Shadingfield Intensive Poultry Unit

Richard Buxton Solicitors brought successful judicial review proceedings on behalf of a local resident concerned about the potential impacts of an ‘intensive poultry unit’ in Shadingfield, East Suffolk, which would have housed up to 141,000 broiler chickens at a time, rearing more than one million chickens per year.

The grounds of challenge related to failures to properly assess the impacts of the development, including in relation to the thousands of tonnes of poultry manure that would be generated by the facility, some of which was due to be spread nearby, as well as the failure to consider the impacts from the proposed intensive poultry unit on a nearby scheduled monument and a grade II* building, both listed heritage assets. After initially resisting the case in pre-action correspondence, East Suffolk Council agreed a consent order quashing the decision after proceedings were lodged in the High Court. The consent was on the basis that the Council admitted it had failed to adequately consider the direct and indirect environmental effects of the poultry manure produced by the proposed development and the odour arising from its removal and spreading, contrary to the Environmental Impact Assessment Directive and Regulations.

John Fitzsimons of Cornerstone Barristers acted as counsel for the Claimant.