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Last week, the Environment Agency withdrew its formal objection to the plans, lodged in May, but the proposed mega-farm’s opponents said other concerns persisted even though the EA was satisfied the site no longer posed a serious risk to groundwater. The Health Protection Agency expressed concerns with the proposals in its submission to the consultation.

Environmental groups have also opposed the plans. 13,000 signatures have been gathered by an online petition against the proposals and the public consultation on Derbyshire County Council’s planning portal has received thousands of objections.

Although MPP said the company remains confident, last night South Derbyshire District Council's planning board rejected a recommendation that the authority offer no objection to the plans. Environmental impact, including smells and the risk of disease coming from the unit have been cited as the main reasons for opposing the proposals by locals, but Midlands Pig Producers are adamant the concerns over the effects have been overblown.

A spokesperson for MPP assured, “The Foston Farm will have three separate systems to remove the ammonia - or 'smell' - causing elements at source, as recommended by the Health Protection Agency. These systems will also clean the air of airborne particles, making the air coming out of the units, we believe, actually cleaner than the air going in,”

Nevertheless, councillors voted unanimously to oppose the proposal; a final decision is expected from the county council later in the year.