Fate of popular Ravenshead Farm Shop's expansion plan revealed

A Government-appointed inspector has given his verdict on the top-rated farm shop's planned addition

The fate of a popular Nottinghamshire farm shop's expansion plan has been revealed after it was intially rejected over fears it would harm the countryside. Ravenshead Farm Shop's bid to expand its Main Road has been rejected by the Government's Planning Inspectorate, which chose to back an earlier rebuffal by Gedling Borough Council.

This decision was recently shared at a planning committee held by the council, which had originally rejected the expansion plan back in November, last year. While plans to convert a barn into an additional tearoom seating and food preparation area were approved in 2023, the following application for a single-storey 'link' extension to this new tearoom seating area was then struck down by the local council.

Shop owner Craig Voce then asked the Planning Inspectorate to overturn this rejection, but the Government-appointment instead supported Gedling Borough Council's conclusion that the development would cause too much harm to the greenbelt. Inspector John Morrison, writing in a recently published decision, said: "The proposed link would cause harm to the greenbelt by way of inappropriateness and through reducing openness, to which substantial weight should be afforded.

"Development should not be approved unless the harm to the greenbelt, and any other harm, is clearly outweighed by other considerations. Those advances would not attract sufficient weight to clearly outweigh the totality of the harms. Consequently, the very special circumstances necessary to justify the proposed development do not exist."

Although Mr Voce said the new extension would create two full-time and at least four part-time jobs, the inspector said he had not been told what roles would be created. The civil servant also questioned how the linking extension, which would contain staff toilets, storage areas and a corridor, would provide additional jobs at the tearoom.

The extension would provide staff toilets and improve the working environment, the inspector acknowledged, but the official did not see why these could not be accommodated elsewhere at the farm shop or tearoom seating area. He added: "Given that the planning permission has already been granted for the tea room seating area and as the tea room is already in operation, it is unclear how the proposed link itself would provide any significant additional economic advantages to the business or the rural economy."

The Ravenshead Farm Shop has previously been found to be one of the county's favourites in a Nottinghamshire Live poll. It sells a selection of meats, cheeses and award-winning homemade pies to visitors.