Midlands Pig Producers has submitted amendments to its planning application for a large-scale pig unit to be built in a Derbyshire village, though animal welfare groups and local residents remain staunchly opposed to the proposals. The company's plans to build an intensive farm to house up to 25,000 animals close to Foston Prison in Derbyshire have sparked a fierce reaction from campaigners.

Although plans for Britain's "largest intensive pig farm", as the Foston development has been called by detractors in local animal rights groups, have been called in by Derbyshire County Council, which requested a number of changes and further information from MPP.   

The planning process over the Foston development has dragged on since 2009; the proposals by Midlands Pig Producers have attracted national attention from animal welfare groups and the ire of the local community. Having requested an extension of its deadline to supply additional supporting information to its proposal in January, MPP made changes to the facility's layout, parking and landscaping in its revisions submitted to planning authorities this week.  

Local residents, backed by sustainable farming and animal welfare groups, have expressed concerns over the health impacts of living close to a 'mega-farm' and the potential for disruption caused by noise, smells and increased traffic servicing the site. Local groups responded to MPP's revisions, claiming that the company has ignored the concerns of Foston residents and merely "tweaked" its initial proposals.

An MPP spokesperson assured that residents' concerns are misplaced and that the risk of disease and disruption from the proposed farm would be minimised by "good standards of hygiene, welfare and management systems," and that the facility's size would make no difference to these issues. However, the spokesperson admitted "very few changes have been made at all."  

Now that MPP has made its amendments, a further public consultation on the plans will be held.

Although MPP denies claims that its farm could affect the health or wellbeing of those living nearby, the UK Health Protection Agency and Soil Association have made mention of these potential risks in consultation responses. In March, the Soil Association highlighted the results of a study which looked at farms in the Netherlands, Germany and the United States, and identified potential health effects of intensive livestock farms for neighbouring residents.

The organic farming organisation said these findings "raise serious public-health questions for planners considering proposals for… Foston." Policy director Peter Melchett said at the time "The Soil Association urges Derbyshire County Council to consider these new findings when making the decision on the planning application for the intensive pig farm near Foston."