A PROPOSED pig plant on the edge of Derrylin has been met with fierce opposition by residents worried it will stink out the village.
The application for the pig farm on the Doon Road, which will consist of a shed catering for 1,000 fattener pigs, has so far received almost 70 objections. Local residents, who held an emergency meeting on the proposal last Thursday night, have told the Herald they are not happy with how close the proposed piggery is to the town, and they are worried it could bring air pollution, noise, and heavy traffic.
Francis Scallon, for example, said the proposed plant was around half a mile from the centre of Derrylin and was slightly up on Doon mountain, meaning the smell and noise would waft down to the Main Street.
“We don’t know why they want to build it so close to the town, with the health effects it will have residents and so on,” he said, stating it would impact the local environment too. “They are looking to build it on a hill right beside the Owengar River, that runs right into Lough Erne.”
He added: “I live at the bottom and the wind just comes right down the mountain. The whole place is going to be getting the smell and the noise from the piggery.”
Mr Scallon said he was aware of two similar applications in Cavan that had been turned down, including one in Virginia that was turned down as effluent from the piggery could run into Lough Erne.
The Herald contacted the architects who submitted planning applictions but no response was forthcoming at time of going to press.
Newly elected councillor for the area Chris McCaffrey was among those who attended last week’s meeting, which was organised in three days but attracted over 60 people. Cllr McCaffrey said he welcomed investment, particularly from the farming community of which he himself is a part of, but after being contacted by residents and going to the meeting it was clear there was no community support for the piggery.
“It’s the proximity to the local town and the residents that’s the concern. I support farmers, but it’s just the location of this site that’s the issue,” he said.
“There would be noise and air pollution, there will be 1,000 pigs so you would have pigs coming and going. It wouldn’t generate much employment either, most of it would be automatic. It’s the wrong project for that site.”
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