‘It will convert our Doncaster village into a massive sty’ – Residents’ anger over plan for 1,000 pig farm

An applicant listed as Mr Scholey of Lodge Farm, Frickley, wants to build a structure to house the pigs and apply for permission to use the land for rear off Abbe’s Walk near Burghwallis.

Planning agents on behalf of the applicant said the plans have been submitted due to HS2 which is planned to be built through the Frickley Farm and part of another farm in Hickleton.

The building is said to accommodate up to 1,000 rearing pigs and the young pigs will come from breeding units to be reared to finishing weight and slaughter.

But the application has been met with fierce resistance by residents who are urging the planning department to thrown it out.

They raise objections around an increase in HGV traffic on the narrow roads and the smell the development could cause.

Other residents fear the site will become a hotbed for animal rights activists and possible protest activity.

It’s understood over 40 people have lodged formal objections, including the nearby Squirrel Wood Scout Camp, despite claims Doncaster Council did not supply adequate notification to residents.

Burghwallis resident Dr Juan Ballesteros, said he was opposed to the development in the ‘strongest possible terms’.

“The construction of a building to rear 1000 pigs would convert our villages, literally, into a massive pig sty,” he said.

“The consequences of extraordinarily unpleasant smells, pests including rats and flies, noise, dust and traffic would make the lives of the people here completely unacceptable and should never be allowed.

Heinz Offermanns, another resident of Bughwallis, said: “My greatest concerns are regarding the infrastructure of Burghwallis such as traffic, which already is at this time at a stress level.

“Should this proposal go ahead this will increase to critical in a very short time. Pig deliveries and collections, bedding deliveries and removals for slaughter will all go to making the traffic situation impossible.

“None of the above mentioned points will affect the Doncaster planning department but will affect the residents of Burghwallis.”

Anthony Atkinson from Acorus Rural Property Services Ltd, said: “The pig enterprise will provide an alternative to the arable enterprise, for which the returns are dictated by global commodity prices.

“The pig enterprise will fit well with the arable cropping - providing grain and straw for the pigs, and then the manure from the pigs will provide organic fertiliser for the land.”