By Hannah Cargill, contract production manager, Avara Foods
Since leading producers reduced broiler stocking densities, the results have been undeniable: healthier birds, stronger welfare outcomes and, improved performance. Our birds are thriving.
It’s proof that welfare and productivity aren’t at odds. In fact, with more space, birds grow better, move better, and live better. It’s a win for the birds, a win for consumers, and a win for British farming.
But there’s a catch.
While bird performance is advancing rapidly, the infrastructure to house them is not. The pace of poultry performance is exponential. The pace of poultry house construction? Painfully slow, held back by red tape, planning delays, and outdated perceptions.
We face a protein paradox. The UK population is growing, and with it, demand for affordable, lean protein like chicken. But without the housing to raise those birds, our ability to meet that demand is slipping, threatening food security and forcing greater reliance on imports.
Modern poultry houses are not what many imagine. They’re efficient, environmentally controlled spaces designed with welfare, biosecurity, and sustainability at their core. Each new build is backed by detailed environmental assessments, biodiversity plans, and rigorous welfare protocols.
Yet planning approvals remain a major barrier. Too often, proposals are delayed or rejected due to misconceptions, misinformation, or opposition from a vocal minority.
This is a call to planning councils: support the infrastructure behind your local food supply. Visit farms. See the modern systems in action. Understand the care, the science, and the regulation involved.
Because if we don’t build the capacity here, someone else will abroad, and likely to lower standards. That means more carbon miles, less control over welfare, and fewer rural jobs.
British poultry farmers aren’t asking for shortcuts. They’re asking for a fair, fact-based process. One that recognises the urgency of feeding a growing nation sustainably, responsibly, and close to home.
Let’s not let our food future stall for lack of sheds. Let’s build smarter, faster, and together for healthy birds, secure supply chains, and a stronger British food system. That is truly “backing British farming”.