THE owner of a kennels and cattery business on the edge of a Worcestershire village is to be allowed to continue using a shed to house chickens, geese and turkeys for the next year.

Leslie Childs, of Brook End House, Stocks Lane, Leigh Sinton, was already housing poultry in the shed but applied for retrospective planning permission from Malvern Hills District Council.

The council’s northern area development control had already granted a 12-month temporary planning permission for the shed’s use in September to allow a further assessment to be made on its impact on neighbours.

But Mr Childs rejected the chance of the temporary measure in favour of going for permanent approval even though Leigh and Bransford Parish Council had serious concerns about noise levels and three neighbours had written with concerns about noise, prospects of vermin being attracted by livestock feed and fears the building could be used for breeding.

But the council’s environment team said noise and smells would not harm the neighbours’ amenities.

The council’s northern area development control committee granted retrospective planning permission until November 30 2009 when it must be removed and the land restored to its former condition to allow officers to assess the intensity of its use and impact on neighbours.