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ARCHIVED - Pig farms in Lorca now have to be 1,500 metres from schools and homes
Lorca City Council has approved regulations to ensure macro farms are situated well away from people and water sources
One year after angry agricultural workers stormed the Lorca Local Development Centre where discussions were taking place on the location of farms in the municipality, new legislation has been approved that clearly stipulates the distance these macro pig farms must be built in relation to towns, schools and water sources.
For several years, residents have been campaigning against the stench caused by these huge farms, as well as their impact on the natural beauty of the municipality. Stilling fears that the new ordinance would spell ruin for many landowners, Lorca’s mayor Diego José Mateos assured that the views of all sides have been taken into account.
One councillor opposed to the move, Ángel Meca, claimed that the legislation will spell disaster for small farmers wanting to set up shop in Lorca: “It's going to be a torturous ordeal. If they get a license, we can build a monument for them,” he said, insisting that “it will harm the sector in the future”.
However, the ordinance actually focuses on the so-called macro-farms that are “less than 1,500 meters from a population centre or a school or institute” and are deemed to be a possible threat to the environment, and certainly doesn’t impact every holding in the area.
At the moment, six pig farms are waiting on authorisation from the Regional authorities to expand their operations.
Once the legislation comes into force, livestock farms will have to be located more than 1,500 metres from schools, homes and health centres; they will need to be at least 500 metres from springs and other natural water sources and 200 metres from riverbeds.
All pig farms will have a period of two years to adapt and obtain environmental authorisation, according to the mayor.
"During this time, an extension license has even been given to those who met the requirements", he confirmed.
Image: Freepik
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