Farron welcomes Council's 'open door' for Home on the Farm project

3.00.00pm GMT Tue 10th Jun 2008

Local MP Tim Farron has today welcomed the news that South Lakeland District Council have provisionally opened the door for a 'Home on the Farm' type project which he proposed to them recently. The Council have written to Mr Farron informing him that they will recommend a policy be put into action which would see disused rural buildings converted into housing as 'greenfield' developments as long as there was 100% local occupancy and at least 50% affordable dwellings.

Mr Farron has been working on the Home on the Farm project for the last 12 months, he has won backing from the National President of the NFU and continues to seek the active support of the Housing Minister Caroline Flint, but the news that SLDC hopes to put the scheme in to practice means that Mr Farron's proposal looks likely to become a reality.

Tim Farron said:

"I was delighted to hear that SLDC have been so positive about the Home on the Farm idea. It is incredibly important especially in the current financial climate, that we make it easier for young people to live and earn a living in our rural communities.

"I hope that SLDC's project will be seen as pioneering and other councils up and down the country will adopt similar proposals."