WREXHAM Council’s refusal to lift restrictions on the operating hours of a poultry farm has been branded as ‘unreasonable’.

The claim was made as the owners of Talwrn Farm near Wrexham, which has the capacity to hold 32,000 birds, launched an appeal against the authority’s decision not to allow deliveries and collections to take place 24 hours a day.

Planning committee members chose to reject the application last month after neighbours in Legacy said it would disturb their sleep.

It will now be considered by the Planning Inspectorate, which was responsible for imposing the original condition that vehicles could only enter and exit the site between 7.30am and 6pm on weekdays and 8am to 2pm on Saturday.

In a statement setting out the grounds of appeal, planning consultant Ian Pick said the proposed changes would improve the birds’ welfare.

He added they would not have a significant impact on residents.

He said: “The request to relax the requirements of condition seven essentially only relates to four bird deliveries, and four bird collections per annum and the reasoning for the change relates to animal welfare requirements.

“This operation is best undertaken at night or in the early hours of the morning for animal welfare purposes.

“The RSPCA Information Sheet on poultry catching suggests that the birds are quieter at this time as they are resting and this helps to reduce stress during the process.

“The proposal represents an extremely minor and unnoticeable change to the operation of the development, through the amendment to the hours of operation for the collection and delivery of birds.

“The proposal also seeks the removal of the bank holiday restriction, due to the limited shelf life of the eggs and will result in a collection on a bank holiday approximately twice per annum.

“Given the extremely minor nature of this application, it is considered that the refusal was unreasonable, and it is respectfully requested that the appeal is allowed.”

Plans for the first egg laying barn at the farm were originally refused by Wrexham Council, but granted on appeal by the Planning Inspectorate in 2015 with conditions imposed on delivery hours.

Proposals for an additional barn to house 15,700 birds were given the green light by the authority’s planning committee last year.

The latest application to remove delivery restrictions was recommended for approval by council officers.

However at the meeting Ponciau councillor Paul Pemberton said: “Where the entrance is, there’s a row of houses just opposite and it’s going to affect them horrendously.

“I’ve had several complaints off residents during the summer and you can verify that with Stephen Griffiths, the enforcement officer.”

Comments are being invited on the appeal up until January 3.