Rabbit meat farm plans in Coleshill, near Amersham, to be decided this week

Phil Kerry, of T&S Nurseries, submitted plans to build a temporary rural worker’s house and agricultural building on land in Magpie Lane, in Coleshill, near Amersham.

The house will allow a worker to be on site as a 250-doe, free-range rabbit production unit is developed over the next three years.

The rabbit farm will occupy around two acres of the site.

The proposals prompted fury from residents, with more than 87,000 people so far signing a petition against the plans, and hundreds of objections submitted to the official plans online.

Despite the plans being called in by Cllr Jonathan Waters to go to committee, a Bucks Council spokesman confirmed planning officers would make the decision this week.

She said in a statement: “The application will be determined under delegated powers by the Local Planning Authority.

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“The decision is due to be determined this week. Once determined, a copy of the decision notice and case officer report will be available on the council’s website under the planning reference number PL/21/0130/FA.”

The plans were also condemned by Marlow resident and animal lover Ricky Gervais who backed the petition and branded the proposals “outrageous”, as well as campaign group Animal Aid.

Last month, Rebecca Nicholson, who lives in the village and set up the petition, spoke to Mr Kerry on BBC Three Counties Radio about the issue, saying she did not believe “rabbits are meat”.

She told presenter Andy Collins: “In this day and age with so many people becoming vegetarian or vegan, there just isn’t a demand for [rabbit meat].”

But Mr Kerry rubbished her claims, saying there is a “huge demand” for the meat.

He said: “Since the petition and the exposure we’ve had in the press in recent weeks, we’ve had more enquiries for rabbit meat than we’ve had in the past three or four years.

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“The rabbit you get in pet shops are completely different to those bred for meat. That is incorrect that they’re not suitable for meat. They were bred for meat going back to medieval times, in fact.”

He also addressed concerns about animal welfare, saying there would be “plenty of space” on the farm for the rabbits to run around, and the hutches used for kindling mothers – rabbits giving birth – are bigger than the guidelines set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.”

Buckinghamshire Council’s planning officers are expected to make a decision on whether to give the plans the go-ahead, with the determination deadline on the application set for today (May 11).