Norfolk farms have breached environmental rules twice a week since 2017, totaling 776 reported breaches sparking calls for stricter rules.
Data reveals many environmental rule breaks at big farms since 2017. There were 776 reported breaches.
Eco groups now want stricter rules to protect wildlife.
The government plans to change things to make farm building easier, aiming to help food production.
People worry about more pollution as looser rules might cause problems.
Big farms with lots of animals need a special permit. This applies to those farms with 40,000 birds, 2,000 pigs, or 750 sows.
The Environment Agency issues these permits which have rules to follow.
Breaking permit rules can lead to prosecution. Farms get checked for several things, including animal housing and waste storage. They also check water use.
Between 2022 and 2024, over 130 incidents occurred, involving 57 farms in Norfolk. Only one farmer faced prosecution for this.
Many farms received official warnings, and two got formal cautions. A lot got advice instead. Since 2017, problems happened often, with at least two reports a week, mostly due to bad management.
One pig farm broke the rules. Inspectors found some environmental risks with poorly maintained buildings and incorrect oil storage. They lacked inspection programs too.
Another farm, Cherry Tree Farm, had issues. People made many complaints about it, with villagers complaining a lot since 2021. This farm belongs to a big food producer.
The NFU spoke about the issue, saying advice helps farmers comply. They stated that farmers care about the environment and want high quality food, and farm size doesn’t measure standards.
The number of megafarms has increased. One company plans a big livestock farm that could house millions of chickens and thousands of pigs each year.
Environmental groups want tougher rules and don’t want rules to get looser. Sustain wants farming to change to a nature-friendly approach. They released the data.
Sustain says firms fail to meet basic rules. The government should enforce safeguards that protect our soil, rivers, and air. Weakening rules is not a good idea, as corporate farms benefit while communities suffer.