be built with a steel portal frame on a concrete base, with insulated concrete walls and corrugated cladding on the roof.

The plan is to install automated systems for feeding and ventilation. A feed silo and underground effluent tank of 15.9m³ would also be installed.

The planning authority initially decided to refuse permission for two reasons in October of last year. The first reason stated that the development would interfere with the character of the landscape.

Meanwhile, the second reason stated that the poultry house would be too close to existing houses and would seriously injure the amenities or depreciate the value of property in the vicinity and would set an undesirable precedent for similar development in the area.

However, An Bord Pleanala granted planning permission for the shed at the beginning of this month; subject to a number of requirements being met.

These included compliance with requirements surrounding manure or slurry storage, drainage and the management of rain water.

If these requirements are met An Bord Pleanala has deemed that the shed would not injure the amenities or depreciate the value of the properties close by – and that it would not interfere with the character of the landscape.