Animal rights charities are celebrating after plans for an intensive rabbit meat farm in a Bucks Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty were thrown out.

Buckinghamshire Council planning officers refused a planning application submitted by Phil Kerry, of T&S Nurseries, for a temporary rural worker’s house and agricultural building on land in Magpie Lane, in Coleshill, near Amersham.

The house would have allowed a worker to be on site as a 250-doe, free-range rabbit production unit, occupying around two acres of the site, was developed over the next three years.

Mr Kerry told BBC Three Counties radio last month that there was a “huge demand” for rabbit meat, after more than 87,000 people signed a petition calling for the plans to be thrown out.

But in a letter, Bucks Council planning officers wrote: “The applicant has not presented an adequate case to establish why the business must be located on this land, and why a more suitable, less-constrained site was not chosen.

“Alternatively, it has not been demonstrated that there is a demand for this proposal in this location.

“Notwithstanding the economic benefits of the scheme, these are not considered to outweigh the harm identified.”

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Following the refusal, PETA said it “commends” the council’s “compassionate decision”, adding: “This monstrous rabbit prison would see hundreds of female rabbits routinely forced to breed to produce around 10,000 babies per year.

“These sensitive, playful animals would endure a life of extreme confinement before being killed for their flesh and fur.

“Tens of thousands of compassionate people have spoken – they want nothing to do with factory farms that, aside from being hideously cruel to animals, also harm public health by facilitating the spread of bacteria that can lead to deadly diseases like COVID-19, SARS, and MERS.”

PETA said it would be sending the council a box of vegan chocolate rabbits to “thank it for this decision”.

And Animal Aid also rejoiced, writing on its website: “Thank you to everyone who took the time to help campaign against these dreadful proposals.

“Rabbits should not be turned into gaudy fur hats or oven-ready meat products. They are friends, not food or clothing items.”

The petition was also backed by animal lover and Marlow resident Ricky Gervais, who branded the plans “outrageous”.

Mr Kerry, who spoke to presenter Andy Collins on BBC Three Counties Radio, said: “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.”

Speaking about residents’ concerns about the animals’ welfare, he said there would be “plenty of space” on the farm for them to run around and the hutches used for kindling mothers – rabbits giving birth – would be bigger than the guidelines set by the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs.