THE council says a piggery has been following the rules after claims neighbours' complaints about obscene smells were being ignored.

Hundreds of angry neighbours have objected to a plan to double the size of a piggery on Daniels Farm in Vicarage Lane in Claines over fears the “sickening” smells will be made even worse.

The farm has put forward plans to double the size of its 1,000-strong piggery but neighbours say it already smells terrible and claims of several complaints to the council about the smell were falling on deaf ears.

Worcestershire Regulatory Services (WRS), the body responsible for odour control in the county, said its officers had visited the farm last year and found "nothing unusual" and normal practices were being followed.

A spokesman for Worcestershire Regulatory Services said: “Under the Environmental Protection Act 1990, there is an exemption from odour nuisance for agricultural land as long as normal practices are being kept.

"Our officers visited the site last year and nothing unusual was found about the way the pigs were kept.

"As far as we could see, normal agricultural practices were being followed and therefore, there were no powers available to address the issue raised by residents."

The large piggery at Daniels Farm – owned by North Claines parish councillor Peter Philips – was installed last year having been given the go-ahead by district council planners. A petition against the plan has gathered more than 1,100 signatures and more than 110 comments were submitted against the plan – the majority of which were objections.

Several complaints were made last year against the ‘disgusting’ smell from the farm which were investigated.

The farm said tests showed the smell was below the Environment Agency’s ‘moderately offensive’ level.