28 June 2011

It has emerged that plans for a large-scale pig farm near Foston, Derbyshire will not go before planners before the autumn. The process has been postponed in order to gather additional information on pollution risks posed by the farm, after the Environment Agency submitted a damning report, recommending the proposals be rejected last month.

Midland Pig Producers submitted the highly controversial plans for the unit, which would house 2,500 sows and 25,000 pigs and piglets indoors all year round, and which, although it has strong support from parts of the industry, has received over 6,500 complaints.

News of the delay comes after a public meeting against the development, organised by the Soil Association and the Pig Business campaign, was held in Burton upon Trent last week.