A FARMER who hopes to create a duck rearing operation for up to 12,000 birds has assured residents the business would be a good neighbour.Mid Suffolk District Council is considering whether to grant planning permission for the complex at Mendlesham Green, near Stowmarket, which residents fear will damage their quality of life.

A FARMER who hopes to create a duck rearing operation for up to 12,000 birds has assured residents the business would be a good neighbour.

Mid Suffolk District Council is considering whether to grant planning permission for the complex at Mendlesham Green, near Stowmarket, which residents fear will damage their quality of life.

Yesterday councillors held a site visit with farmer Robert Bloom, representatives from the parish council and residents.

Mr Bloom said: “People keep saying it will be an industrial building on a farm site, but it is not.

“It's a standard agricultural building in an agricultural area. This is an existing farm site and we are living in a rural community, an agricultural community. We have listened to residents and made it so that no vehicles from our farm go through Mendlesham, which has got to be an improvement.

“We have tried to work with local people and have had a huge amount of support.”

Residents fear the industrial-scale building will be too close to homes and claim the site has a history of smell and noise problems.

A spokeswoman for the district council said application is now expected to go before a district council planning committee towards the end of the month.