Massive Hemingford chicken sheds are too big

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Wednesday 24 Jul 2013 9:47 PM

Written byJULIAN MAKEY

OWNERS of a newly-built chicken farm at Hemingford Grey have been forced to go back to planners after giant poultry sheds were constructed 60 feet too long.

The blunder will cost around 50,000 as Amber Real Estate Investments has to start the planning process from scratch at Galley Hill Farm, which only went into operation at the beginning of the year.

Enforcement officers at Huntingdonshire District Council were alerted by a worried member of the public who spotted that the sheds were bigger than they should have been after the farm was completed.

The chicken farm, which replaced a run-down unit on the St Ives turn from the A14, had caused concern for people living near the site who were worried about its impact, especially over plans to build a wind turbine and instal gas tanks.

They have also complained about smells from the site which can hold hundreds of thousands of birds.

Now Amber Real Estate investments has had to seek planning permission for the eight bigger broiler houses, feed bins, a service building and a house for the site supervisor.

A spokesman for the district council said: An enforcement officer measured the length of the poultry units as built and found each one to be approximately 103 metres (338ft) in length. The approved length is 85.4 metres (280ft).

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Massive Hemingford chicken sheds are too big