Over 1,000 Objections to Factory Farm Proposal Near Cawston in Norfolk
4 June 2026
Local residents are urging South Norfolk and Broadland District Council to reject a planning application for a major new intensive broiler unit between Oulton and Cawston.
More than 1,000 objections have been submitted on the planning portal. [1]
If approved, the intensive poultry unit (IPU) would house 180,000 broiler chickens at any one time. With 7.6 annual cycles, this would equate to 1.36 million chickens every year.
Oulton Parish Council has objected to the application, noting that there is another IPU only 500 metres from this proposed site, which could pose biosecurity risks. [2]
Cawston Parish Council said it was “very concerned about the number and size of vehicle movements associated with this proposal”. [3]
With residents living within a few hundred metres of the proposed site, noise, congestion and air pollution could impact local quality of life, residents fear.
Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) is supporting residents who have concerns about the factory farm’s application.
Jo Lazarus, Campaign Coordinator at CAFF, said:
“We have serious concerns that this intensive farm could pollute local water and air quality, and harm residents’ quality of life.
“Worryingly, the application says that all the manure from the site would be sent to Thetford power station, which is due to close in 2027. As such, there is no credible plan for what to do with all the waste that would be generated.
“This development would use fast-growing poultry breeds that are predisposed to health problems leading to unnecessary suffering, with many struggling to walk as their legs are unable to carry their weight. Few residents would invite this large-scale suffering on their doorstep.”
The applicant's submission states that the facility's ventilation system will run continuously, 24 hours a day. This would generate a persistent low-frequency hum that would carry across open countryside.
Intensive poultry units of this size remain avian flu hotspots in the UK with outbreaks at multiple Norfolk IPU sites over the last year. [4] Elsewhere in the UK, bird flu was found to have been transmitted to farm workers. [5]
Residents also cite safety concerns due to an increase in heavy goods vehicles (HGVs). Documents show that two Amber List woodlands bird species – woodpigeon and wren – are found near the site. [6]
ENDS
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About CAFF
Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) works closely with residents across the UK to review planning applications for intensive farms and submit strong, evidence‑based planning objections. The organisation has helped communities block and overturn multiple intensive poultry unit applications when councils overlooked key environmental and animal‑welfare issues.
All images and videos on our social media, and on our website can be used with credit to Communities Against Factory Farming under ‘fair use’ for the purposes of reporting.
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Notes to Editors
[1] Planning Application: https://info.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=T9U76UOQFNZ00
[5] https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn01xjp0yq4o
[6] Environmental Statement, 02 Feb 2026, accessible here: https://info.southnorfolkandbroadland.gov.uk/online-applications/applicationDetails.do?activeTab=summary&keyVal=T9U76UOQFNZ00