A NEAR-£500,000 investment could be made to create a poultry shed near Haddington.

Plans from Clerkington Eggs Ltd, which would see 16,000 free-range laying hens, are currently being considered by planning officials at East Lothian Council.

Ian Pick, representing the company, submitted a design and access statement to the local authority earlier this year.

The report reads: “The applicant, Mr James Parker, is a new entrant to agriculture at Clerkington Mains.

“The applicant has secured a 30-year tenancy of a parcel of land at Clerkington Mains Farm which extends to eight hectares. The proposed development represents an investment in the order of £480,000 in buildings and equipment, and will create full-time employment for the applicant, together with an additional full time job for egg collection purposes.”

Mr Pick stressed the proposed building was “not a large unit”. It would measure 76 metres by 19.5 metres.

In a letter to the Courier this week, resident Charles Stevenson raised concerns about the proposals.

He said: "It is not easy to work out from the application location plan that this site is actually only one mile away from the centre of town, nor does the application mention the new housing development at Dovecot, which will be only 400m away.

"This proposal, if granted, would determine the future edge of Haddington, destroy its essentially rural setting and detract from the amenity which the town's residents currently enjoy."