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People living near to a chicken processing factory in Deepdale have expressed their frustration at what they say are repeated breaches of planning regulations.
The Gafoor factory in Fletcher Road, Deepdale, has conditions meaning it cannot operate early in the morning, late at night or on Sundays.
But those living near to the site have supplied pictures to Blog Preston which clearly show deliveries taking place – across a number of months – to the factory outside of these hours.
The residents say they have supplied the information to Preston City Council but have been left frustrated by a slow response and a lack of enforcement action.
One resident, who asked not to be named, said: “I am very frustrated with why there’s been action taken.
“We get told to report things, and we do, but then the authorities don’t go and use the powers they have. They say they are having discussions or meetings and so can’t enforce while they are doing that – something doesn’t feel right. I feel I have no choice but to come to Blog Preston and make my complaints public.
“The life we have when we factory is not operating is very different to when it is. The air is fresh and it’s fine to live round here.
“We can tell when it is operating because you can hear the fans blowing and you can see trucks coming and going.
“Those timings were put in so we have a quality of life and when those are ignored then the smell, the noise, it makes it unbearable to live here.”
At the moment the factory is not allowed to operate before 7am or after 9pm on Monday to Saturdays, which covers no machinery being operated, no processing taking place and no deliveries taken or dispatched. No working or deliveries are allowed at any time on a Sunday or Bank Holidays. The conditions have been in place since 2001 when permission was granted, after a planning appeal, for the factory to be built.
Back in October 2021 there was an application by Gafoor to remove the conditions restricting these time limits. This drew strong objections from those living nearby as well as the Friends of Fishwick and St Matthews group. Gafoor, and their agents Equilibrium Architects Ltd, withdrew the application to vary the conditions two months later.
When asked by Blog Preston why enforcement action had not been taken – when planning regulations appeared to have been clearly and consistently breached – a Preston City Council spokesperson said: “We have an open enforcement case. We are investigating the issue. We have raised the matter with Gafoor and discussions with officers have taken place.
“Taking formal enforcement action is a last resort. We are currently considering our options.”
Councillor Suleman Sarwar, who represents the St Mathhew’s ward which the Gafoor factory comes under, said he was in support of enforcement action.
He said: “I’ve received several complaints from residents about the Gafoor factory breaching planning restrictions on delivery times and Sunday operations. I’m working closely with council officers and the relevant Cabinet member on this issue, pushing for enforcement action.
“While this is a city-wide concern, the impact is particularly felt by residents in St Matthew’s and Deepdale. I’ve discussed it in group meetings (PACT/Surgeries) where the disruption has been highlighted. Preston City Council Officers have welcomed the support from residents, who have provided valuable evidence to assist the council. There is an ongoing case, but I’m unable to comment further at this time.”
A ‘foul odour’
Those living nearby say they have made frequent complaints to the Environment Agency and the city council regarding the smells which come from the site.
A resident told Blog Preston: “It makes me feel physically sick.
“I am concerned for others because we think the constant smells are making people have longer term health implications.
“The Environment Agency are beyond useless. They have no interest in actually trying to help and protect people. I must be well into dozens of calls to their hotline number but I’m losing faith in why they even bother having one.
“It never should have been built here in the first place. It is the wrong place.”
Blog Preston understands a number of residents are in the process of commencing legal action against Gafoor to seek damages for claims relating to ill-health from the odours.
A spokesperson for the Environment Agency said: “We have received complaints from the public about odour reportedly coming from the Gafoor chicken factory, and our investigations are ongoing.
“We understand the impact odours can have on people’s lives and take these issues seriously.”
The Environment Agency encourage people to report odour issues to the incident hotline on 0800807060.
What does Gafoor say?
Despite repeated efforts to contact Gafoor Pure Halal who operate the Fletcher Road factory, Blog Preston received no response.
In the 2021 application to vary the constraints on operating times the firm’s planning agents had outlined how the demands for chicken had been rapidly increasing and the firm needed to expand its operating times to keep pace with industry demands.
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