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Plans for a 37,000-capacity chicken farm in Powys have been given the go-ahead.

Applicant Richard Wilding said he needed to diversify into chicken farming to secure a future for his family.

Proposals for Old Impton Farm in Norton had been met with criticism, with one protester objecting at the Powys County Council's planning committee meeting.

Members unanimously backed the plans after a short recess.

Between 2011 and 2018, 99 applications for new poultry sheds were made in Powys involving three million birds. One was refused permission.

The proposal was described as one of the most well-screened poultry units the council has had.

Councillors left the chamber during the meeting after objector Lucy Thomas refused to stay quiet, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

She claimed people had fallen ill due to the water supply being contaminated by manure spreading at the farm.

When asked to stop, she said she would have to be "hauled out before she would".

Ms Thomas had spoken on behalf of Norton Manor Estate residents at a planning meeting on 5 July that alleged manure contamination would worsen under Mr Wilding's plans.

Planning development manager Peter Morris and committee solicitor Colin Edwards spoke to Ms Thomas about her concerns during a recess.

The meeting was told a manure spreading buffer zone of 200m (656ft) would apply around the water supply - "far in excess" of the 50m recommended.