Residents living in four converted barns bought from a farming family who have since diversified into free range egg production, direct milk sales and a farm shop say their lives are being shattered by the noise and traffic generated by these businesses.

Castle Farm at Bishton on the outskirts of Newport has established a number of new enterprises since the business sold some of its buildings to be converted into housing.

Nurse Karen Fulker, who grew up on a farm in Devon and now lives in one of those, said she had supported the farm’s plans to diversify.

“We support all agricultural development,’’ she insisted. But the recent installation of a milk vending machine had resulted in “serious noise, cars gathering at all hours of the night with loud music and light pollution’’.

According to other residents the milk vending business, which also dispenses milkshakes, has become a meeting place for youths congregating in their cars very late at night.

“Loud music, revving engines, shouting and general disturbance is causing much distress and concern for us,’’ said Jeff Hooper, of Windsong Barn, Castle Farm. “Our security and amenity rights have been compromised.’’

He suggests that the poultry shed remains unfinished and is visually intrusive.

“In simple terms it is a mess and a blot on what was once a beautiful landscape.

“We as residents did not object to the diversification with this project by the farm but are not surprised to find that it remains incomplete.’’

The residents plan to fight plans for the business to create a purpose-built farm shop, to replace the one opened in an existing building at the start of the Covid pandemic.

“The carbon footprint in our area has increased tenfold and the constant pollution, noise and constant flow of delivery vans and lorries has made the Bishton single track lane extremely dangerous,’’ said Mr Hooper.

“There are two very successful farm shops in our area selling their own homegrown produce, situated in areas which do not impact on residents.’’

Kevin Rickard, who farms at Castle Farm with other family members, had previously spoken of a resistance by planners to developments at the farm which he said was at odds with the Welsh government’s messaging on encouraging farmers to diversify as direct subsidies are phased out.

“Family farms like ours need to diversify to survive but when you actually try to do that it is really difficult, it has been a very stressful process for us,’’ he said.

The poultry shed, he said, had been built on a piece of land the family had named ‘The Tip’, a name reflecting its unproductiveness as farmland.

In a statement, Newport City Council said it had received complaints from people living near Castle Farm about significant noise and disturbance from the 24-hour operations of the milk vending machine.

“Officers carried out site visits and confirmed visitors to the machine at night were causing noise issues. An informal request that the owners limit access was unsuccessful,’’ said a spokesperson.

A notice was then issued to limit the time of operation from 8.30am to 6.30pm Mondays to Saturdays and from 9am to 12.30pm on Sundays and Bank Holidays; this came into effect on March 4.

“The owners can apply to change the hours or appeal the notice but it will remain in place during that process,’’ said the council spokesperson.

An application for the retention of a track which had been created at the farm without consent was refused by the council in March 2021.

The reason for refusal was: “The proposed access by reasons of scale, location and design would result in an unnecessary, unjustified, unduly visually dominant and intrusive development in the countryside to the detriment of rural character and appearance and general visual amenity.”

The council said the applicant was attempting to address the reason for refusal and had submitted a new planning application for the retention on the track in the summer 2021. It has yet to be determined.

The poultry shed has planning consent but a breach of condition notice has been issued in relation to a hardstanding - approved hardstanding must be provided by March 23.

“Landscaping is also required to be in place by the end of the planting season,’’ said the spokesperson.

The council said it would monitor the situation and would take further enforcement action if necessary.