Plans to expand a farming and forestry enterprise in Eaton that includes a forest school have been approved.

Marcus Kelly, of New Leaf Farm and Forest, sought planning permission for the establishment of a new farming and forestry enterprise, on Back Lane, Eaton, with associated buildings and access routes.

New Leaf Farm and Forest is a farming and forestry business that includes the growing of organic crops and produce as well as keeping livestock both on grazing land and in a natural forest environment.

The application site is located approximately 3 km to the north of Congleton, to the north of the village of Eaton.

It lies to the northwest of Back Lane and covers an area of 6.9 hectares. The land is mainly used for arable and pastoral farming.

The existing access to the southern end of the site off Back Lane would be utilised.

The roads in the immediate vicinity of the site are country lanes; according to a Cheshire East planning officer they are "lightly trafficked" and are of a "sufficient" width to accommodate farm vehicles and trailers.

The site is located within the open countryside and sits within a Jodrell Bank consultation zone.

For any approved activity to take place on the site, Eaton Parish Council stressed the application must be subject to conditions to ensure sustainability and protect against adverse climate change impacts and the open countryside.

The business has secured a government stewardship grant to produce a long-term woodland management plan which will involve the maintenance and sustainable management of big plantation, its ecological structure and wildlife.

In addition, 'environmentally friendly charcoal' is proposed to be produced.

Through its Community Interest Company (Verdant New Leaf CIC), a "Forestry School" would be operated in the southern portion of the plantation to provide an outdoor environmental educational facility for families and schools to spend more time outside and learn about nature.

The applicant has stated that the numbers of visitors would be restricted, and it would be operated on a prior appointment basis.

The application proposed to erect an agricultural barn, amenity building and a polytunnel.

The farm buildings are positioned at the head of the site access, adjacent to the eastern edge of the plantation, thereby "minimising" their impact upon the area's rural character.

The buildings are largely screened from the public domain by the tree lined hedgerow along the field's boundary to Back Lane. The agricultural barn has also been reduced in height to four metres.

The submitted business plan included a schedule of equipment and materials that would be used on the 6.9-hectare site.

The applicants "accepted" that the size of the barn was originally designed to allow for some flexibility regarding additional storage needs.

The barn has been reduced in height/floorspace to address these concerns.

The height of the barn has been reduced from 8 metres to 4 metres and its footprint has been reduced from 10 x 20 metres to 8 x 16 metres (a reduction of 72 square metres).

The polytunnel's purpose is to provide an environment that enables the growth of more specialist crops comprising various fruit, herbs, and vegetables throughout the year.

It would provide crop protection, protecting plants from heat, cold, wind, rain, and strong sunlight.

The applicants stated that the plans were not proposed to create local attraction that generated significant visitor numbers unannounced.

But visitors would be in small, managed, pre-booked groups. Formal parking has been provided for a minibus and three cars. It was accepted that further space was available within the site.

The purpose of the barn was to provide secure storage for the equipment associated with the business and supplies/produce.

The plans stated that CCTV would be installed, and the entrance gates would be padlocked closed when no one is on site.

The applicant stated that there was no requirement for on-site residential accommodation. If it were required at some stage in the future, this would be assessed on its merits through a separate planning application at that time.

However, a Cheshire East planning officer highlighted that the constituent parts of the application were all farm diversification businesses "more usually developed" by existing farms utilising existing buildings/resources and developed by "gaining experience over a period of years".

The officer's report added: "It is unusual to see a business proposal combining all these elements aiming to create a viable business from scratch.

"Therefore, the Local Planning Authority should carefully consider any conditions that may be required to protect the intrinsic beauty of the countryside.

"It is accepted that the area of land involved (6.9 hectares) is considerable and that it would not be unreasonable to expect a building to be erected to facilitate its maintenance and management.

"It is also accepted that if it were already an agricultural holding of more than 5 hectares, this would not be an issue."

Nevertheless, Cheshire East supported the creation of "new sustainable" farming businesses, and it was considered that the application proposals had demonstrated that they were "essential" to the proposed agricultural use and that they are "commensurate" in scale for the activities planned.

The application was approved.