FIFTY goats may soon be housed just outside Cricklade depending on the decision of Wiltshire Council’s Northern Area Planning Committee.

An application for a large building to house the animals is up for consideration on the evening of Wednesday July 16 on a site where previous enforcement notices have allegedly been ignored.

In a letter to the committee, resident Michael Lowbridge complained that this, and previous applications, were simply a ploy to avoid previous enforcement notices.

He wrote: “I cannot understand how this application can be allowed when it is clearly an attempt to avoid complying with an enforcement notice to remove the caravan, hardstanding, septic tank, shipping container etc.

“Surely once this notice was issued given the history, the applicant should be forced to make the site planning compliant before any further planning applications are accepted.”

Mr. Lowbridge complained about the smell and noise issues sure to be associated with intensive goat farming in a residential area and added that the solar panels proposed for the building's roof would be facing the wrong direction.

Another resident, Lance Forster, wrote to object to the application saying: “This is making a mockery of the planning process, which makes me feel that all the times I have followed the correct procedure was a waste of time”

Cricklade Town Council has also opposed the plans, describing them as very similar to previous rejected applications and repeating concerns that the application does not appear have a valid business case.

The proposed enterprise would aim to raise between 50 and 70 goats per year, selling 50 for meat and a further 10 as pets through Cirencester Market and local advertising.

One person working less than full time has been deemed sufficient to look after the business.

Despite the objections raised case officer Lydia Lewis suggested in her reports that the building could be justified and that she did not expect there to be any disturbance to residents in the area.

However, the case officer’s report contains a note suggesting that until the Local Planning Authority receives details of how masses of manure and soiled bedding are to be disposed of the plans should not go ahead.