The provincial government of Utrecht on Monday voted against allowing mega factory farms following protests by environmental organisation Milieudefensie and thousands of local people.



A limit to the size of factory farms has now been set at 1.5 hectares and anything over that will not be allowed, reports news agency Novum.

Milieudefensie argued that without a limit, farms would continue to increase in size causing damage to animal welfare, the environment and the landscape. Over 15,000 people signed the organisation’s petition.