Town Council questions plans for 2,000 pig farm unit

Proposals for a pig farm for 2,000 animals are being questioned by Montgomery Town Council.

The plans have been submitted to Powys County Council by GW and WW Jones of Hill Farm, Montgomery, through agent Ian Pick Associates.

The application is for two pig rearing units that will house nearly 1,000 pigs each, for their partnership with Stockcroft Ltd who supply meat to brands such as Waitrose and McDonalds.

It will include a new roofed building to store the manure prior to it being spread across the farmland.

Currently the farm, run by Will and Debbie James, has 840 cross breading ewes and 217 breeding ewe lambs, but they are proposing to increase their business with the introduction of the pig units.

The application says pigs will go into the system at 7kg and out at 110kg, with the expectation that there are 2.2 cycles expected per year.

The manure shed for the big farm will run parallel to the pig rearing sheds, and will house 180 to 200 tones of manure when the system is at full capacity.

Within the application online, there are a number of rejection letters from residents concerned about a number of issues, including the impact heavy goods vehicles coming to the farm will have on the road system.

Montgomery Town Council in their representations said it supports business diversification, but was concerned around discrepancies in the planning documents and "misleading information", impact on registered historic landscape and that a parcel of land in the development which could be used for spreading manure is part of the Powys local development plan.