The application, submitted by Turley on behalf of Amber (REI) Holdings Ltd, calls for a new fit-for-purpose modern facility west of the existing 2 Sisters Food Group plant and the existing factory building to be demolished and developed into a mixed-used site with up to 49 new homes.

Last week the council’s Planning and Placemaking Committee unanimously approved the application.

The report of handling put before councillors stated: “The council is currently in discussion with the applicant and the Scottish Government with a view to facilitating the future delivery of the poultry processing facility.”

The new poultry processing plant will be approximately 28,000 m² with new parking and access.

The development should also reduce smells from the factory. The planning report stated the new facility will be built with “state-of-the-art odour abatement systems which will be alarmed”.

Councillors were told the current facility was “not fit for modern standards” and the plant which provides 910 FTE (full-time equivalent) and 200 agency roles - would move elsewhere if planning permission was not granted.

James Wall, senior planner at Turley told the committee: “The existing facility is coming to the end of its life and is not fit for modern standards. Failure to secure a new plant in Coupar Angus would mean alternative locations elsewhere in the UK would need to be considered.”

He said the “plan was for the new plant to be operational within three years”, the existing plant would then be demolished and new housing built on that site in the following three years.

The planning statement has pledged for 25 per cent of the new housing to be affordable.

The Scottish Environmental Protection Agency (SEPA) has objected in principle to the proposal because it does not meet the exceptions set out in National Planning Framework 4 (NPF4) for development proposals at risk of flooding or in a flood risk area.

The site is considered an area of flood risk without mitigations but planning officers recommended councillors approve the plans. They said approval was justified because of the economic benefits.

The plans were approved but because there was an objection from SEPA the Scottish Ministers will have to be notified.

After the meeting, a Perth and Kinross Council spokesperson said: “The proposed new processing facility at Coupar Angus is part of a £250 million investment in the Scottish poultry industry by the 2 Sisters Food Group and its parent company.

“As such the council, Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Government are working together to secure this project which could, alternatively, be located elsewhere in the UK or mainland Europe. Any involvement by a public sector body in the construction of the new facility is hypothetical at this stage. Should a business case be made by the company, public sector investment could only be considered on the basis that there would be no cost to taxpayers.”