PLANS for a 15,000-bird turkey farm near some of the Forest’s major visitor attractions have been overturned, after planners backtracked on a decision to permit it.

Councillors were told last week that Hays Farms did not own the farmland opposite the entrance to Clearwell Caves and therefore couldn’t commit to the stringent conditions required.

The Ross-on-Wye based business, which produces more than 25 million birds per year at various sites, had wanted to produce three flocks per year at the Clearwell Farm site, which is owned and jointly used by animal feed company Noble Foods.

The Forest’s planning committee originally passed the scheme last month, despite villagers and local businesses objecting on the grounds of smell, pollution and traffic, plus fears that HGVs could be gobbled up by a cavern roof collapse at the entrance to the farm.

But planning officer Stephen Colegate told last week’s planning meeting that, contrary to previous indications, Hays did not have a legal option to purchase the land, which they had previously leased for free range egg production, and thus didn’t have “sufficient control” over it to provide a legally binding “universal undertaking”.

Following council inquiries, he said it had become clear “that there is no registered formal legal agreement with the land owner Noble Foods, and the applicant has no other interest in the land other than the submission of this application.”

That meant insufficient controls over “vehicle movements and pollutants” which could “increase the potential harm to surrounding tourist facilities and the underground cave system”, and cause harm to “ancient woodland and key wildlife sites,” he said.

The Forest council rejected a bid in 2016 to farm 350,000 broiler hens a year at the Rocks-based site. And more than 90 letters objecting to the turkey farm scheme were submitted before consideration of the new plan last month.

Newland parish councillor and Clearwell resident John James told October’s meeting he feared odour and ammonia pollution being released into the air and the “cumulative effects” of HGVs on the cavern roof.

But backing the scheme with “the heaviest of hearts” on animal welfare grounds, Green ward councillor Chris McFarling said a refusal would be difficult to defend at appeal given its previous use for free-range egg production.

Applicant Jonty Hay had told the October meting: “We have scaled back the plan from eight to four sheds, and turkey production is less intensive than broiler production.

“The access is shared with the neighbouring feed mill and our HGV traffic movements will only be three per cent of the total, which is 100 per cent offset by the existing poultry farm.”

Newland Parish Council said it opposed the mass-production scheme in principle, but wouldn’t officially object to it, despite fears that the smell, pollution and traffic could “cause serious and irreversible damage to the tourist industry” of the village and its surroundings, which include major Forest attractions like Clearwell Caves, Puzzlewood and the Secret Forest.