Pig farm plan causes stink in Kilburn village

The application is to house 2,000 pigs at the farm in Kilburn, North Yorkshire

Residents of a village in North Yorkshire have objected to plans to bring thousands of pigs into the area and generate power from the waste.

Church Farm at Kilburn, close to the famous White Horse, has submitted the plan to Hambleton District Council.

Hambleton council said 84 comments on the application had been received but no decision had been made.

The application form submitted to the council said the aim was to "avoid complaints about smells".

Sara Cussons, who lives near the farm at High Kilburn, said : "The plans include a proposal for a total of 2,000 pigs to be brought into Kilburn on a ten-week rolling programme.

"As you can imagine; the villagers, those who live in the immediate area and people who have visited Kilburn for years as tourists were up in arms about this planning application.

"Everyone appreciates that farming is difficult, but to suggest a development that will have such a diabolical impact on this beautiful renowned tourist village is unbelievable."

A document submitted to the council by Prism Planning said: "Rather than locate the four pig buildings at the farmstead, where there is space to accommodate them, it is proposed to locate the buildings next to the anaerobic digester plant for two reasons.

"Firstly, to avoid complaints from neighbours regarding odour nuisance arising from the pigs and secondly, to reduce traffic movements required to transport pig manure to the anaerobic digester plant."

Hambleton District Council said the process of consultation was ongoing and no date had yet been set for councillors to consider the plan.