Residents object to proposed new chicken megafarm
Local residents and CAFF sharing leaflets in South Holland
A proposed new poultry factory farm which would house over half a million chickens at a time in 12 sheds has faced growing opposition, with a growing number of objections presented to the South Holland Planning Committee [1].
A group of residents and members of Communities Against Factory Farming leafleted on the 7th June to raise awareness of the proposed development at Pear Tree Hill Road, Whaplode Drove, Spalding, citing concerns over the negative impact on local residents of a factory farm due to ammonia and other pollutants. Campaigners say a waste management plan in the proposal is unlawful.
Other arguments made against the farm include the increased public health risks from bird flu, exacerbated by intensive farming methods crowding birds together in January this year [2]. The environmental impact of intensive poultry farms on local waterways is well-established [3].
Bini Pitwell, coordinator of Communities Against Factory Farming said:
“We are saturated with factory farms with nearly 200 in Lincolnshire alone. At a time when farmers face droughts, failed crops and rising concerns over food security, diverting vast amounts of water and feed to intensive livestock operations while they pollute our land and water is unsustainable and short-sighted."
Julie Greenhill, a nearby resident, said:
“Like many others, I made a home in this area expecting a good, healthy quality of life in beautiful, unspoilt nature. The prospect of a factory farm blighting the environment here is deeply worrying. I’m concerned about how thousands of tonnes of waste will be managed, the strain on our precious water supply, and the pollution risk to our local waterways. And local residents shouldn’t be forced to deal with the odour pollution from a megafarm.
I’m concerned that the impact of HGV traffic on the already poor-quality local roads hasn’t been considered. Intensive farming on this scale also raises serious animal welfare issues - millions of birds should not be crammed into sheds together. This is a health disaster waiting to happen. The planned development completely opposes all the values that make this place special.”
Communities Against Factory Farming is calling on local residents and other people concerned by this proposed farm to register their objections to the local council before the submission deadline in July [4].
Spokespeople from CAFF are available for further comment and interview. For more information or further comments, email info@caff.org.uk or call +44 1225 29 6691
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Notes to Editors
[1] https://planning.sholland.gov.uk/OcellaWeb/showDocuments?reference=H23-0313-25&module=pl