Win for locals and nature as factory farm plans refused in fresh blow to Cranswick

7 Nov

In another blow to controversial meat giant Cranswick, who are already facing numerous allegations of animal cruelty, a second intensive farm application has been refused following mass public outrage, with over 1,000 objections submitted. [1]

Cranswick’s Cherry Tree Farm in Stow Bedon has repeatedly made national headlines for its “smelly” emissions and pollution, which locals say have harmed their health and caused significant distress. [2]

Cherry Tree Farm, run by a subsidiary of Cranswick, underwent a major expansion in 2019.
That year, approval was given to switch operations from housing 600 sows with piglets to accommodating 7,000 mature pigs.
Residents have been asking Breckland Council to refuse the farm’s retrospective planning application for four years, since it was first built in 2021 with galebreakers (cloth walls) rather than solid walls.
Cranwick has been mired in controversy with repeated undercover investigations revealing widespread cruelty on its farms, resulting in supermarkets dropping farms owned by the industry giant from their supply chain. [3]
The company failed to submit its environmental impact assessments by the deadline on 3/10/25, resulting in Breckland Council’s refusal; the decision notice was issued 21/10/25. Cranswick has appealed the decision.

Cranswick was given until 3 October 2025 to provide the required environmental reports to ensure the farm would not cause harm to the environment - an important area for biodiversity - yet failed to meet the deadline, leading Breckland Council to reject two retrospective planning applications, putting the farm’s future in jeopardy.

Communities Against Factory Farming (CAFF) has supported local residents and have hailed the decision as a major victory, praising the Council. CAFF are warning that factory farming pollution is devastating our river health - as seen in the Wye Valley, where local residents have taken councils and farms to court over the harm caused.

Breckland Council had previously been admonished by the Environmental Law Foundation for risking “maladministration” in stalling on its decision regarding the farm. [4]

Maya Pardo, CAFF Campaign Lead commented:

“For too long, Cranswick and other large-scale suppliers have failed to take their environmental responsibilities seriously - made clear by their inability to submit the required environmental impact assessments by October’s final deadline. They have had years to prepare, yet appeared content for this farm to be approved without a fair and transparent review, were it not for the determined opposition of local residents, supported by CAFF and others.

The toll on the local community from this farm can’t be overstated. This development has caused years of needless hardship and distress, and it’s a fight that should never have been necessary had Cranswick genuinely intended to meet its environmental obligations.

Factory farming and its emissions are a blight on the British countryside and a grave threat to our already fragile biodiversity. We welcome Breckland Council’s recognition that, in its current form, this proposal is simply unacceptable.”

Residents– who report seeing plumes of ammonia rising off Cherry Tree regularly and experiencing breathing difficulties– are deeply concerned about the impacts of ammonia emissions from the pig farm on the trees and wild birds in the nearby Special Areas of Conservation and Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SACs and SSSIs) which are known for their rich biodiversity, and are also asking the Environment Agency to carefully review ammonia emissions from Cherry Tree and withdraw the permit.

Expert planning consultant Helen Hamilton, who has been assisting the Environmental Law Foundation in its support of residents, explained, “it is now for a planning inspector to decide whether to allow this development to stand or whether it must be removed or replaced.”

Breckland Council had previously issued an enforcement notice against Cranswick for breaching planning conditions, which means that the buildings will need to come down if Cranswick loses its appeal.

Ann Cuthbert, who lives adjacent to Cherry Tree Farm, commented to CAFF:
“We welcome Breckland Council’s refusal of planning permission for the industrial pig unit at Cherry Tree Farm. For four years, this site has operated without proper authorisation, exposing local people to ammonia and fine particle pollution that drifts through our homes and gardens.

Many of us have been made unwell and live with the constant stress of not knowing whether the pollution will last for a few hours or several days even over Christmas one year, when everything we ate and drank tasted of pig urine. This isn’t just about smell - it’s about the chemical and biological pollutants we’ve been forced to breathe.

It’s like passive smoking in the countryside: we don’t choose to be exposed, but we have no way to avoid it. Norfolk’s Director of Public Health has warned that air pollution is one of the county’s biggest causes of preventable illness and early death, with ammonia and particulates remaining high in rural areas linked to intensive agriculture.

This decision is a vital first step towards protecting public health, but enforcement must now follow to stop the ongoing harm and ensure the law is applied fairly for everyone.”

Another of Cranswick’s megafarm proposals, in Methwold, was refused both on climate grounds, and because of concerns about the impacts of ammonia emissions on the Breckland and Norfolk Valley Fens SAC and SSSIs.

The Methwold megafarm, which would have been the largest in Europe, was refused on 3/4/25 following opposition from locals, animal welfare groups and environmental groups. The Environment Agency Permit was also rejected. [5]

Jake White, head of legal advocacy at WWF said:

“This site has always represented farming against nature, while releasing huge amounts of noxious gases that are a blight on local people's lives. The news that the application has been refused is therefore very welcome.

We must now ensure that action to protect and restore our environment across the country is prioritised. And as this case makes very clear it is essential that, rather than US style megafarms, we support farmers to produce food that is healthy and sustainable for climate, nature and people."

ENDS

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Notes to the Editor

[1] Planning portal:

https://publicportal.breckland.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=197672

https://publicportal.breckland.gov.uk/planning/index.html?fa=getApplication&id=197696

[2] Notices of refusal:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1BUvpr5KKR9_nVHDzJ7ADyXocdcm27QDd/view?usp=drive_link

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zrs_2uo4UPz1otvcsjRfrvTLselLWbgv/view?usp=drive_link

[2] Prior press coverage of Cherry Tree Farm

Mirror: https://www.mirror.co.uk/news/uk-news/furious-villagers-claim-mega-farm-32749038