A 15,000 pig development in Northern Ireland has been given the green light by planners, ending months of high-profile opposition against it.
Derek Hall, the farmer concerned, wanted to construct a unit for up to 30,000 pigs - but revised plans have now been passed for a unit half that size, an adjustment which has now gained planning permission from Antrim and Newtownabbey Borough Council Planning Committee.
Slurry and smell were among the concerns raised by nearby residents in Newtownabbey, and 200,000 people signed an online petition against the development.
Famous voices also joined in on the opposition, with celebrities including Queen guitarist and animal welfare campaigner Brian May, as well as actors Martin Shaw and Jenny Seagrove, having publicly opposed the pig unit.
Ulster Unionist Party politician Roderick Swann backed the proposal. He said: “I’m a farmer myself who supports the agri-industry and I was quite satisfied that all the necessary welfare issues were addressed.
“The planning case officer and all the consultees were quite happy with everything that was proposed.”
Asked if he understood the strong opposition, both from locals and those not so local, Mr Swann said: “I can and I can’t. There was an awful lot of ‘not in my backyard’.
“A lot of these animal rights folks, they’re entitled to their opinion, but I think they’re on the wrong track sometimes. This will be the most modern pig farm, not only in Ireland, but also Great Britain.”
