D-day for tycoon's organic farm shop (From Tewkesbury Admag)

D-day for tycoon's organic farm shop

A DECISION was due to be made this week that could affect the range of goods being sold at upmarket farm shop Daylesford Organics near Moreton.

The posh shop - run by JCB tycoon Sir Anthony Bamford and his wife Lady Carole - has run into trouble with Cotswold District Council planners and is being accused of threatening the peace of the countryside.

As the Journal went to press, Cotswold district councillors were being asked to consider taking enforcement action against the shop for alleged breaches of its original planning permission.

This stated that no more than 10 per cent of the goods on sale should be "brought in" - that is, not produced on the Daylesford Estate - and for not seeking planning permission when trying to broaden the range of goods on offer.

These now include candles, tools, flowers, gardening books and the exclusive clothing range designed by Lady Bamford in addition to the food and dairy products it originally sold.

Daylesford, which regularly features in glossy magazines, denies that it has done anything wrong and said the goods being sold were "country lifestyle products".

It also said it plans to increase the amount estate-produced goods sold in the garden shop at New Farm to up to 50 per cent within three years.

However, councillors were due to consider taking action against the shop owners on the grounds that the type and amount of non-estate produced items sold had transformed the character of the site from a farm shop to an out-of-town retail development.

Planning officers said that this could lead to more deliveries, more cars and threaten business for shops in nearby towns such as Moreton.

Adlestrop Parish Meeting has also objected to Daylesford Organics' expansion plans.

"We are not opposed to the farm shop but are concerned that the lifting of the restrictions will lead to goods being sold that are not appropriate to the countryside," said parish meeting chairman Julie Edwards.

The Campaign for the Protection of Rural England has also written to the district council opposing any relaxation of restrictions on the type of goods sold at the shop.