A headteacher fears children will be put at serious risk of rat-carried diseases after plans for a 17-acre goat farm next to his school were given the go-ahead.

Over the next three years as many as 250 goats could be based at farmland in Peldon Road, Abberton, near Colchester after being given the thumbs up by Colchester Council's planning and traffic regulation committee.

A previous application to use the site as a goat dairy is set to go before the planning inspectorate after an appeal was lodged against the council's refusal to grant permission.

Although the buildings are farther away from the school in the most recent proposals, they are still just 240m from Langenhoe Primary and 150m from the nearest house.

Despite councillors' fears over the possibility of vermin at the site, they gave the go-ahead for the scheme because the buildings were farther away from the school. In spite of the changes widespread concern about the scheme remains.

Nick Stanley, headteacher at Langenhoe Primary School, warned: "Rats will be attracted to the feed and will need water, and the nearest water will be our ponds.

"It is a serious threat to our children and our school. The more I think about it the more worried I get."

He said the ponds were an important part of the school and were used by children to learn about wildlife.

Eleanor Randall, who plans to run the goat dairy, said the Randall family had a long history of running goat dairies to the highest standards. She said the dairy, which would be used to make speciality cheeses, would also be a valuable educational resource for the surrounding community.

Robert Davidson, ward councillor for Pyefleet, said he had been to the Randall's goat farm in Hilton, Cambridgeshire, and that he was impressed by its standards.

A report by the council's planning experts states that the goats will need about 13,500 bales of hay each year.

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