Gloagburn Farm near Perth plans £2m free-range egg unit

The Niven Farming family has applied for permission to build a new £2 million free-range laying unit at Tibbermore, replacing two existing poultry sheds which currently house around 6000 hens.

The proposed development would increase capacity to 32,000 birds.

Perth and Kinross Council’s planning and placemaking committee is due to consider the application today, with officials recommending approval despite six objections being lodged.

The new poultry building would measure almost 159m long by 20m wide and include nesting areas, perches and automated feeding systems.

Under the plans, hens would have direct access to a 16-hectare outdoor range through pop holes on the northern side of the shed between 8am and dusk each day.

A planning statement submitted on behalf of the business said the expansion formed part of a wider strategy to diversify and strengthen the long-term future of the farm.

“The project forms part of a wider strategy to diversify and futureproof the farm business amidst an increasingly challenging market for cereal production, rising input costs and shifting consumer preferences,” it stated.

The proposed development would expand the operation to house 32,000 birds (Image: RH210324069 Rob Haining / The Scottish Farmer)

“It will support both the existing family workforce and provide new employment opportunities.”

The Niven family farms around 1400 acres at Gloagburn in a mixed arable and livestock enterprise, although the business is widely recognised for its farm shop and café.

The application states the expanded egg operation would help meet growing demand for free-range eggs, with the business already holding a preliminary production contract with its existing egg contractor.

Manure from the poultry unit would be spread on farmland as organic fertiliser, with surplus material either sold to neighbouring farms or supplied to an anaerobic digestion plant.