A NEW poultry building could house 32,000 birds under plans submitted to Newport City Council.

The applicant, who runs arable, beef and sheep enterprises at Castle Farm in Bishton, Newport, wants to build a new unit for producing free range eggs.

It would be located to the north of existing agricultural buildings at Castle Farm, on land currently used for agricultural purposes.

The business currently farms a total of 200 acres (80.93 hectares) of owner occupied and rented land.

Now it is planned to diversify into free range egg production "to help secure the future of the farm for the next generations," a design and access statement says.

"The enterprise has been researched fully and they are confident that the business can be a success and supplement the current marginal farm profits," it adds.

Under the plans the building will be around 149.35m x 20.1m, together with a service area, office and egg store.

The eggs would be taken into the control room area where they would be packed and stored.

The birds will have direct access from the building to dedicated pasture which will be electric fenced to keep out predators such as foxes. A 1.2m semi-permanent electric fence with netting is proposed.

"The birds are brought in as young laying stock and remain in the egg production unit for some 14 months," the design and access statement adds.

"After this time the flock is removed and the whole building fully cleaned down internally and the new flock introduced to restart the egg production cycle."

The birds will also be farmed to a free range system.

The proposed building is described as "low profile" to help minimise its visual impact.

Eight high velocity mechanical fans will control the temperature in the building during hot weather.

Three silos will also be built on the site under the plans for storing feed, delivered three times a month.

Bulk food will be delivered to the farm by six or eight-wheeler HGVs but the application says there will be no increase in traffic as existing farm workers who already work at Castle Farm will be used.

Movement of feed, birds and eggs to the site will be restricted to daytime hours of between 7am and 6pm, and with "full care and attention to all neighbours," it is said.

As the birds in the unit will all be female they will be "very quiet" and not disturb neighbours, the design and access statement adds.