Residents of a picture postcard village have complained of nose bleeds, headaches, breathing problems and spoiled food caused by the foul stench of ammonia drifting over from a pig farm.

They say they are unable to sit in their gardens because the odour is so overpowering and one woman was even advised by her GP not to get pregnant because of health concerns.

Problems began in 2021 when a massive expansion was allowed that saw the number of pigs increase more than ten-fold to around 7,000 animals. 

Health care professional Ann Cuthbert, 66, who lives in the village, described how the overpowering ammonia created a thick haze which drifts over nearby homes.

‘It’s nauseating. The air gets really thick. I get nose bleeds and it stings your nose and lungs. I also get headaches. It’s quite stressful,’ she said.

‘If you eat [outside] the food can taste like pig excrement. Sometimes it can be so strong it’s difficult to breathe when walking near the site.

Ann Cuthbert (pictured), who lives in the village, said she gets ‘nose bleeds and it stings your nose and lungs’

Pictured: Cherry Tree Farm in the picture postcard village of Stow Bedon, Norfolk

Residents have complained of a constant haze of ammonia emanating from the pig unit owned by Cranswick Foods

‘My daughter went to the GP. She’s got no underlying health conditions but they gave her an inhaler because you can’t breathe properly.

‘As she was leaving, the doctor asked if she was thinking of having a baby. She said ‘Not quite’ and he said ‘Don’t’.’

Tessa Fitzgerald, who has lived in the area for 22 years, added: ‘It is quite strong. It depends on the wind direction. I’m sensitive to smells and it can give me an irritated wind pipe.’

Hannah Reed, who chairs Stow Bedon and Breckles Parish Council, said: ‘We live in a farming area and everyone knows you get smells occasionally but it wasn’t particularly noticeable before. It’s the industrialisation of it.

‘It’s not just the ammonia – it’s also the mixture of dust in the air. Sometimes you can feel the effects on your eyes. It can make them sting. Washing needs to be re-washed.

‘At certain times it’s disgusting and makes you choke. It should not be affecting people’s health and the right to enjoy their home.’

Ms Reed said demands for action to be taken had had little effect and the last few years had been like ‘banging your head against a wall’.

‘It seems like we have exhausted every avenue and there is nothing more we can do about it,’ she added.

‘Breckland Council are too scared to do anything about it because it’s run by such a huge company.’

Another local said the smell left him feeling like a ‘prisoner in my own home’ at times.

The farm, which stands about 1,000 ft from homes in Stow Bedon, is owned by FTSE 250 food giant Cranswick PLC, which was founded in 1974 and has more than 10,000 employees. Last year it generated revenue of more than £2.3 billion.

The farm used to have just 600 sows and their piglets but was given permission to expand to 7,000 fully-grown pigs and became operational two years later.

Since then, 380 complaints have been made to the Environment Agency about the smell. Investigations have found the farm to be in breach of its permit on 12 occasions.

Ms Cuthbert said ‘My daughter went to the GP. She’s got no underlying health conditions but they gave her an inhaler because you can’t breathe properly’

The farm, which stands about 1,000 ft from homes in Stow Bedon, is owned by FTSE 250 food giant Cranswick PLC, which was founded in 1974

The Environmental Agency has received roughly 380 complaints about the smell

Ammonia is a particular problem, especially when combined with fumes from cars or other industrial facilities

An enforcement notice was issued requiring a reduction in ammonia emissions, which officers warned could ‘adversely affect’ nearby habitats.

But locals say the problem continues. Of 40 odour assessments carried out by the EA, ten showed moderate-to-severe levels.

A separate enforcement notice required the company to make changes to buildings that fell outside the conditions of its permit.

Changes included chimneys over the massive buildings that house the pigs being raised 10ft to help the ammonia drift away and a ban on manure and slurry being spread on surrounding fields.

But residents say it has made no difference and the clamour reached new levels after Cranswick submitted a retrospective planning application with Breckland Council, triggering 70 letters of objection.

Pig farming is a major industry in Norfolk, where there has been a surge in permits for ‘mega-farms’ in recent years – those with more than 2,500 indoor production pigs, 700 indoor breeding pigs or 40,000 birds.

But there is growing public concern about them over animal welfare and the impact on local communities.

Ammonia is a particular problem, especially when combined with fumes from cars or other industrial facilities. It has been linked to increased death rates, cardiovascular disease, respiratory problems, cognitive decline and low birth weights.

Cranswick were approached for a comment.

In a previous statement, they said: gremios reformas zaragoza ‘After construction, the requirements for the operating permit changed and, in dialogue with the EA and local authority, the changes were implemented.

‘We continue to work closely with the EA who confirm we operate within the agreed parameters of the permit relating to the local environment.’

It didn’t specifically address health concerns among villagers but added it was aware of complaints and was ‘working closely with the EA on this matter’.

The EA said: ‘We issued an enforcement notice last year due to breaches of permit at the site in relation to odour and emission.

‘The operator has now made infrastructural and operational improvements on the site to further minimise odours off-site.’

Breckland Council were also asked to comment.