King Charles III has been granted permission to construct a manure lagoon on the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk, just a few hundred yards from Prince William’s residence at Anmer Hall. The reservoir, roughly the size of four Olympic swimming pools, will store nearly 10,000 cubic metres of farm digestate – a mixture of animal and crop waste – for use as organic fertiliser across the estate’s fields.
The development, which drew objections from nearby villagers in Flitcham, was approved by King’s Lynn and West Norfolk Borough Council, with planning officers concluding that the proposal constitutes lawful development. The lagoon will support fertilisation across the estate’s 6,600-acre agricultural holdings, which are predominantly planted with wheat, barley and oats, as well as newly planted forestry.
Local residents raised concerns during the consultation process about potential odours and the proximity of the lagoon to homes and a primary school. “There are health concerns in the village concerning this odour,” wrote one resident, noting that existing fertilisation methods already produce unpleasant smells at times. The parish clerk, Gill Welham, highlighted fears that wind could carry odours toward the village, affecting children and older residents.
An independent agricultural expert advised that a “single, centralised lagoon” was not strictly necessary, arguing that smaller, dispersed storage facilities would be more appropriate for the area.
Despite these objections, planning officer Lucy Smith stated that the council had no mechanism to consider general odour as a nuisance under the law and concluded that no adverse impact on tourism was expected. The estate plans include measures to mitigate odour, such as enclosed slurry transfers, cleaning of transfer points, and stirring the lagoon only as required.
The lagoon site will also be visually contained by surrounding vegetation, including trees such as cider apple, perry pear, plum, quince, mulberry and walnut, alongside wildflower strips. Sandringham Estates said the facility would reduce the need to import fertiliser from elsewhere, making farm operations more efficient.
The decision allows King Charles to expand the estate’s infrastructure to meet the demands of modern agriculture, though it is likely to continue drawing attention from local residents concerned about odour and safety near the village of Flitcham.
