A planned chicken shed has ruffled the feathers of pilots at a nearby airfield over concerns it could endanger flights and even lead to fatalities.
Airfield owner Barry Pearson warned that the 65,000-square metre farm outbuilding may attract wild birds which could then crash into aircraft.
He also suggested that the 16,000 hens at the neighbouring farm might confuse low-flying planes with predatory birds and seek shelter in their coop, leading to ‘mass death as they trample each other’.
The vast shed on Aylescott Farm, next to Eaglescott Airfield in Devon, is aimed at significantly boosting egg production.
But Mr Pearson has been seeking to ‘thwart’ the planning application arguing it poses an ‘existential threat’ to his airfield.
Since the application was submitted last December, dozens of concerned pilots and organisations have bombarded North Devon Council with letters of opposition.
Graham Coates, landing site manager for the Devon Air Ambulance, which uses the airfield, warned that there would be a ‘heightened risk of bird strike impacting on our operations’.
He added that a bird flu outbreak could cause road closures near the airfield, reducing ambulance capacity.
A planned chicken shed has ruffled the feathers of pilots at a nearby airfield over concerns it could endanger flights and even lead to fatalities
The vast shed on Aylescott Farm, next to Eaglescott Airfield in Devon, is aimed at significantly boosting egg production
Since the application was submitted last December, dozens of concerned pilots and organisations have bombarded North Devon Council with letters of opposition
And Robert Malek, a pilot who has used Eaglescott Airfield since 1995, told the council: ‘I am very concerned the development will be detrimental to flight safety. This could result in a major accident or even fatality.’
Aylescott Farm, owned by R J & A R Snell & Sons Farming Partnership, denied that the proposal to house flightless birds posed any risk to planes and said bird strike warnings were ‘unfounded’.
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, which represents around 400,000 members, and NATS, Britain’s leading air traffic control provider, have also objected to the plans.
