2 Sisters Food Group takes action to address seagull nuisance at Sandycroft chicken processing site

A Deeside chicken processing plant has been granted planning permission to build a new enclosure in a bid to tackle seagulls scavenging around lorry trailers.

The 2 Sisters Food Group site in Sandycroft is the company’s largest poultry processing location, handling around one million birds a week and accounting for about a third of all poultry products consumed in the UK.

According to a planning document, “the current issue at the Sandycroft site which the Group wants to address is seagulls.”

“These birds are causing a nuisance by accessing the waste units prior to the removal of waste from the site and then removing some of the carcasses from the site.”

It states: “Some of this waste is then being dropped by the seagulls onto neighbouring properties, which is causing a nuisance to the neighbours and raising both environmental and health and safety concerns.”

“The proposed planning application is for an enclosure to seal off the waste area to prevent this; the enclosure will prevent the entry of seagulls to the waste containers, minimising nuisance and noise.”

A planning application was submitted in January seeking permission to construct the enclosure for screening HGV trailers, featuring a single skin metal cladding exterior.

The proposed enclosure, with the highest point of the roof at approximately 8.8m, will provide enough space for two HGVs and ensure ample room for forklift circulation.

The design includes three roller shutters on the front of the enclosure, which will be kept closed when not in use, and a roller shutter door at the rear for forklift access. Additionally, there will be two entry bays into the existing building for HGVs to reverse up to, and a pedestrian door on each of the side elevations.

According to the planning application, the enclosure’s scale and height are considered subsidiary to the existing building, and the construction material matches that of the current structure.

Planning permission was granted by a Flintshire County Council planning officer in late March.