Factory mega farming in Stow Bedon – an update

Residents of Stow Bedon in Norfolk have now completed an exhausting eight-day public inquiry into Cranswick’s 6,990-pig Cherry Tree Farm.

The Inspector’s decision is not expected for several months, but the issues raised go far beyond one village.

For nearly six years, local people have reported repeated odour and pollution events. At the inquiry, independent experts challenged key parts of the environmental case, including air-quality modelling, ammonia and nitrogen impacts, manure and slurry spreading, and effects on protected habitats.

Residents also gave first-hand evidence about what it has actually been like to live alongside the development.

The financial costs of the inquiry

The financial burden has fallen heavily on a very small rural community. Residents have had to crowdfund legal representation and independent experts simply to ensure their evidence was properly heard.

Cranswick have also made an application for costs against the Rule 6 party. A nearly 70-year-old grandmother who stood up at the inquiry to explain what residents have lived through described the application for costs as “deeply intimidating”.

It also raises an important wider question…

How many ordinary people may be deterred from speaking up about major developments affecting their homes and countryside if participation carries serious financial risk?

The campaign’s work is continuing.

Complaints have also been submitted to the Office for Environmental Protection and the Parliamentary and Health Service Ombudsman concerning the Environment Agency’s regulation of Cherry Tree Farm.

The Cherry Tree Farm campaign are enormously grateful to everyone who has supported them so far. Donations from supporters have helped get important evidence before the Inspector, and messages on their crowdfunding page have shown that this case has support well beyond Stow Bedon.

What you can do to help

1. Stay up to date with the campaign

For the most up-to-date information about the Cherry Tree Farm campaign, please visit the Chuffed page

Further background information about Cherry Tree Farm and the campaign can also be found on the CAFF website

You can read more about the issues in this EDP article

2. Donate towards the campaign

Even a small donation counts towards the outstanding cost of legal and expert representation at the public planning inquiry in September. Your support would make a real difference.

Donate now

3. Share your views with the local MP

The local MP is George Freeman, and if you would like to share your views with him, you can contact him at george.freeman.mp@parliament.uk