Cranswick representatives decline invitation to megafarm public meeting in Methwold

Representatives from one of the UK’s largest food producers have refused to meet with concerned villagers due to worries a key meeting about megafarm plans will be “hijacked by activists”.

Methwold Parish Council has organised a public meeting this week to discuss Cranswick’s proposals to create one of the biggest livestock farming sites in Europe.

It hopes to build two facilities housing 870,000 chickens and 14,000 pigs in the village and neighbouring Feltwell.

However, the invitation to speak with people worried about the scheme has been declined.

This follows a huge amount of backlash to the proposal, which has led to numerous environmental and animal rights groups becoming involved, including PETA and the Worldwide Fund for Nature.

Responding to the invite, an agent from Bidwells, the planning consultant working for Cranswick, said: “Sadly, we feel any public meeting has the potential to be hijacked by animal rights activists and we have expressed our concerns over this on several occasions.

“The safety of our colleagues is and will always be our number one priority.”

Representatives have offered to appear via an online video link, but the parish council has said it does not have the capability to support this.

The decision follows recent high-profile protests by activists in West Norfolk, which included dead piglets being dumped outside Downham Town Hall and six people gaining access to a pig abattoir in Watton.

Villagers remain unconvinced, with members of a campaign group opposing the farm calling this “cowardly”, while a local councillor called the decision “lily-livered”.

Alun Ryves, district councillor for Methwold, said: “It is most regrettable that a major company so fears a small Norfolk village community that it will not participate in the democratic process and listen to the concerns of villagers.

“Ideally, they may have explained how it will alleviate these.”

Cranswick’s plans, which it says will create a modern and sustainable farm, have led to concern among villagers who worry about the potential environmental harm and increased traffic it could create.