MORE than 2,200 people have now written to object to plans by a meat processing company to expand an abattoir where thousands of pigs are slaughtered every day.
Pilgrim’s Pride has applied to South Gloucestershire Council for planning permission to build new facilities at its Pilgrim’s Europe slaughterhouse at Oakley Green Farm, Westerleigh, on the opposite side of the M4 to Lyde Green.
The company says the work will “upgrade and expand” the livestock processing facility so that it can slaughter 25,000 pigs per week, adding: “The proposals aim to improve operational efficiency, enhance environmental performance, and provide modern infrastructure in support of the site’s existing lawful use.”
Many of the objections have been from people raising animal welfare concerns.
But villagers have also written to object, with one writing that the “pervasive smell” from the slaughterhouse “frequently engulfs the whole village and its surroundings”, earning Westerleigh the nickname ‘The Smelly Village’.
Residents have also raised concerns about effluent leakages into the ground and local waterways.
Developers behind plans to build more than 2,000 homes on land next to the abattoir, a project known as North Lyde Ecotech Village, have also objected to the expansion plan.
They told South Gloucestershire Council: “As the emerging Local Plan has now been submitted to the Planning Inspectorate for examination, we consider that it can be given some weight in decision taking at this point in time, and needs to be considered as part of the proposals given that the spatial context of the abattoir is due to change significantly over the coming years.
“The abattoir will no longer sit in a relatively isolated position, with residential dwellings, employment floorspace, primary school and publicly accessible open space and sports provision proposed to be located between the M4, Westerleigh Road and the abattoir.”
The plans can be viewed at the council’s planning website by searching for application P25/02416/F.