Animal rights campaigners have submitted a 15,000-signature petition against plans for a giant chicken farm.

Cranbrook-based Fridays, which employs almost 300 people in the county, is applying for permission to build the new farm with space for more than 190,000 hens south of Maidstone at Chainhurst.

Neighbours have previously expressed opposition to the plans, which would see three huge hen houses each holding 64,000 chickens erected on the floodplain of the River Beult.

People living nearby say they are concerned that when there is flooding chicken manure will be swept into the river, contaminating everything downstream.

Now pressure group PETA has sent a petition with more than 15,000 signatures urging Maidstone Borough Council to reject the plan.

Kevin Back, a typographer and father of four who is part of the We Love Chainhurst group opposing the plans, says campaigners are delighted by the show of support from those who signed the petition.

"The response is fantastic," he said. "I was very pleased to see that one went in.

"We understand British farming has got to happen to feed us all..."

"We do feel optimistic, all the parish councils are objecting, and we hope that Maidstone borough councillors follow what the mood is from all the residents and the parish councillors.

"We are not against chicken farming outright, we understand British farming has got to happen to feed us all, we oppose this because this kind of industrial-size development is just in the wrong place."

PETA claims that although the site is labelled as "free range" this does not mean the animals do not suffer.

Kate Werne, a PETA senior campaigns manager, said: "Thousands of compassionate people have spoken, and Maidstone Borough Council should heed their concerns for animal welfare, the environment, and the health of the community.

"PETA is calling for this plan to be scrapped, sparing thousands of birds a lifetime of suffering and an agonising death."

Animal welfare activists have previously claimed to have uncovered "shocking conditions" at another Fridays site housing around 64,000 birds at Combwell Farm near Goudhurst.

However the farm's operator hit back at what it described as a "group of anti-farming extremists" who it says could have put the health of the flock at risk by entering the site without permission to film conditions inside.

Responding to concerns about the environmental impact of the proposed farm, Fridays production manager Graham Fuller said: "Some 90% of the manure produced by the chickens will be taken offsite and treated in an anaerobic digester to generate renewable energy and a high grade fertiliser.

"The remaining 10% will be scattered over the 237 acres of the site. At the moment most of this is arable farmland and fertilisers have long been used to boost crop yields. Even under a worst-case scenario we do not expect future levels of nitrates and phosphorous to exceed current levels­.

"These findings have been endorsed by ADAS, the UK’s largest agricultural and environmental consultancy.

"To put the figures in context, when distributed across the farm, the amount of manure left on site will amount to around 15 grams per square metre per week, equivalent to around four teaspoons full.”

Opponents of the plans for Chainhurst have labelled the borough council's timetable for objections as "grossly unfair."

The application from was validated by Maidstone council and made public on December 4, with the public given until January 16 to submit their comments.

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