Use of libel laws against animal welfare campainers

[Mo]

A pig producer is planning a huge factory farm. In the application he makes a point of how he is at the forefront of animal welfare. The Soil asscoiation has replied, pointing out the welfare limitations of factory farming (among other obections). They had a solicitors letter threatening them with a libel suit.
The lawyers say that they shouldn't talk about welfare standards to planners, because their client is applying existing laws, and the objections to existing standards are not relevant to planning applications.

Could be an expensive fight for the Soil Association, but they have decided not to give up the campaign, Not in my Banger.
The Guardian have a good article about it.

[Stig]

In my experience (working on development of renewable power power projects) planning objections do not have to be made only on points of law. The soil association are entitled to express any opinion they like to the best of my knowledge. I suspect that, by taking the matter to the courts, the pig farmers will have done themselves no favours whatsoever. Merely inviting the media to look into intensive pig farming practices, which are never going to look pretty!

[Mo]

It's not gone to court yet, but the threat of legal action has caused the SA expense and worry already. They had to consider if they can afford a legal battle against a firm who can pay for expensive lawyers.

[Stig]

Yep, democracy's for them that can afford it.

[roddelmae]

How can anyone contemplate building a pig farm at the moment, when the existing ones complain that they lose £20 per pig, blaming the supermarkets for charging too much and paying too little?
They also blame overseas producers for not applying the same welfare rules that we do. Whatever happened to the 'Common Market'?