A FAMILY farm aiming to remain viable has been granted permission for a large barn extension.

Prospect Farm, which stands on 140 acres, in Rixton has been owned by the same family for many years.

Today the primary focus of the enterprise is on arable crop production, yet none of the existing buildings on the farm meet modern day needs.

So plans were submitted to Warrington Borough Council for a large storage building which could fit modern day agricultural machinery.

Planning documents stated existing buildings were too small and machinery left out in the elements.

They add: "The existing buildings are equally not well suited to storage of the crops produced on the farm, or the ancillary storage needs such as fertilizers, straw, seeds and the like. What was once fine for the smaller machinery of the day, is no longer useful at all."

The new building will store seeds, fertilizer and crops produced as well as machinery.

Council planners approved the scheme last week.