THE Green Party has joined residents and councillors opposing plans for a huge pig farm at Foston.

Midland Pig Producers has applied to Derbyshire County Council for permission to build the farm, for up to 25,000 animals, west of Woodland Drive.

But a public consultation received thousands of objections with people living nearby saying they were concerned about animal welfare and the spread of disease.

South Derbyshire District Council is also objecting.

Now the Green Party has called on the county council to reject the plans as it believes the development would "pose a risk to human health".

David Foster, the party's chairman in Derbyshire, said a newly-published report on the use of antibiotics in intensive farming was concerning.

He said: "Because of the high density of animals in these units the threat of disease is high and animals are routinely dosed with antibiotics."

Mr Foster said the report, published by Compassion in World Farming, the Soil Association and Sustain, showed there was a "proven pathway" between using antibiotics in intensive farming and "bacterial resistance" in humans.

He said: "Given the damaging effects on animals and humans alike it is imperative that farmers move towards a more sustainable and healthy model of farming which does not compromise the health of either animals or consumers.

"The Green Party calls on the county council to recognise this threat to human health and refuse permission for the Foston development."

A Midland Pig Producers spokeswoman said the threat of disease on a farm was not governed by its size.

She said: "It's important to recognise that disease is controlled by good standards of hygiene, welfare and management systems.

"Our entire farm will be a high health unit operating to the highest levels of bio-security to minimise the risk of disease entering the farm or indeed leaving it."

She added that the farm would "not even be the largest in the UK".

The county council has not yet set a date for deciding the application.