Expansion plans at a Suffolk chicken farm have come under fire from local residents.

The owners of Park Farm in Thorington are hoping to increase the number of chickens at the site by more than 100,000 birds.

The site currently houses almost 340,000 animals.

In the plans, currently being discussed by Suffolk Coastal District Council, the owners hope to build three additional poultry buildings to house the additional chickens, known as broilers.

The new poultry barns would sit next to the existing chicken sheds already on the property.

However, the plans have come under fire by local residents who believe they have not been properly consulted on the plans.

One resident, who lives close to the existing sheds, said she had received no letter about the application and had “found out by accident”.

She said that residents were already struggling with the current size of the farm. “We suffer with weekly problems from this mega farm, through intense and nauseating smells, and 24 hour noise.

“This is a highly inappropriate proposal and further industrialisation of a rural and historic landscape.”

In the plans, the owners state that emissions from the site including odours, dust and ammonia “will be controlled” under the environmental permit for the site.

They add that for the new buildings the “colour schemes will be chosen to be sympathetic to the surrounding environment”.

Other objections to the site expansion have come from the Suffolk Coastal Green Party who are against the way broilers are kept. “Broiler chickens on farms like this have short, painful lives,’ said spokesman Libby Ruffle.

“Production, slaughter and transport also increases greenhouse emissions, not to mention the damage done to the environment because of the huge need for chicken feed.”

The owners say in their application that the site will be regularly maintained and cleaned with conditions being well controlled within the barns.

They also say that the animals will be fed with locally produced feed.

Residents have until August 28 to make comments on the proposal on the Suffolk Coastal District Council planning website.