A FARMER will be allowed to build on the green belt after councillors decided his local produce food business was too crucial to risk losing.

Despite already having a farm shop at Kenyon Hall Farm in Croft, owner Tod Bulmer wanted to build a larger building to sell not only his own produce but also foods from across the region and the country.

But planning officials at Warrington Borough Council had recommended that councillors throw out the plans saying the building was too large and that a permanent shop should not be allowed on the green belt.

Mr Bulmer said he wanted to keep Kenyon Hall selling only local produce but there are times of the year when they needed to get food, such as tomatoes, apples and potatoes from elswhere.

He added: "We are not talking about getting peas from Kenya or strawberries at Christmas, that would be madness.

"And we would lose if we tried to beat supermarkets at their own game. But if a shopper wants 10 items and can only get six with us, and the rest elsewhere, they will go to a supermaket.

"We are very successful at selling local food to local people and need some flexibility."

And Clr George Warburton (LAB - Penketh and Cuerdley) said the scheme should be backed by the committee, which was meeting in the Town Hall on Wednesday.

He added: "Farms need something else. This will be good quality produce and does no harm to the green belt."

But his fellow Penketh and Cuerdley councillor and green campaigner Clr Linda Dirir said the shop was too large to be considered a farm shop and should be blocked.

She added: "This is a new build which is unacceptable.

"We have to be very careful about an over commercial development in the green belt.

"Members must be very careful when going against officer recommendations because of the precedent it sets."

However, councillors voted five to three to ignore officers and approve the plans.