'Megafarm' will harm the environment, says MP

A Labour MP has said he is against plans to build a so-called ‘megafarm’ in Norfolk.

Food producer Cranswick wants to expand an existing site in Methwold so it can rear millions of chickens and tens of thousands of pigs every year in the county.

Terry Jermy, who represents South West Norfolk, has written to the Environment Agency, saying the development would “adversely affect people and biodiversity”.

A spokesman for Cranswick said the project would create a sustainable and modern farm helping to deliver affordable food.

Cranswick is a pork and chicken producer that supplies meat to major supermarkets.

It wants to pull down existing poultry sheds on the land and build 20 new ones to house 870,000 chickens.

It also wants to create 14 new buildings for 14,000 pigs - and accommodation for people working on the site.

The proposed development would sit in Jermy’s new constituency.

He has written to the Environment Agency, objecting to the granting of an environmental permit for the development.

“I have been clear, now and then, with all that have contacted me I am against this proposal. No ifs or buts,” he said.

“In my view it is bad for the environment, bad for animal welfare and bad for local residents.

“We should be supporting local farmers, improving animal welfare and preserving our environment.

"This 'megafarm' approach achieves none of that and should be rejected.”

Plans for the development have been lodged with West Norfolk Council.

Several groups have raised concerns about the environmental impact of the plan, including food and farming alliance Sustain and the World Wide Fund for Nature (WWF).

A spokesman for Cranswick said the firm had worked to address concerns raised locally and would update the local community in the coming weeks.

"The UK imports a lot of pork and chicken as there is not enough produced in the UK to meet this demand," he said.

"The investment in our farms is made using best available techniques to ensure the most sustainable and efficient sites are developed and improve standards versus those already in operation.

"It also helps address the need for more security in the UK food chain."

West Norfolk Council said it had received more than 15,500 objections to the proposal which it said was "unusual".

A 30-day public consultation into the proposal began on Wednesday, November 20 and will close on Friday, December 20.

A council report into the scheme is expected to be published early next year.