Chicken farm to shut after complaints of 'unbearable smell'
Carol & Dave Webb and their neighbours Sarah & Graham Craske wearing face masks in Fulmodeston. Picture: Dave Webb - Credit: Archant
Banham Poultry is to empty a north Norfolk chicken farm after residents complained due to its "unbearable smell.'
Villagers in Fulmodeston, near Fakenham, made over 350 complaints to the Environment Agency regarding noise and odour coming from Poplars Poultry Farm.
They said the smell from the farm, used by Banham Poultry since 2012, had become “unbearable” over the last three years.
Now the company has said they will surrender their poultry permit and leave the site by the end of the year.
The road leading to Poplars Poultry Farm in Fulmodeston, leased by Banham Poultry. Picture: Dave Webb - Credit: Archant
In an update issued to residents from the Environment Agency, it said: "We have continued to work with our national permitting team on producing the updated environmental permit for the site.
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"As part of this, we requested Banham Poultry include significantly more detail and measures in their odour, noise and dust management plans.
"We have continued to investigate all reports of odour and noise we have received from local residents and scored Banham Poultry for any permit breaches.
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"Banham Poultry has recently informed us that they do not intend to re-stock the sheds with birds once the current crop comes to an end.
"Once the site is empty, cleaning will take place before Christmas."
Residents living near the farm complained to this newspaper on September 24 about having to wear face masks in their gardens due to the farms “unbearable odour”.
A criminal investigation into odour at the Banham Poultry factory in Attleborough has been launched - Credit: Denise Bradley
Now, husband and wife David and Carol Webb, who has been in the village for 10 years, have said they are "pleasantly surprised" with the result.
Mr Webb said: "The site operator did have a legal responsibility for the health, safety and welfare of the village residents, and these issues should have been resolved earlier.
"The parish council have written to the site owner Picken holdings and we look forward to hearing what their plans are in the future and working closely with them”.
Jerome Mayhew, MP for Broadland, said: "I know the residents of Fulmodeston will relish the relief from chicken odour and I hope that any fallow period can be put to good use in upgrading mechanical and management systems to stop this recurring nuisance once and for all."
Residents thanked Mr Mayhew, Fulmodeston Parish Council and North Norfolk District Council for their support.
