Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) claims Braintree Council gave the green light for a new intensive chicken shed at Hubbards Farm, in Shalford, without proper environmental or animal welfare scrutiny. Maya Pardo, Legal Coordinator at CAFF, said: "Braintree Council approved a factory farm's expansion plans without knowing what impact it could have on public health, animal welfare and the environment. Challenge - CAFF has launched a legal challenge, which Braintree District Council said it will fight (Image: Communities Against Factory Farming)CAFF says councillors were also told the new shed was of the same scale as the old one. They claim a planning officer wrongly stated "the existing arrangement and the number of birds would remain consistent between the existing unit and the proposed unit." No environmental impact assessment was carried out for the larger possible capacity listed in the permit application, CAFF said.