A GIANT pig farm proposed for Derbyshire has had its permit to operate refused over smell fears.
But Midland Pig Producers, the firm behind the proposal for Foston, says it has no plans to withdraw its planning application.
The farm would house 2,500 sows, producing 1,000 pigs a week, so that there would be up to 25,000 animals on site.
In September last year, objections to the plans stood at 38,000, with people concerned that it would cause odour, traffic and flooding problems.
Developments like the farm need a permit from the Environment Agency to operate.
Now the agency has refused an application for the permit because its officers aren't satisfied it would not create a bad smell.
Its decision notice said: "The reason for refusal is that based on the information that has been provided to us we cannot be satisfied that the activities can be undertaken without resulting in significant pollution of the environment due to odour which will result in offence to human senses and impair amenity and/or legitimate uses of the environment."
An agency spokesman said that there did not appear to have been an appeal lodged against the permit decision but that Midland Pig did have the right to do so within six months.
A Midland Pig spokeswoman said the firm had no plans to withdraw its planning application.
But the company is yet to announce what its next steps will be.
The spokeswoman said: "We are pleased that, after nearly four years, the Environment Agency has finally made a decision. Given the history leading to this point we find it totally unsurprising that even after such an unfeasibly long period of deliberation and prevarication our application for an environmental permit has eventually been turned down.
"And, while not wishing to second guess any decision by any other body, it seems inevitable that this outcome will provide others with the reason to refuse any application connected with our plans.
"However, now that we have an actual decision we can move forward. This is not the end of the matter, but the beginning of the second stage."
In September, James Leavesley, chief executive of Midland Pig Producers, had pledged that the site would not cause an odour problem.
The Agency spokesman said that, if Midland Pig was to appeal, the Agency must "notify any interested parties affected by the decision, or who may have an interest".
