Our village pig farm smells so bad it is causing us nose bleeds and spoiling ... trends now
Residents of a picture postcard village have complained of nose bleeds, headaches, breathing problems and spoiled food caused by the foul stench of ammonia drifting over from a pig farm.
They say they are unable to sit in their gardens because the odour is so overpowering and one woman was even advised by her GP not to get pregnant because of health concerns.
Problems began in 2021 when a massive expansion was allowed that saw the number of pigs increase more than ten-fold to around 7,000 animals.
Solicitor Ann Cuthbert, 66, who lives in the village, described how the overpowering ammonia created a thick haze which drifts over nearby homes.
'It's nauseating. The air gets really thick. I get nose bleeds and it stings your nose and lungs. I also get headaches. It's quite stressful,' she said.
'If you eat [outside] the food can taste like pig excrement. Sometimes it can be so strong it's difficult to breathe when walking near the site.
Ann Cuthbert (pictured), who lives in the village, said she gets 'nose bleeds and it stings your nose and lungs'
Pictured: Cherry Tree Farm in the picture postcard village of Stow Bedon, Norfolk
Residents have complained of a constant haze of ammonia emanating from the pig unit owned by Cranswick Foods
'My daughter went to the GP. She's got no underlying health conditions but they gave her an inhaler because you can't breathe properly.
'As she was leaving, the doctor asked if she was thinking of having a baby. She said 'Not quite' and he said 'Don't'.'
Tessa Fitzgerald, who has lived in the area for 22 years, added: 'It is quite strong. It depends on the wind direction. I'm sensitive to smells and it can give me an irritated wind pipe.'
Hannah Reed, who chairs Stow Bedon and Breckles Parish Council, said: 'We live in a farming area and everyone knows you get smells occasionally but it wasn't particularly noticeable before. It's the industrialisation of it.
'It's not just the ammonia – it's also the mixture of dust in the air. Sometimes you can feel the effects on your eyes. It can make them sting. Washing needs to be re-washed.
'At certain times it's disgusting and makes you choke. It should not be affecting people's health and the right to enjoy their home.'
Ms Reed said demands for action to be taken had had little effect and the last few years had been like 'banging your head against a wall'.
'It seems like we have exhausted every avenue and there is nothing more we can do about it,' she added.
'Breckland Council are too scared to do anything about it because it's run by such a huge company.'
Another local said the smell left him feeling like a 'prisoner
