Sports village plan must deal with pig farm smells

Plans for a sports village and affordable housing estate will have to factor in how to deal with potential odours emanating from a nearby pig farm.

That was the conclusion of an initial examination of the proposed development, to the north west of Longridge in Lancashire.

However, Preston City Council decided the nature and project's likely impact on land bound by Inglewhite Road, Chipping Lane and Old Clay Lane – would not require a full environmental impact assessment.

The authority was considering a blueprint proposing the creation of a full-size 3G football pitch, two seven-a-side 'junior' pitches, six padel courts, indoor cricket nets, a gymnastics and dance school and a 5km park run.

Elsewhere on the site, 250 homes – all of which would fall into the discounted 'affordable' category – would also be built, Local Democracy Reporting Service writes.

The scheme has been drawn up by Steel Work Construction Limited (SWC) and backed by the social housing provider Community Gateway Association (CGA).

Preston city council highlighted the pig farming operation at Belmont Farm as the source of a potential impact on the development itself.

A report from planning officials noted "the proximity" of the two sites "and the impact this could have on any future residential development in terms of odour".

As a result, an odour impact assessment will have to be submitted with any future planning application in order to "satisfactorily demonstrate" the issue has been addressed.

Planning officers judged that the loss of the existing agricultural land on which the housing and sports village would be built would not be a "significant" one.

Their report added: "The impact upon biodiversity and ecology can be assessed at [the] planning application stage subject to the submission of the relevant reports.

"The long-term visual impact of the proposed development would have the effect of changing the character of the area. However, whilst the proposed development would result in the loss of pasture, given its location on the edge of Longridge, it would not have a significant adverse impact on the landscape character of the area.

"The most significant short-term impact would be an increase in construction traffic movements…[but] these could be controlled by [planning] conditions."

The project can now progress to the full planning applications stage.

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