Plans to build 40 new homes close to a working pig farm in Somerset have been rejected for the second time in just three months.
In April 2024, Rubix Strategic Ltd. submitted proposals for a 40-home development along the B3081 Prestleigh Road in Evercreech, near Shepton Mallet. However, Somerset Council’s east planning committee, which oversees major projects in the former Mendip area, voted to deny permission in early August 2025. The committee cited concerns that the development would harm the village’s character and worsen local flooding.
The application returned to the same committee on November 4 following additional information from the applicant aiming to minimize odour impact from the nearby pig farm. Despite this, councillors remained firm in their refusal, with one describing the proposal as “awful” and “unacceptable.”
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The site is located on the north side of Prestleigh Road, near the former Greencore factory. Notably, in July 2024, plans for 118 homes, commercial space, and a community hub at that factory were also refused on appeal. Previous proposals for 56 homes and a convenience store on this site were withdrawn in June 2023.
Access to the proposed homes would have been from Prestleigh Road, with most houses clustered near existing properties on Maesdown Road. Of the 40 planned homes, 12 were to be affordable, meeting the council’s 30% affordable housing target for developments of ten homes or more in the area.
To offset any increase in phosphates affecting the nearby Somerset Levels and Moors catchment, local farmland would be taken out of active use and replaced with new woodland near the site.
Crucially, the site is not included in either the Mendip Local Plan Part I or Part II, making the development unallocated land under current planning guidelines.
Fletcher Robinson, trustee of CPRE Somerset, spoke out against the plans during the November meeting. He pointed out, “We can’t find any example in the UK where a housing estate has been approved within 50 metres of a pig farm housing 600 pigs. A farmer would be denied permission to establish such a farm within 400 metres of existing housing. The committee’s previous decision should stand. If wind direction shifts — which it often does — all the homes on this site would be affected, not just those closest.”
Local former district councillor Barry O’Leary criticized the proposal as “putting lipstick on a pig” and highlighted a “total failure of local consultation.” He added, “The developer is sneaking back in, hoping no one will notice. The facts haven’t changed — the site is the wrong place for housing, and infrastructure is insufficient.”
Paul Davies, who lives opposite the site, warned that the development could threaten the pig farm, which has operated for 60 years under Red Tractor standards, housing up to 600 pigs. “There were no pigs present during the odour assessments. Pigs produce distinctive smells and noises; I hear them squealing day and night, especially in summer,” he said.
Councillor Rob Reed expressed disappointment about the reapplication, stating, “The refusal was not about needing more information — pigs are already there. The odour report is flawed because it was conducted when no pigs were present, making it meaningless. These houses would be uninhabitable.”
Councillor Claire Sully emphasized the need to protect the agricultural sector and noted, “The farmer was there first and wants to safeguard his business.”
Councillor Barry Clarke stated, “If you asked any farmer about people living just 80 metres from their pig farm, they’d laugh. A 200-metre gap is the minimum. This application is most unacceptable.”
Following nearly 90 minutes of debate, the planning committee voted 11 to 1 with two abstentions to refuse the housing plans. Rubix Strategic Ltd., based in Bristol, has not announced whether it will appeal the decision.