Pig sick over plans

From the archive, first published Saturday 31st Mar 2007.

A farmer has been accused of hogging open village land after being given the go-ahead to build a controversial pig breeding unit on his property - which faces listed cottages.

Farmer David Sunderland, 43, of Chat Hill Farm, Chat Hill, Thornton, Bradford, had plans for the building and associated silos on green belt land off Alderscholes Lane, Thornton, approved by Bradford Council last week.

Twenty-three objections were submitted by residents concerned about the smell of the pigs, the proximity to nearby buildings, road access, flood risk and the impacts on listed buildings and green belt land. Residents held a meeting and proposed to submit a complaint about the planning procedure to the planning department.

Initially ten pigs will be housed in the unit which is to be built in a field up the road from Mr Sunderland's farm. Last week the Council withdrew charges against Mr Sunderland after accusing his pigs of dislodging the bark from 22 beech trees protected by preservation orders in a neighbouring field.

In a report to the Council's area planning panel, planners said: "There is sufficient distance between the development and nearby dwellings to avoid any significant adverse impact on the listed cottages.

"The proposal would not result in any significant detriment to the openness or character of the green belt due to its design, colour and materials, and would not lead to significant concerns for highway safety or residential amenity."

Conditions to the plans state that no tree or shrub in the field must be removed or worked on without the approval of the planning authority.

New trees will be planted on the site's eastern boundary and the number of pigs will be agreed with the planning authority.

Rachel Poole, 29, lives in one of ten listed cottages in Pinch Beck, Alderscholes Lane, Thornton. She said: "I live opposite the land with my husband and baby daughter and will have to watch and smell the effects of the pigs. Another field has been left a barren mud land by the pigs. Trees and greenery have been eaten and it looks awful.

"The owner lives at the farm which he obviously doesn't want to spoil so he has chosen Pinch Beck. The area is beautiful, with trees and shrubs, the beck runs through the land and owls and Jays live there. It attracts walkers and a cycle track runs above it on the viaduct.

"We feel our complaints have been ignored, and we find Mr Sunderland unapproachable.

Residents were supposed to receive seven days notice about the planning meeting (last Wednesday) but we didn't get letters until Sunday and Monday and it was too short notice for many of us."

Mr Sunderland said: "The building will be designed in a way that all concerns about smells will be dealt with, that's why we are putting them indoors. From a farming point of view this is traditional livestock farming and living here, this is what they should expect, it's the town meets the countryside.

"I've acted within the law and have as much a right to access my property as them, and while I realise there is no off-road parking, it is those who park there who cause the problem. I wish residents would approach me when they have a problem, but no-one has ever directly done that."

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