Plans approved for livestock building for 4,000 pigs near Melton

The development will take place at Holygate Farm at Stapleford, which is operated by Lord John Gretton and Lady Jennifer Gretton.

The Grettons want to set up a pig finishing enterprise to diversify the business and add to the arable farming which currently take place over 3,000 acres of fields there.

Melton Borough Council has granted planning permission and an environmental permit has been approved by the Environment Agency.

Proposals include provision of two linked livestock structures to provide accommodation for the pigs from an initial weight of 35kg through to 110kg, with three batches arriving and leaving every year, and an associated slurry store.

The pig finishing building will be 58m by 56m in size with a roof ridge height of nearly 6.5m, according to the plans, while the slurry store is to have diameter of 28m with a height of 6m.

A planning report states: “A pig finishing enterprise has been chosen for diversification as this compliments and adds to the sustainability of the existing arable farming operations.

“Cereal crops produced on the arable side of the business will be used as a feed stock for the pig finishing unit and slurry produced by the pig unit will be used as a natural fertiliser for the arable cropping and reduce reliance on imported slurry and manures.

“The applicants currently buy around 14,000m3 of pig slurry fertiliser each year.

“This development will enable the business to produce the fertiliser on site.”

The applicants say in their application that the development would be in a remote rural area, on an established farm, and would not disturb anyone.

The predicted odour level from the unit, their report states, would be below that regarded as a moderately offensive smell.

David Martschenko, an environmental health officer with the borough council, states in his comments on the scheme: “Given the relatively remote setting of the proposed development, I do not foresee any significant public health impacts.”