Pleasington farm bids to boost income with new shop for walkers, villagers and cyclists
The owners of a Blackburn farm want to build a new shop to boost their income and help pay for their daughter to study at agricultural college.
Alan Bretherton and Jackie Aspin want to add a farm shop cabin and a disabled parking space on land off Enoch Brow in Pleasington Lane, Pleasington. A supporting statement submitted with their planning application to Blackburn with Darwen Council says: “The applicants live in the recently renovated and extended farmhouse at Brownlow Farm.
“Approximately 25 acres or thereabouts of owned agricultural land adjoins the yard area. The applicants also rent approximately 90 acres of land at Shadsworth from Blackburn with Darwen Council. They rent 25 acres or thereabouts at Ribchester and 25 acres at Feniscowles.
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“The land is used for pasture for fattening beef cattle, meadow for making round bales of hay, meadow for making loose silage to feed the cattle, and pasture for grazing 190 gimmer lambs. The applicants’ farm, in addition to their other employment, would not make enough profit to support the family.
“In addition, applicants own a small pony (and donkey companion for the pony) that is ridden by their two young daughters. Since purchasing Brownlow Farm a couple of years ago, the applicants have renovated the farmhouse and have further developed the yard area in order to build up the farm.
“They have improved the area by replacing tired, outdated buildings with modern buildings. Now the agricultural buildings have been replaced and are fit for purpose, the applicants and their family want to open up a new farm income revenue stream in the form of a farm shop cabin to sell produce from the farm and local farms in the area.
“The applicants’ daughter is studying at agricultural college and this will provide her with some part-time employment to supplement her agricultural studies and diversify the existing farming operations. The proposed developed consists of a container clad in timber panels with a slate roof to house a vending machine for milk, eggs and milkshakes.
“Visitors to the farm shop cabin are expected to be walkers, people walking from the village and cyclists. The site is designated in the Green Belt. Agricultural buildings are therefore an appropriate form of development.”