Pig farm pong dumps bungalows plan in the mire near Preston

The pong from the growing pork business near Preston has forced the city council to throw out plans for nine bungalows on land next door - just as it did for 45 homes close by in 2020.

Council officers say the honk from the hogs would be too much for residents living so near.

And the local parish council has also waded into the planning mud by objecting to the scheme - even though the idea of the bungalows on land next to Belmont Pig Farm was given permission in principle only two months ago.

The piggery, off Inglewhite Road, Longridge, was recently given the thumbs up to expand its business. It currently operates from one building, but there are plans for three more in the near future, meaning there could be up to 1,000 animals being reared indoors and a further 1,000 outside.

Environmental health officers say the resulting stench would be at an unacceptable level for anyone buying the bungalows.

The council's argument is the same as it put forward at a planning inquiry which followed its refusal of an application for 45 homes on adjacent land two years ago.

The matter went to appeal and the pig's ear of a plan was dismissed as hogwash by a Government inspector who agreed the odour would be too strong.

The latest application covers a plot of land right next door to the farm - one of the nine bungalows would be just 15.5 metres away from the nearest pigsty. It is also close to the Belmont Residential Home.

In a report an environmental health officer said: "The application site lies in close proximity to Belmont Pig Farm. A number of applications have previously been approved to allow expansion of the business and increase the number of pigs at the farm.

"A recent planning appeal for the development of residential accommodation on land to the north of Old Rib Farmhouse was dismissed by the Planning Inspectorate on the basis that, further to modelling of the odour impact of this business expansion, the future residents of the application site would be subjected to unacceptable levels of odour arising from Belmont Pig Farm once the approved development on the farm has been completed.

"When considering the location of this application it also lies in an area where the modelled odour levels are predicted to be at a level that would have an adverse affect on future occupiers of the proposed development."

Whittingham Parish Council lodged their objection on both smell and traffic access.

It said "concerns have been voiced regarding pig odours." And it went on: "The application site is directly adjacent to the pig farm and is 15.5 metres from the closest housing area of the pigs."

Developers said the application was "an opportunity to create a unique scheme that is responsive to the site, preserves and enhances the best of what is there wherever possible and knits into the adjacent areas of open space and urban form, providing a strong sense of place and character."