A PLAN to replace “unviable” chicken sheds on a Herefordshire farm with nine houses has been given the go-ahead.

Mr & Mrs P Pantall applied last March for permission to redevelop redundant parts of Upper House Farm, Staunton on Wye between Hereford and Kington.

Last used to house broiler chickens, the six sheds were “not able to compete with large intensive farm units”, according to a statement with the application.

These along with feed silos, generator sheds, oil tanks and a site office will now be demolished to make way for the one- and two-storey houses intended for market sale.

The council’s historic buildings officer felt the scheme’s “suburban” design chosen “does not appear to have been influenced by local distinctiveness or to reflect the local building tradition”.

Staunton on Wye Group Parish Council also voiced concern over the impact of the extra traffic on local roads. But the council’s highways engineer made no objection.

Neighbouring farmer Jeremy Price warned that a muck store and tunnels, “crucial aspect of our operations”, were adjacent to the site, while farm work “requires occasional early starts and late finishes”.

“The risk of conflict in future is a real one,” Mr Price said, fearing “unreasonable restrictions” on his business in future.

But planning officer Emma Jones considered that proposed landscaping edging the new housing “will create sufficient buffer between the two land uses”.

Full planning permission was granted, subject to conditions on drainage, road junction visibility, external lighting, ecological mitigation and tree protection.