Council must reject megafarm on climate grounds, say campaigners

Local citizens, environmental, and health experts have urged King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council to reject a development which would produce over six million chickens and 56,000 pigs a year.  

In a joint submission, Feedback and Sustain detailed serious flaws in the application, including the absence of an assessment of the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions. Such an assessment is required by law in planning decisions for major developments following a Supreme Court ruling last year. The proposal could increase borough-wide emissions by a huge 6%, jeopardising both local and national climate targets.

The proposal has also generated thousands of objections on a range of grounds including waste, odour, traffic, water and air quality, and climate harm. 

Sustain and Feedback’s objections relate to the following areas:

1. The application is unlawful, therefore should be rejected
2. The application will cause significant climate impacts
3. The application will cause wider environmental impacts
4. The application risks the delivery of legally binding climate and nature emergency targets, plans and policies
5. The application threatens the delivery of local and national planning policy
6. There are no options for mitigating the significant climate impacts of the projects
7. Negative economic impacts of intensive livestock farming 

The application for the Methwold megafarm has drawn widespread opposition, including thousands of objections submitted during the consultation period. Cranswick Plc, the applicant and one of the UK’s largest livestock producers, has faced complaints and enforcement actions over ammonia emissions and river pollution in the past.

The development could increase emissions by more than 120,000 tonnes of CO₂-equivalent annually, contrary to the Council’s climate strategy and the UK’s legally-binding commitment to achieve net zero by 2050.

Feedback and Sustain have received legal advice on Cranswick’s planning application indicating that the direct and indirect climate impacts of industrial livestock units must be considered by councils when deciding on factory farm planning applications.

Council’s climate commitments at risk

King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council declared a climate emergency in 2021 and adopted a strategy aimed at reducing emissions across transport, industry and housing. Approving the Methwold megafarm would directly contravene these commitments.

In addition, the UK Government’s net zero commitment is enshrined in law, and national planning policy for England includes an objective to move to a low-carbon economy. The Methwold application would threaten the delivery of both policies. To meet national climate change targets, the Committee on Climate Change recommends a 20-50% reduction in meat consumption by 2050.

Lily O’Mara, climate justice officer at Sustain, said:

“Allowing this megafarm to proceed without properly assessing its climate impact would be deeply irresponsible and fly in the face of the Council’s declared climate emergency. Approving this application would cancel out the Council’s entire emissions reduction efforts since 2009. What we really need to see is both local and national government investing in healthy and sustainable food.”

Natasha Hurley, campaigns director at Feedback Global, said:

“The stakes couldn’t be higher. This megafarm would lock in emissions increases for years at a time when urgent action is needed to reduce them. Local councils have a responsibility to lead the way on climate action and that is why King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council must listen to the huge opposition by firmly rejecting this application which would be an environmental disaster.”

After the closure of the public consultation, the Council will consider all information submitted before reaching a decision on whether or not to grant planning permission, which is expected in spring.