A FALCON breeding centre in the countryside on the edge of Brecon that’s been given permission to extend would be better suited to an industrial estate, the local councillor has said.

Powys council’s planning committee yesterday approved an application by Mohammed Hillal Bin Tarraf to expand his falcon breeding centre at Aberbran.

The applicant also owns the Nad Al Shiba Avian Reproduction Research Centre in Dubai, the only commercial falcon breeding centre in the Middle East.

But his plan to expand his centre in the Powys countryside, bordering the Brecon Beacons National Park, so it could hold a total of 194 falcons was opposed by the county councillor for the Yscir ward, Iain McIntosh.

The Conservative told the planning committee: " “I know this area very, very well, and for me the main thing is the visual impact. For me it’s too much for the area.

“If this was a farm that needed to diversify it would be a different story, but this is for a guy who sell falcons abroad”

“I don’t understand why could this not be put on an industrial estate?

“I find it very difficult to support this and it will not really be creating many jobs.”

Cllr Hywel Lewis (Independent – Llangunllo) said: “I disagree. It is a poultry unit as such and would not be very suitable on an industrial site.

“They are very self sufficient, it’s a form of diversification and I will move the recommendation to approve.”

Cllr Francesca Jump (Liberal Democrat – Welshpool Gungrog) asked: “Should we have any concerns how these birds are looked after?

“I also presume (from the report) you feed quails to the falcons?”

Planning officer Gemma Bufton said are were welfare standards the site has to stick to and as it also breeds quails, to feed the falcons, in another building on site deliveries to the site are minimised.

The application was voted through with only Cllr McIntosh voting against the proposal.