'Judge mega-farm plans like others', council urged

Chickens would be reared in sheds built identically to the company's other sites

A company that wants to build a so-called mega farm has told the council considering the plans to judge them "in line" with how similar farms nearby had been assessed.

Food producer Cranswick wants to build one of the UK's largest industrial farms by expanding an existing site at Methwold, Norfolk, to rear millions of chickens and tens of thousands of pigs each year.

In a briefing document, the company said it wanted to modernise for a growing market, creating more British food to higher welfare standards through the redevelopment of existing farms.

King's Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council has been recommended to turn down the application due to its impact on ecology and climate change, but said it would "consider the applications professionally and objectively".

Existing chicken sheds on the Methwold site would be replaced

"At a time of rising prices, trade wars, and escalating international tensions, now is the time Britain needs to produce more food at home, using modern, efficient, and sustainable forms of farming," the company's report says.

It ends by asking that the planning application is "judged in line with the way that other farms have been assessed nearby".

Locals, MPs, environmental groups and animal welfare charities are among those who have have previously opposed the plans.

The council's planning committee is to meet to discuss the plans next week.

In a 200-page report, planning officers said the applicant "fails to demonstrate that the development would not result in significant adverse effects on the protected sites."

A council spokesperson said councillors would "consider the applications professionally and objectively on the planning issues, as they would any other application".

The authority said Cranswick's comments would be sent to the decision-makers as late representations "in line with usual planning committee procedure".

"The applicant will also have the opportunity to address members on the matters they raise at the planning committee meeting," the spokesperson added.