June 5th 2008

Rural Workspace Programme receives funding boost

Almost half of the additional Rural Renaissance funds allocated for 2008-09 are earmarked for the Somerset Rural Workspace Programme which gives grants to turn barns and other redundant or unused buildings into new businesses.

During the first phase of funding the programme has allocated circa £360,000 of investment to 9 redundant building projects, all of which bring with them new jobs, new businesses and new opportunities for other services in our rural areas.

Here is a round up of some of the projects funded:

Cutcombe Market – An intensive master planning and business planning exercise has shown that there is significant potential for a new workspace development adjacent to the livestock market at Wheddon Cross. Somerset County Council in partnership with Exmoor National Park, and partly funded by Rural Renaissance are aiming to acquire two parcels of land, one for providing commercial workspace and the other for a possible state of the art Visitor Centre for the National Park.

Exmoor Farmers Livestock Auctioneers currently own both sites and the revenue from the sales will be a pivotal part of helping to fund the much needed and long overdue redevelopment of the Livestock Market.

The Market is considered integral to Exmoor’s farming economy, and together with the new commercial workspace units, it is likely that this development will create a number of new jobs and help to bring greater economic prosperity to the area.

Photographs of cows on the walls in a new office space close to Wincanton, providea clue to the former use of the building!  Theold cowshed at Suddon Grange Farm is now home to a new business to Somerset, employing 5 people. The additional income created from this enterprise has also helped to safeguard the job of one farm employee.