Angus residents will assess the impact of a reopened slaughterhouse before reporting back to bosses.
A meeting will be held in a month by action group HONK after operations got under way again at a controversial Brechin abattoir.
However, despite giving bosses a clean slate, the group have warned they will “jump on” any difficulties immediately.
AP Jess has negotiated a long-term contract for slaughtering pigs from Tulip Foods of Bury St Edmunds, one of the UK’s major producers of pork.
The Montrose Road abattoir has reopened and campaigners will assess the situation until a meeting on September 27.
HONK chairwoman Caroline Monro was visited by managing director Allan Jess, who has given assurances the firm does not intend to reopen its incinerator.
Mrs Monro said: “Mr Jess came to my door on Saturday to tell me the plant was reopening on Monday.
“The doorbell rang and I saw him standing there and nearly fainted. I did appreciate him coming to see me personally.
“We will be holding a meeting on September 27 once they are up and running to see if there are any problems.
“That will give us a month to assess the impact of the plant on the community.”
She added: “As I said to him, if any odours start we will soon make complaints. We will jump on it straight away because we don’t want it to run away like the last time, because it was out of control.
“So that’s what we’ll do we’ll give them a chance. We’re starting on a clean slate and start from scratch.”
The Brechin site will provide around 30 jobs. The firm has said it will use local contractors, suppliers and services wherever possible.
HONK staged a long campaign against emissions from the plant before it was mothballed last August, with the loss of 11 jobs, because of a downturn in business.
The new Jess deal has been welcomed within the industry as a boost for Scottish pig farmers in a climate of increasing uncertainty.