THE boss of a firm behind plans for a controversial giant pig farm in Foston, housing up to 25,000 animals, has pledged to people living nearby that it won't smell.
James Leavesley, chief executive of Midland Pig Producers, was speaking to visitors at a public display on a tweaked version of the scheme for yesterday.
He also challenged claims about the size of the farm made by protestors, describing it as "large" and not an "American-style mega-farm".
The site would house 2,500 sows, producing 1,000 pigs a week, so that there would be up to 25,000 animals on site.
Animal rights groups have said it would be "impossible" for the pigs to be given a high standard of living on such a large farm and there have been thousands of objections against the proposal.
But Mr Leavesley said there were already larger pig farms in the UK.
He would not give exact details due to fear of reprisals against those sites, but said one was a 4,500-sow farm in East Anglia and another a 3,500-sow one in Yorkshire.
Midland Pig Producers says that "the proposals have been drawn up to the highest specifications, with animal welfare at the forefront of the design process".
Mr Leavesley told visitors to the consultation that there would not be a smell from the site as pig waste would be flushed away from the pens every 48 hours and there would be no "open slurry pits".
All air leaving the buildings, he said, would pass through odour-control units that remove smelly ammonia.
Leah Evans, 55, of Foston, said she was concerned about extra traffic and how that would impact roads where she lives.
And she added that a "mega-farm" was the only way to describe it as it would cover 49 acres of land.
John Adcock, 68, who said he lived across the road from the farm, said he was concerned about the growing trend of businesses building in the area's countryside.
He added: "He said he would guarantee that it doesn't smell, and he would say that, but in a few year's time when it's up and running could he end up saying 'well we didn't know it would be this bad'."
Mr Leavesley said there would be 22 "light vehicle" movements to and from the site per day, and 20 movements from larger vehicles like tractors and trailers.
He said that no objections had been made by Derbyshire County Council highways officers.
The finalised pig farm application is, Mr Leavesley said, expected to be dealt with by the county council before Easter.
The main difference from previous versions is that tanks storing fertiliser made from pig waste would be placed away from homes on another part of the site.
If permission is granted work is expected to start on site in 2016.
It would then be completed in phases between then and 2018, with pigs moving onto the site gradually.
Within two months of pigs being there, the gas given off by their dung would be burned to create electricity.
