Plans to construct a building to house a brewery at a Nidderdale farm have been withdrawn.

The application, which was validated by North Yorkshire Council in August, sought approval to erect a commercial building with parking and a flood defence wall.

Applicant Richard Church, who runs JAS & SA Church, planned to locate the building at Corn Close Farm, near Pateley Bridge, which spans more than 60 acres.

It predominantly exists as a livestock farm, but a repair garage, a honey producer and a solid fuel company also operate at the site.

Planning documents show The Wath Brewery and Distillery Ltd was set to take on the commercial unit. The company, which was registered with Companies House in March 2023, is headed by Christopher Ives, the founder of Ilkley Brewery.

Mr Church proposed to adjoin the 490-squre-metre unit onto an existing building, which would have utilised existing vehicular access points.

The building was set to be of agricultural design to remain in keeping with the other existing units. 

It would have also included a small car park for brewery employees and visitors, while the applicant also sought approval for a flood retention wall made of solid concrete panels.

The wall was set to be 1.2-metres high and would have been clad to the east of the site with Yorkshire Stone, plans say. 

Proposed landscaping to accompany the commercial unit would have included native species fruit trees, juniper trees and shrubs, and berries grown on the plants were set to be used by the distillery as botanicals for spirit distillation.

Planting 800 hawthorn bushes and 600 blackthorns was planned as part of the development, while the applicant also proposed to interplant 30 damson trees between hedges on a riverfront area. 

Business plan

Mr Ives, who was to be the tenant of the new unit, also set up Otterbeck Distillery near Skipton in 2019.

It came after he sold Ilkley Brewery for an undisclosed sum in 2015.

Planning documents say the company, which was founded in 2009, was recognised as one of the leading breweries in the sector and reached a turnover of nearly £2 million by 2015.

The Wath Brewery and Distillery Ltd was set to provide “much needed” opportunity in a town in need of alternative employment utilising sustainable development, a document adds.

According to its mission statement, which was also provided as part of the application, the brewery planned to offer an "exceptional" visitor attraction and shop to support the rural economy, and contribute to the tourism offering by supporting other local businesses.

It hoped to achieve an annual turnover of £2 million within five years, and produce a premium range of beers and whisky.

Work on the new site was hoped to start this autumn, with beer production geting underway next spring.

The company planned to produce four beers to begin with, including an IPA, a Yorkshire bitter and a low alcohol beer.

A planning document says a single English malt whisky was set be produced at the brewery. Rum production was also under consideration despite the “weak” UK market, plans say.

The application was withdrawn Tuesday (October 1). The Stray Ferret approached Mr Church to ask why plans had been withdrawn, but he declined to comment.