Those living near Cranswick Food sites in Watton and Stow Bedon say they are being plagued by an overpowering ammonia smell which regularly leaves them with streaming eyes, burning throats and breathing difficulties.

And as they continue to demand answers from the food-producing giant, they appear to be growing more and more frustrated at a perceived lack of support from George Freeman, the Mid Norfolk MP.

Cherry Tree Farm in Stow Bedon (Image: Henry Durand)

Locals living in the shadow of the Cherry Tree Farm in Stow Bedon say they have sent more than 60 emails to Mr Freeman since 2024 without receiving a response.

A local parish council's call for help has also gone unanswered.

Similar concerns have recently arisen in Watton, with locals complaining that the smell from an abattoir on the edge of town has worsened.

Mr Freeman has defended his work to combat the stench, however, pointing out that he visited Stow Bedon in 2024 and set up a liaison group with Cranswick to tackle the issue.

Mr Freeman pictured outside a Cranswick site (Image: Supplied)

WHAT AND WHERE ARE THE POLLUTION PROBLEMS?

Anger has been mounting in the village, which has a population of around 200, since Cranswick's Cherry Tree Farm expanded to house 7,000 fully-grown pigs in 2021.

The ammonia smell associated with the farm - which comes from a mix of pig urine and faeces - has become known as the "Stow Bedon stink".

It later emerged the pig sheds added as part of the expansion had been built with permeable mesh "curtain walls" which locals said undermined the ventilation system intended to keep the smell under control.

The Environment Agency was forced to issue an enforcement notice over the breach, and hundreds of complaints have followed.

Breckland Council refused Cranswick's retrospective planning application for the site in October 2025, ruling the firm had failed to supply a required environmental impact assessment.

The farm houses more than 7,000 pigs (Image: Henry Durand)

Cranswick is now appealing, with a public inquiry due to open on September 22 at Elizabeth House in Dereham, and villagers are racing to raise........

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