Posted on: Tuesday 19 September 2023
Councillors have agreed to invest an additional £1.64 million on redeveloping Greenmeadow Community Farm.
The Farm was a working farm for more than 250 years before it was converted into a community farm in the 1980s.
The additional investment is now expected to turn the Farm into a flagship regional visitor attraction, bringing in increased visitor numbers to generate sustained profits and end the council’s significant annual subsidy.
During the meeting councillors were advised that the farm is forecast to return profits from 2029/30 at which point visitor numbers are estimated to reach over one-hundred thousand people.
The total cost to reopen the farm had risen to £3,738,900 with the additional funding of £1,641,400 now an agreed part of the council’s capital programme. The investment will deliver:
- a revamped Haybarn suitable for community events including weddings and parties
- a new all-weather indoor play barn with hard play equipment and a replacement outdoor adventure play area
- a new animal barn
- new and extended cafés with soft play
- an improved shop to promote local produce and suppliers
- attractive landscaping with woodland and pollination trails and sensory paths
- a new dairy and education area
- improvements to the farm’s entrance and site accessibility.
Councillors agreed that general admission prices would start at £8.50 with local membership passes at £24 and school visits at £5 per pupil. Admission prices had been bench-marked against 14 similar attractions across South Wales and Southern England.
Torfaen Council’s executive member for communities, Cllr Fiona Cross, said: ‘‘The farm is much-loved and this investment will make it a premier visitor attraction in South-East Wales, and the flagship of our Destination Torfaen offer. It will repay the council’s investment and produce a surplus for future reinvestment to keep refreshing the offer to visitors.
‘The additional investment will also attract visitors to the borough all year-round with a real focus on the outdoor visitor experience which will meet the demand from visitors for more all-weather activity, authentic experiences with animals, time spent outside in nature and outdoor play.
‘The revamped haybarn will provide opportunities for weddings, parties and community activities, ensuring the farm continue to serve as an important hub within the wider community.
‘I know the decision facing members wasn’t straightforward given the financial climate in local public services, but these are really exciting proposals which support our County Plan to make Torfaen a thriving place to live and visit and it helps protect the borough’s rural heritage and open spaces.’
The Leader of Torfaen Council, Cllr Anthony Hunt said: ‘We are all aware of the impact inflation is having on our daily lives, however, this additional investment will allow the farm to become commercially viable and stand on its own two feet for the first time in its history. The stark reality is that without the additional investment to deliver an improved offer to visitors and address essential site improvements, the farm could not have reopened.’
The farm will remain closed while the work is completed and will reopen no later than April 2025.
The project is being led by Coley Hill Consultants (CHC) on behalf of the council. CHC are professionally qualified and experienced in tourism and hospitality and have previously worked on major tourism attractions such as the Eden Project, Kew Gardens and The Wave in Bristol.