Campaigners suffer Green Belt setback in fight for a farm shop and cafe in a north Derbyshire village

NE Derbyshire District Council refused Elizabeth Wood’s planning application for temporary permission to have a mobile farm shop and cafe with access and parking for ten cars on Green Belt land, off Main Road, in Cutthorpe, to support her family’s dairy farm.

Planning officer Alice Lockett told the meeting that the proposal represented an “inappropriate development” for Green Belt land and its design with parking would harm the character of the landscape.

Following the meeting, Ms Wood, of F. Wood and Sons, said: “Thank you to everyone who has supported us because the overwhelming support was immense.

“But it’s very disappointing to see how the council has been looking at one side of the argument instead of looking at all the support and arguments that have been given. But I can safely say this is not the end of it.”

Ms Wood’s plans had attracted 52 letters of support which were submitted to the council and many speakers voiced their reasons for backing the scheme during the meeting.

Arguments in favour of the farm shop and cafe included providing a valuable community hub and shop with locally-sourced produce for the village which has no shops, providing a much-needed further source of income for a farm with support for local business.

It was also argued by campaigners that the scheme, near to the Cutthorpe Institute, would blend in well with the countryside and the benefits would far outweigh the loss of only a small part of a field with plenty of space left for grazing cows.

Seven letters of objection were also received by the council which included concerns about the loss of Green Belt land, the impact on the character of the countryside, increased traffic and insufficient parking space.

But campaigners argued the scheme’s temporary, three-year plan would allow an opportunity to consider its viability and that there is a lot of support for the scheme and that it cannot be sited on the connected farm because access would be too difficult.

Planning agent Dominic Cooney, who represents the applicant, said: “The design of the building’s timber, cladding and corrugated roof is typical of an agricultural building and anything else would be used for a permanent building but this is not a permanent building.”

He added: “It enjoys strong local support particularly because there has not been a local shop for many years.”

Ms Wood’s father Andrew Wood, who is a dairy farmer and landowner, stressed the importance of the sale of locally-sourced produce and urged the council to discuss the situation to find a resolution.

Council officers explained that developments on Green Belt can be allowed in very special circumstances with exceptions including allowing for agricultural buildings, or appropriate facilities for outdoor recreation, or for proportionate extensions to existing buildings.

However, the council believes the building is not to be used for an agricultural purpose despite the applicant’s argument that it is a farm business, and the council believes the development would urbanise and affect the openness and character of the area with the loss of dry stone walling.

A council spokesperson stated: “Officers conclude that the provision of a shop and or cafe building, and the associated car park and infrastructure, would represent inappropriate development in the Green Belt and unsympathetic development within some of the district’s most attractive landscape.”

Ms Wood said she was disappointed the scheme has been refused and not been classed as having special circumstances for agricultural farm diversification when her family wants to be able to keep farming.