THE OWNERS of a farm estate near Cockermouth have been knocked back in their appeals against planning refusal to build four new agricultural buildings.

Appeals were launched to the Planning Inspectorate by the owner of Tarn Bank in Greysouthen against Cumberland’s Council's refusal to allow them to construct a sheep penning building, machine store, a bale storage shed, and a biomass boiler.

The case officer’s report says: "There has not been a farming business operated from Tarn Bank for many years, with the land formerly managed under tenancy by local farmers.

"However, the appellants intend to manage the land as a small-scale enterprise in a way that is economical and sustainable.

"The evidence suggests it would principally be a sheep rearing enterprise.

"The appellants also keep goats, pigs, chickens, turkeys and ducks for personal consumption and sales of meat, eggs and breeding stock.

"They intend to keep a small herd of dairy/beef cross cattle from 2024"

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The dismissed proposals were put forward with future projections for the farming business in mind, though the report states that there is 'little evidence' that the scale of the building work is justified.

It says: "As the appellants have only relatively recently acquired the land, there are no financial accounts for previous years to demonstrate an existing viable farming business.

"Even so, the plan is not a robust or fully costed business plan.

"Taking into account the infancy and size of the enterprise and in the absence of substantive information, there is little compelling evidence that it would be an economically viable farming business with a justified long-term requirement for the range of buildings proposed."

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The appeals were also dismissed on the basis of being 'poorly related' to the existing buildings, including the Grade-II Listed farmhouse by virtue of their size and isolation.

It says: "I understand the rationale for their siting away from the dwelling.

"However, by virtue of their design and isolated siting, they would be poorly related to existing buildings and would not have the appearance of a traditional farmyard.

"The buildings would be set lower than surrounding land, but the extensive levelled platform with retaining walls would be alien and visually obtrusive in this location."