Plans to establish a US-style megafarm in a Norfolk community are still being opposed, with opponents calling the project ‘illegal.
Cranswick’s proposal to build two facilities in Methwold and Feltwell, which will produce millions of hens and tens of thousands of pigs each year, has sparked almost 15,000 letters of opposition since it was initially revealed two years ago.
A consultation period in which individuals may voice their opinions on the proposal closed last week, resulting in a last-minute rush of opposition sent to West Norfolk Council.
This has included reactions from the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF) and other environmental organizations such as Feedback Global and Sustain.
They allege that the farm’s environmental impact was not properly examined, and that the greenhouse gas emissions it will produce were not calculated correctly.
Following a historic Supreme Court verdict last year that overturned Surrey Council’s permission to drill new oil wells at Horse Hill, the full climatic effect of large developments must now be considered in planning decisions.
Green groups were quick to warn that easing planning laws will result in’megafarms’ and contribute to river pollution from chicken feces.
The planning application comes against the backdrop of the government’s efforts to alter the planning system in order to spur economic growth, with Environment Secretary Steve Reed recently promising to make it easier for farmers to install infrastructure to improve food production.
According to Jake White, head of legal advocacy at WWF, their calculations show the farm could generate up to 50,000 tonnes of CO2 per year – equivalent to a person flying between London and New York 34,000 times – as well as 13,000 tonnes of manure and slurry per year if proper disposal plans are not in place.
He stated, “It is obvious that pigs will fly before Cranswick provides a lawful and accurate assessment of the Methwold site.”
MP Terry Jermy has opposed the plans. Picture: UK Parliament
“This website is unlawful, unsustainable, and disliked. We urge the council to do the right thing by refusing to provide authority to destroy the local ecology.”
Natural England has also opposed to the application, stressing that more evaluations are needed to determine the farm’s impact on neighboring Sites of Special Scientific Interest.
Natasha Hurley, campaigns director at Feedback Global, stated, “The stakes could not be greater. This megafarm would lock in emissions increases for years, at a time when immediate action is required to cut them.
Cranswick’s megafarm plans, which it claims will be a modern and sustainable farm, have sparked widespread alarm among residents about the possible environmental damage and increased traffic.
Local advocacy organizations have been accumulating funds to protest the plans and seek legal counsel.
South West Norfolk MP Terry Jermy has also asked WNC to reject the proposals, saying, “I have said it before and I will say it again: no ifs, no buts, I am completely opposed to the proposal.”
With the survey complete, West Norfolk Council officers will prepare a planning report for councillors to vote on the proposals at a planning committee meeting later this year.
Cranswick was sought for comment.
The corporation previously stated that the farm would fulfill modern standards and contribute to the need for greater security in the UK’s food chain.
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