Food producer Cranswick wants to build 'megafarm' in Norfolk

A food processing giant is hoping to build a "megafarm" that will house 14,000 pigs and 870,000 chickens at any one time.

Food producer Cranswick - which has brands including Ramona's, Cypressa and Bodega - wants to build the "modern facility" in Methwold and Feltwell in Norfolk.

Tens of thousands of people are urging West Norfolk Council to reject the plans over fears the site would cause massive environmental harm.

About 15,000 people have objected, and international campaign group Peta (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) has submitted a petition with 40,000 signatures.

Other groups, including the World Wide Fund for Nature and climate change activists Sustain, have complained the greenhouse gases it will create had not been calculated properly and called it “unlawful”.

Terry Jermy, Labour MP for South West Norfolk, has written a letter of objection to the Environment Agency, urging officials not to issue a permit for the farm.

He said: “I believe this will cause unnecessary and damaging pollution which will adversely affect people and biodiversity.

“At a time when it is critical to implement measures to improve the environment, it would be a travesty to permit this damaging development.”

Cranswick said it was confident it had followed the correct procedures.

A spokesman said: “We are satisfied that all of the necessary information has been included.”

The rise of so-called megafarms in Norfolk has become a controversial topic among local farmers, although few are willing to speak publicly on the matter.

Recent figures from the Environment Agency show there have been 32 applications for intensive farming sites in the county in the last three years.

One farmer, Brian Harrison, of College Farm in Methwold, shared his fears in a letter of objection.

He said: “The effect of siting what will be one of the UK’s largest chicken farms and increasing pig production on the site surely can’t be justified on environmental grounds.”

He warned that there could be bio-security issues from the site, worrying it could "destroy our means of making a living”.

Rebecca Mayhew, a farmer based near Bungay, knows the risk of disease in intensive farming all too well.

Her family’s herd of pigs at Royal Oak Farm were decimated after a disease outbreak, prompting a decision to downsize and take a more environmentally friendly approach to farming.

She said: “Big farms like that are accidents waiting to happen. Disease can spread like wildfire. We have a £2m pig shed sitting empty as we will not farm like that again.”

However, there is growing demand for cheaper food, which firms like Cranswick are able to produce.

Mrs Mayhew added: “These bigger companies are trying to take out the middleman and control every part of the supply chain.”

This helps protect the firm against the fluctuating price of produce such as milk and fresh meat, which is putting huge pressure on smaller-scale farmers’ profits, she added.

But the National Farmers' Union has previously defended intensive farming.

It said: “British farmers produce affordable food, to some of the highest animal welfare and environmental standards in the world. They also adhere to strict production and biosecurity standards.”

Farming has become a key focus for Mr Jermy.

He recently broke party ranks and questioned the “accuracy” of figures being used to justify changes to agricultural relief for inheritance tax (APR) announced in the Budget.

“There are widespread concerns about the Methwold mega farm proposal, including from the farming community,” he said.

“I support reform of APR. It currently encourages land banking and drives up land prices, hurting smaller scale farmers. I also hear the concerns about farms potentially being broken up and sold as the business becomes financially unsustainable”

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