PROJECT SUMMARY

To develop a redundant stone and red brick tiled traditional agricultural building into quality office accommodation for letting.


ABOUT THE PROJECT

The underlying business is a family dairy farming business. Whilst still operating reasonably successfully, there was a need identified for a farm diversification project to generate additional income to enable future profitability. It is anticipated that the project will help to safeguard existing jobs on the farm whilst creating up to seven new jobs within the new office complex.

The farm has a redundant traditional farm building, with potential. It is proposed to develop the old stone and red brick building into quality office accommodation, and to let this. The approximate floor space created will be 1260 sq ft of office accommodation.

The farm is conveniently positioned on the outskirts of Wincanton town, and the prospects of regular letting are ranked as high.

The social gains from the development will arise from a sympathetic development of a redundant building. The locality will be enhanced by the renovation.

The project makes office premises available for rural employment, and could accommodate 3 businesses with up to 6 employees in total. It is hoped that these businesses would be a business start up, or small businesses in expansion, and that therefore these are job gains to the area.

Other jobs protected are those on the farm (2 full time herdsmen, 2 relief milkers and the general farm worker) plus there are the business directors who work full time on the farm. These jobs are protected, as is the overall farm business.

LATEST UPDATE MARCH 2008

The project has finished and the new workspace is now let to a local business.