A NEW seating area for people to enjoy food and drink in the Lake District has been given the go-ahead.
The Lake District National Park Authority has approved plans from Mr and Mrs Fox to use the redundant dipping folds and hardstanding at the entrance to Crosbythwaite Farm at Ulpha to provide a seating area for customers and a consolidated location for the ‘snack shed’.
Planning documents state: “This is the applicants’ most recent endeavour at diversification: acknowledging the grave uncertainty in future economic governance following EU withdrawal from January 2020 in the farming sector and the ongoing dynamics resulting from the Covid 19 pandemic.”
In 2019 the applicants started offering homemade products from ‘The Cake Cupboard’ via an honesty box.
Due to the success of ‘The Cake Cupboard’, the applicant established the ‘Snack Shed’ in July 2019 which provided additional beverages and refreshment from a trailer.
In 2022 the business built a bakery on the farm after receiving a grant from FiPL (Farming in Protected Landscapes) to maintain the demand for produce.
The applicants now propose using the redundant fold building to provide a seating area for customers and a consolidated location for the shed which is removeable on a seasonal basis.
Planning documents add: “The agricultural holding has been viable and profitable in recent years however given ongoing economic changes in the industry all continued efforts to diversify and ‘future proof’ need to be pursued to ensure the long-term sustainability of the farm.”
The Lake District National Park approved the application on February 12.
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