COWS housed at the proposed super-dairy at Nocton will be allowed out to graze, say farmers.

The plans for the 8,100 cow dairy, which would be the largest in Europe, have caused furore among animal welfare pressure groups about welfare standards.

But now revised plans from Nocton Dairies Ltd say the cows "will exercise and graze" on a daily basis.

These claims have been disputed by the pressure group World Society For The Protection Of Animals, which says the site does not have enough land to support full grazing.

The proposed site, between Dunston and Nocton, is about 22 acres.

Spokesman for WSPA, Katharine Manswell, said: "For cows to graze, there has to be a certain amount of grass for them to eat.

"And when the cows eat, it takes away the grass to soil level and then the grass has to grow up again before more cows can graze.

"If you look at the average amount of grass a cow needs, one hectare – which is two-and-a-half acres – will allow one day of grazing for 166 cows.

"For 8,100 cows to graze daily they will need a site bigger than Richmond Park, which is the largest royal park in London."

Devon dairy farmer Peter Willes established Nocton Dairies with fellow dairy farmer David Barnes of Lancashire and farmer Robert Howard of Nocton.

Mr Willes told the Echo a revised planning application for the dairy will be submitted to North Kesteven District Council by the end of the month.

This follows the withdrawal of the previous application in April which followed an outcry of objections from local residents and campaigners across the country.

Mr Willes said: "WSPA haven't a clue how to look after cows and we're talking to the RSPCA on cow welfare.

"Representatives from the RSPCA have been to the US where they run large dairies."

The case against the super-dairy was stepped up on Wednesday when a "herd" of humans dressed as cows in prison jumpsuits staged a protest against the plans outside Defra's London headquarters to launch WSPA's Not In My Cuppa campaign.

The campaign aims to raise awareness among the general public that their milk could, in future, be sourced from super-dairies, such as the one planned for Nocton.

Nocton resident and member of the Campaign Against Factory Farming, Deborah Wilson, said: "There are definitely far too many cows planned for the size of the site.

"The amount of manure these cows produce is enough to fill Wembley Stadium in a day."