A bid to build a huge chicken farm that would house some 365,000 birds has been blocked after uproar which even saw the local MP intervene.
It is the latest attempt by farming firm PF Southgate Ltd to build eight poultry sheds in Rocklands All Saints, a rural village near Attleborough.
The plans were met with strong objections from locals and Mid Norfolk MP George Freeman, who backed their concerns about the “environmental impacts and possible pollution that a facility of this size, in this location, could generate”.
READ MORE: Quorn CEO attacks plans to build mega farms next to its Norfolk production site
It garnered about 100 objections from people living in the surrounding area, as well as the parish council and the Environment Agency, who feared it could lead to Swangey Fen - a Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) - being impacted by pollution.
Officers decided to block the plans for several reasons, including concerns about the condition of the road to the site, flooding risks, the potential harm to wildlife and that the site's raised position would have an adverse impact on the countryside surrounding it.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here