The meat producer was seeking planning permission to construct a farm in Methwold capable of rearing more than five million chickens and 45,000 pigs per year.
However, on 3 March the council unanimously voted to reject the application, following the recommendations set out in a 200-page report authored by planning officers last month.
In calling for the council to reject the application, the report cited the lack of information provided by Cranswick on the direct and indirect greenhouse gas emissions that would be caused by the farm expansion.
The planning officers also noted that the application had failed to provide clarity on how waste would be disposed of in order to prevent pollution.
In the lead up to the vote, the plans received plenty of pushback from environmental and animal welfare groups and local people, with more than 15,000 objections made during the formal consultation process.
Cranswick has been critical of the NGO pushback and published independent analysis which found that that more than 90% of objections to the proposals came from people who do not live in a 10km radius of the site.
However, the council sided against the firm, which said in response that it would continue to look at its options.
Commenting after the decision was announced, a Cranswick spokesperson said: “We are incredibly disappointed by today’s decision. This a bad day for the sustainable production of British meat.
“We’ll now take time to review the decision and consider the options available to us.”
On the flipside, a spokesperson for resident organisation Cranswick Objection Group said it was a relief to see the council listen to the concerns of local residents.
“The local community has been loud and clear: we do not want these farms here disturbing our environment, roads, and quality of life,” the spokesperson continued.
“We hope today serves as a sign to the council that these farms have no place in our peaceful communities.”
Campaign groups Feedback Global and Sustain made a joint submission to the consultation calling for the plans to be blocked, and both organisations welcomed the decision to reject the application.
“Local authorities are waking up to the reality of industrial farming: a damaging and extractive system of food production that poses a serious threat to human health and our country’s future, both economically and environmentally,” said Lily O’Mara, climate campaigner at Sustain.
“King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Council has rightly put nature and communities first by saying no to a development that would have sent us in completely the wrong direction.”
Phil Holtam, programmes manager at Feedback Global, added: “This decision that has rightly recognised the significant and inevitable environmental and climate impact of the mass production of meat.
“Cranswick’s plans would have caused upstream emissions that we cannot afford if we are to meet Net Zero targets. There is a better way to provide food security and decent agricultural livelihoods in the UK, factory farming is not the answer.”
