Smells from farm

[DoAhhDiddy]

Call me stupid but we bought a house a few months ago next to a dairy farm and the smell is horrific. I’d say 4 days out of a week it’s bad.

There is cow muck running down the lane into field next to our house, so we have to drive through it to get into our property and end up with stinky car inside and out.

We did lots of research before we bought, spoke with farmer, spoke with neighbour, drove past loads of times during all types of weather (mainly summer) as we had reservations about proximity to farm, but the smell wasn’t prevalent or close to the property. Maybe a little whiff down the Lane but nothing like this.

We expected a bit of a smell now and then, particularly when they are spreading and could put up with say 7 days out of the month it being a bit smelly, but not for the majority of the time.

Can we expect the smell to improve when the cows are put out to pasture in the spring? If we have to then we’ll speak with the farmer to resolve but if that doesn’t help, what constitutes a smell nuisance and who do you report to? I really don’t think I’m going to be able to settle here unless it gets better.

All advice welcome!

You moved next door to a factory, there will be noise, smells and mud.

My dad has farmed in a small village for nearly 50 years and he has had it all.

Complaints about animal noise, smells, mud, noise from late summer evening harvesting.

Then there are the people who seem to think farms are public property and think nothing of picnicing in fields whilst harvesting is going on, exercising dogs off the lead in fields of sheep, or dumping their young children in sheep pens so "they can pet the lambs".

The worst are ones who think farmers are some sort of public service and just rock up to the gate demanding "the farmer" sells them one single bale of straw, lets them hold events on their land for free or clears the road in the snow/muddy weather.

I'm a farmer. Our house was built 50ft from our cattle sheds. I've lived on our farm for most of my life and the only time I can remember a smell was when my dad bought a load of reject vegetables for cattle feed. We never did that again,the stench was awful.

I did consider that I might be nose blind,so asked DH,who had never been in a farm until he met me,and who claims that he has a sensitive nose,if he can smell the cattle. He says yes,but only when he's right next to them,or when they are mucked out. The flies are something else though, especially as our house is white,they congregate on the outside walls and it looks like something from a horror film some days.

I suspect that the 'slurry' running down the lane is actually water and mud running off the fields. We've had a drought,and then heavy prolonged rain,which can't soak into the ground fast enough,so takes the path of least resistance.

If you do complain,OP, bear in mind that you will go down in village history as 'that woman',even years after you've moved away.

Posts like this genuinely warm my soul

I have lived in close proximity to a dairy farm for over 20 years, and have never ever experienced any smells, mud or anything else that made life as difficult as you describe.

It may be that things are bad now because it's been such an horrendously wet winter, it may be that you are just living next door to careless farmers (they do exist, and other farmers get very very annoyed with them!). There are very strict rules governing farm waste.

I would do a bit more reading around the subject, from more knowledgeable sources than Mumsnet. I know there are farmers commenting on here, but they don't know the exact situation you are in. Maybe have a discreet word with neighbours, see if this is normal or not. No one wants to live with cow slurry running all over the place, even if they have lived there for ever!

I would have a look at the Environment Agency's guidelines, maybe have a word with them (although don't expect them to actually do anything) to get an idea if YABU or not.

It really is unbelievable how many people move out of the city to a rural area and complain about the smells, noise, mud etc from the local farms. The countryside is not the picture book paradise that people expect. I have huge issues from neighbours complaining about everything from the level of activity, to farmyard smells and even my barn cats who are excellent at keeping the vermin population down are vilified. Please stay in suburbia if you want a pristine environment!

@Easterbunnywashere, I agree with you totally. When you live and work in a rural area it can be surprisingly noisy and smelly. To add to that, slow moving tractors frequent the roads and there is the occasional escape of cows or sheep, but that's part of rural life. It feels far better to me than living in suburbia.

Thanks to the genuine and respectful responders, who actually read my post rather than jumping to an insult.

The farm had an issue and glad to report it's been resolved. I guess it was bad timing that it coincided when we first moved in.

Love our new home and grateful that we live next to considerate farmers!

What was the issue out of interest?

To be fair to the critical replies... OP you did allegedly speak to the farmer before buying, but after several months of cow muck running down the lane after moving in you raised the issue on MN instead of talking to the farmer again. You were asking about how to raise a nuisance complaint, but now it was all nothing.