Community farm saved after new operator found

A community farm is expected to be saved after a new operator was found.

A search was started for a leaseholder to help run Grimsbury Farm in Kingswood, on the outskirts of Bristol, after South Gloucestershire Council said it had to cut the site's funding.

The council said it spent £260,000 a year contributing towards the running of the community farm, including on vet and staff bills, animal feed and welfare costs.

At a meeting on Wednesday, cabinet member for corporate resources Adam Monk said the site would remain open and its animals would stay on-site after a partner was found.

Monk said the council was not yet able to reveal who was due to take on the lease.

Councillors had previously said that if no way was found to make the attraction break even, its large animals - including cows, pigs and goats - would be sent elsewhere.

According to the Local Democracy Reporting Service, the news the site had been saved came as cross-party councillors grilled cabinet members on the council's proposed annual budget.

Executive director of resources Andrew Cummings said the details of the lease were still being worked up.

When asked if the site would remain free to enter, Monk said he was unable to commit that it would - but added that the identified partner was committed to keeping it open.

Scrutiny commission chair Erica Williams said a detailed report on the future of Grimsbury Farm would be presented at the commission's next meeting in February.

The draft budget, which is set to be approved by the Liberal Democrat-Labour cabinet on Monday, includes a cut of £170,000 a year for Grimsbury Farm.

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