Intensive pig and poultry farm inspections
Information for farmers about inspections the Environment Agency carries out on pig and poultry farm structures, records and, maintenance and management plans.
Applies to England
Who gets inspected
All permitted intensive pig and poultry farms are inspected.
What gets inspected
The Environment Agency checks all structures on the farm including:
- animal housing
- oil and chemical storage, feed storage, carcass storage
- foot dips
- drainage systems
- slurry or manure stores
Your farm records are inspected, including:
- training records
- complaints procedure
- energy use, raw materials, water use, waste and carcass disposal
- livestock numbers
- feed dockets
- manure export and soil and manure nutrient analysis
Your plans are inspected, including:
- accident management plan
- inspection and maintenance plan
- odour management plan
- noise management plan
- manure management plan
You might get an inspection from a certification body appointed under the Pig and Poultry Assurance Scheme. These are very similar to the Environment Agency inspection.
Time and length
If you’re a member of the Pig and Poultry Assurance Scheme, you will be inspected once a year over a 3 year period. The Environment Agency will do one inspection and a certification body will do the other 2.
If you are not in the Pig and Poultry Assurance Scheme, how often you’re inspected will depend on the risk of pollution from your farm.
You’ll get up to 14 days’ notice of an inspection, which usually takes 2 hours.
What happens next
The Environment Agency sends you a Compliance Assessment Report setting out any actions that you need to take. You’ll get a follow-up visit from the Environment Agency if you have serious problems meeting the standards.
Updates to this page
Last updated 24 May 2023 + show all updates
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Updated guidance on inspection frequency and who does them.
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First published.