BAWDSEY could become the site for a new holiday village.Proposals have been put forward to rejuvenate a struggling farm which its owners say has become uneconomic and needs a new use.

By Richard Cornwell

BAWDSEY could become the site for a new holiday village.

Proposals have been put forward to rejuvenate a struggling farm which its owners say has become uneconomic and needs a new use.

Jonathon and Robert Simper have put forward a project to convert four redundant barns at Manor Farm, The Street, into seven holiday homes, and transform three modern farm buildings into three more units.

They also want to build 12 holiday cabins, new stables and an access road.

The development would provide seven full-time jobs and work for up to 15 people during conversion and construction. Some 14 buildings would be demolished to make way for the scheme and tidy the site.

The farm owners, who rent the site to another major farmer locally, have looked at a range of options for the future, but say the holiday use is the most viable.

Some of the buildings have consent for workshop use but this has failed to attract any interest from businesses, and until recently it has been used for mushroom production but this ceased in the spring because it was uneconomic.

Suffolk Coastal council's development control sub committee will discuss the proposals on December 18 and is being recommended to approve the plan.

Bawdsey Parish Council though has "numerous misgivings" about the project – especially the amount of traffic it will generate.

"If this application is approved, the nature of Bawdsey will be changed forever. It will also open the way or other farm developments in the village and the surrounding area. Sadly, there seems to be no great employment prospects here," said the council.

District planning officers say the principle is generally acceptable though the impact on the community and landscape will need careful consideration.