And a petition has been raised against the proposals by Eckford Farming Ltd, an offshoot of Buccleuch Estates.

The firm seeks consent to erect a huge shed, capable of accommodating 32,000 hens, on 11 hectares of Kirkhope Farm.

The factory – the length of one and a half football pitches – will effectively double the production capacity of a company which already has a unit at Gilkeekit on Bowhill Estate.

Since being lodged with Scottish Borders Council, the bid has attracted just one objection – from Grahame Hulme, who lives at the former Ettrickshaws Hotel opposite the development site.

But on Sunday, Mr Hulme went door-to-door around the village and obtained 39 signatures on a petition urging rejection of the project.

On Monday, he told a meeting of Ettrick and Yarrow Community Council of the "utter incongruity" of such a large shed less than half a mile away from Ettrickbridge.

He claimed that levelling a dip in the hill at Kirkhope Farm to build the factory would exacerbate existing flooding incidents.

"I also have grave concerns over vermin ... on evidence from other intensive poultry units, mice and rats are a significant problem ... only controlled with large quantities of poison which, once ingested, will see the vermin making for the river."

The disposal of manure and the possibility of polluted water entering the Ettrick Water also concerned Mr Hulme, while the prevailing west wind would carry any stench from the unit into the village, he claimed.

Another local resident, Cath Rutherford, felt the firm's proposals for manure to be dried and then spread on fields at Kirkhope Farm was at variance with planning guidance from the Scottish Government which states: "Spreading large quantities of poultry litter on land is no longer considered acceptable, because of leeching into watercourses ... the poultry industry should adopt a more environmentally acceptable disposal route."

Drew Guthrie, farms business manager with Buccleuch Estates, supported the application at the meeting.

He said the site would be fully screened from public view and would contain a modern multi-tier aviary which incorporated manure drying facilities. Dry manure would be collected by farm staff twice a week and cause no problems with water run-off.

"Our current experiences indicate that rodents and flies are not a problem with this type of unit and, over the past three years, we have only encountered one mouse at Gilkeekit. It is virtually free of flies due to good air quality within the building and very little manure outside."

He told The Wee Paper: "In bringing this application forward the estate has considered how best to mitigate any impacts and has spoken to near neighbours.

"We have taken the best advice available in looking at environmental impacts.