A 64,000-bird free-range egg farm could be built in the Scarborough countryside if plans are approved by the council.
Broachdale Bird Ltd, is proposing the demolition of an existing pig farm and the construction of a 5,000 sq. metre free-range egg farm in Flixton.
The Folkton Wold Farm in Flixton is around 8 miles South of Scarborough and around 7 miles West of Filey.
The current pig farm, which is proposed for demolition, is “dated and inefficient” according to the applicant who wants to create the purpose-built egg farm as “major supermarkets are phasing out cage egg production from retail sales” by next year.
If approved, the poultry unit would accommodate the birds in four sections with 16,000 in each.
The proposed building would extend 158m x 30m with a ridge height of 7.6m.
It would also feature an egg packing and storage building and the overall development would create more than 5,000 sq. m of new floor space.
Submitted documents estimate that the egg farm would create 552 commercial vehicle movements a year, whereas the pig farm generates 624 vehicle movements per year.
The site would also require 3 full-time staff members with parking space created for them as well as for visits from vets.
The plans state that the chickens would be purchased and delivered to the farm at the point of lay (17 weeks).
The birds would accommodated within the free-range egg unit for 70 weeks after which they are “removed” and replacements purchased.
The egg farm would operate seven days a week and egg packing would take place every morning.
Automated systems for feeding, drinking, lighting, and ventilation have also been proposed.
Plans state that automatically operated “pop holes” would provide the birds with free access to an external pasture grazing area from 8am and until dusk.
The RSPCA defines free-range eggs as those coming “from birds that, during the daytime, enjoy unlimited access to outdoor pastures”
According to the Government’s rules on trading standards, the term free range can be used if the birds have had access to outdoor areas “for at least half of their lifetime”.
Currently. the farm is allowed to accommodate up to 3,600 finisher pigs and is part of the wider Folkton Wold Farm which extends to 921 hectares of arable cropping.
The site currently holds an Environmental Permit for the pig unit and the owner is in the process of submitting a variation application to reflect the change to free-range egg production.
North Yorkshire Council has not set a date for deciding on the application which is currently pending with the planning authority and is open to representations.
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