Furious villagers hit out at plans to build 'mega-farm' housing up to 870,000 ... trends now
Anxious villagers have attacked 'outrageous' plans to build a giant factory farm they describe as a 'monstrosity right on our doorstep'.
Up to 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs will be housed just 400 yards apart at the site, which was once used as a World War II airfield.
Cranswick, the giant food firm behind the plans, insist the two developments between Methwold and Feltwell in Norfolk will operate separately as a 'bio-precaution'.
But residents say it will amount to a huge 'mega-farm' which will churn out foul odours including ammonia fumes, generate swarms of flies and have thousands of lorries thundering past homes.
Kings Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council is yet to rule on the two planning applications for the neighbouring units but has been flooded with objections.
A view of the old chicken sheds which could be demolished to make way for 20 giant new sheds at Methwold, Norfolk
An aerial view of old and dilapidated chicken sheds at Methwold
Denise Charlesworth-Smith who is battling plans to build new pig and poultry units
MailOnline revealed this week how villagers living near a much smaller Cranswick chicken plant had been plagued with flies for the last two summers at Westhall, near Halesworth, Suffolk.
It has also reported how locals in Stow Bedon, Norfolk, were complaining of nose bleeds, headaches, breathing problems and spoiled food, which they blamed on the stench of ammonia from a Cranswick pig farm.
Former Methwold parish councillor Denise Charlesworth-Smith, who co-founded the Cranswick Objection Group to oppose the plans, said: 'It is going to be factory farming on a monstrous scale.
'It is going to deal with well over four million chickens and 56,000 pigs every year and will have a massive effect on the lives of people who live locally.
'It is totally out of keeping with the area. Some people think it will bring lots of jobs but everything will be automated and run with minimal staff.
'I visited the farm at Stow Bedon and the smell was absolutely disgusting, even though it is much smaller than the pig unit that is proposed here.
'My eyes were so bad as I was smarting from the ammonia when I was walking up to the site, even though I was told that it was not a particularly bad day.
'I dread to think what it is going to be like round here for people who suffer respiratory problems like COPD if it goes ahead.'
Under the proposals, the broiler unit for chickens will have 20 sheds, each measuring 320ft by 79ft with enough floor space to hold 43,500 birds, according to planning documents.
The chickens will be hatched in the sheds from eggs which have been laid at nearby farms. At seven weeks they will be taken to Cranswick's plant in Eye, Suffolk, for 'processing'.
The pigs will be housed in 14 sheds, each around 230ft by 49ft, and able to hold 1,000 of the animals.
Planning documents showing the 14 proposed new pigs sheds
A view of the old chicken sheds which are set to be demolished by food giant Cranswick
Cranswick, the giant food firm behind the plans, insist the two developments between Methwold and Feltwell in Norfolk will operate separately as a 'bio-precaution'
Residents say it will amount to a huge 'mega-farm' which will churn out foul odours including ammonia fumes
Shirley DeÕath (left) and Pat Welsh (right) pictured together at the sheds
Clair McClean, 46, of Methwold, is also objecting the plans over the building proposals
The Cranswick planning application describes it as 'a finishing unit' where pigs reared outdoors are taken when they are 12 weeks old and weigh around 77lbs.
They will stay indoors for another 12 weeks until they reach their target weight of around 240lbs and are ready to be slaughtered.
Concerns have been raised that it will be only 440ft away from the Breckland Special Area of Conservation (SPA) which is designated due to its population of nightjar, stone curlew and woodlark birds.
The Breckland Forest Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) will also only be about a third of a mile away.
But Cranswick insists in
