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30
Oct
Family farm at Kirkby Malzeard applies to diversify into glamping
The owners of a family farm near Ripon are hoping to diversify their business – with glamping pods and a wellness facility.
Waterford Farm, near Kirkby Malzeard, is home to the Atkinson family, and their business, R&J Yorkshire's Finest, is well known in the area for producing high-quality meat, some of which supplies Michelin-starred restaurants.
But now, the family want to use part of their 80-acre farm for five "luxury holiday lodges" and a spa that includes a sauna, plunge pool and 'drench' or rainfall-style shower.
In their planning application to North Yorkshire Council, the Atkinsons describe the scheme as a "small-scale, low-density and landscape-led rural tourism proposal, rather than a conventional holiday park".
The proposed development would be at Waterford Farm, just north of Kirkby Malzeard.
The plans represent a departure for the family business, which was founded in 1978 by Robert and Jo Atkinson. Their farm is known for its a diverse beef herd, which includes native and continental breeds, such as Belted Galloway, English Longhorn, Aberdeen Angus, Charolais and Limousin cattle.
But in their application, they stress:
The agricultural enterprise remains an important and active part of Waterford Farm and the proposed development is not intended to replace farming.
Instead, the tourism enterprise will operate alongside and complement the existing livestock business, providing an additional and more diversified source of income.
Some of the livestock breeds at Waterford Farm.
According to the application, the lodge retreat would provide "a viable business opportunity for the family's son and his wife to take a leading role in developing and operating the diversification enterprise", as well as an "additional source of financial resilience that is less directly exposed to fluctuations in agricultural markets".
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