Norfolk megafarm bid suffers fresh blow
The decision follows West Norfolk Council’s refusal of planning permission for the facilities earlier in the year
A food firm’s bid to build a megafarm in a Norfolk village has suffered a fresh blow after officials blocked its plans.
The Environment Agency (EA) refused Cranswick’s attempts to change the conditions of its permit at a site in Methwold to house 14,000 pigs and 714,000 chickens.
EA officials have similarly ruled that the expansion of the site would produce ammonia emissions that would likely have an adverse effect on the Breckland Special Protection Area and nearby Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Ammonia is a gas produced through animal waste that can have serious harmful effects on ecosystems, causing a build-up of nitrogen that is toxic to plant life.
Cranswick’s plans have proved hugely controversial, generating more than 40,000 objections to WNC and sparking campaigns from environmental groups eager to stop the farms being built.
However, the meat producer said the facility would help ensure food security and would implement higher welfare standards at the site.
Following the decision, Terry Jermy, MP for South West Norfolk, said: “In Norfolk, our environment is our economy.
“We have seen similar applications over the past few years from large food producers who are proposing sites that will be detrimental to our environment.
“As an MP, this will always be a red line for me, and I am glad the Environment Agency has done its job, otherwise, this would have blighted the lives of local people and the environment for many years to come.
“Sustainable farming is important for our economy and our food security. We need to work with constituents, family farms and others to make sure this is a place for jobs, but ones that improve animal welfare as well as preserving our environment.”