Take Action Against Proposed 192,000 Chicken Farm

| 6 April 2021
minute reading time
Chicken

Take Action Against Proposed 192,000 Chicken Farm

If you or someone you know lives in Kent, please submit an objection against a proposed 192,000 chicken farm that could be moving into your area.

The company behind the proposal has already been in the spotlight for ‘shocking conditions‘ at one of their farms, described as “absolutely overwhelming and oppressive”. We can’t let Fridays Ltd do this again. Our own investigations have repeatedly found cruelty is rampant in egg farms, whether they are ‘free range’ or not.

You can submit an objection here. Please note the council will only consider objections raised by locals so share with friends in the Kent area to make our voices heard and save animals.

Shockingly, councils don’t consider animal welfare as a reason to allow or forbid proposed plans for animal farms! They only listen to complaints regarding how the proposed site might affect wildlife, the ecosystem or people. They also will not listen to objections if they are the exact same document sent by multiple people.

Layer hen barn
A Viva! investigation into a 'free-range' farm

How To Write An Objection

If you can submit an objection, have a look at the following reasons as to why the site must be stopped, and phrase it into your own wording to ensure the council listens.

Noise: Some residents live within 400 metres of the proposed site. The farm would have 216 mounted fans, each of which would emit 75db of noise and would be on 24/7. The site poses a risk to the wellbeing of nearby residents.

Traffic: The site would run up to 80 HGVs per week, and proposes to use a road which has a 7.5 tonne weight limit and specifically says it is unsuitable for HGVs as their route into and out of the farm. This would be incredibly dangerous to all road users.

Environment: The proposed site is within a designated Site of Special Scientific Interest, as part of the floodplain of the River Beault. Not only does it infringe on the SSSI, but it is also within the impact risk zone. In brief, this means that it is extremely likely that floodwaters will reach the farm, and then flow back into the river. This proposal would mean up to 60 tonnes per week of chicken faeces, which would be posing an extreme risk of faeces flowing into the river.

Footpaths: The plan would disrupt two regularly-used footpaths, KM229 and KM144. The pandemic has emphasised how important it is that people have access to nature; councils should be working to improve our access to nature, not to take it away from us.

Pandemics: It is quite astounding that proposals for new animal farms are being considered at the very time that the world has suffered the detrimental impact of a zoonotic disease, while the UK is also suffering from multiple outbreaks of H5N1 and H5N8 at this very moment. Three in every four of new or emerging diseases come from animals. We need fewer animal farms, not more, if we want to protect public health. Chicken farms of a high density per square foot pose a serious risk of future pandemics which would claim lives and disrupt the economy.

Clear opposition: The Environment Agency has made it clear that they object to the application, as has the Woodland Trust and the RSPB, all for reasons which outline the impact that this proposal would have on the environment, endangered wildlife and ecosystems. Natural England has also noted the absence of sufficient evidence, while numerous more charities are also voicing their objections alongside Viva! Added to this, a huge number of locals have objected for the same reasons as well as the threat it poses to their wellbeing in their home and local area.

How To Submit Your Objection

Submit your objection here and help protect animals, people and planet. Thank you!

About the author
Will Sorflaten
Will is one of Viva!'s campaigners. Will has been vegan for nearly ten years, and is committed to making the world a kinder, more sustainable place through veganism. Will has a degree in English Literature from Cambridge University, and works on Viva!'s campaigns, focusing in particular on expanding collaboration on university campuses. Click here for more info.

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