One of the UK's "major cheese producers" can build a new storage facility near Bruton after plans were approved by district councillors.

Wyke Farms applied to demolish several buildings at its "Lambrook pig unit" in Lamyatt, and replace them with eight new storage units.

Residents raised concerns in May that the plans were a "cynical ploy" which would lead to the "creeping industrialisation" of the village.

But Mendip District Council has now given the plans the green light, arguing that it was essential to ensure this major local employer could continue to grow.

The plans were debated by the council's planning board at a virtual meeting held on Wednesday evening (October 21).

Councillor Michael Gay, whose Postlebury ward includes Lamyatt, raised concerns about how well conditions for noise, environmental health and other matters could be enforced.

He said: "Wyke Farms has got a lot of goodwill locally and is seen as a good employer. I've had a good deal of feedback from locals with valuable points, both for and against.

"The weakness with conditions is that monitoring compliance, and possibly seeking enforcement, then falls as a burden on the residents.

"Lamyatt is prone to flooding. Wyke Farms should have to monitor this as part of the conditions."

Councillor Nigel Woollcombe-Adams said it was essential to support rural businesses in light of both the coronavirus and the changes to agriculture that would result from Brexit.

He said: "We've got to remember Wyke Farms is one of this country's major cheese producers, and it certainly behoves us to do whatever's in our power to support them.

"We are not living in easy times at the moment, and agriculture is going to be feeling the pinch."

Decisions on numerous planning applications in Somerset have been delayed by the recent Dutch N legal case, which concerns phosphate pollution on protected Ramsar sites – including the Somerset Levels and Moors.

While the Lamyatt site does fall within this protected area, the council's ecologist said Wyke Farms' planned use for the building would not lead to further pollution of the River Brue, and therefore no additional assessment was required.

Councillor Garfield Kennedy said there would be additional environmental benefits to this expansion, stating: "Grouping production so that unnecessary journeys don't take place has to be a plus. This is a move forward."

At present, the company produces cheese and butter from its dairy near Bruton, transports it to a storage facility in Frome and then sends it back to Wincanton to be packed – a round trip of 30 miles.

The new facility in Lamyatt would reduce this trip to ten-and-a-half miles – reducing both the company's running costs and its carbon footprint.

The company has recently secured planning permission from South Somerset District Council to upgrade its dairy facilities, and is building a new "cold room" in Wincanton to improve its packaging process.

The board voted unanimously to approve the plans after less than an hour's debate.