A FARM site’s expansion plans include holiday lodges, business units and a new visitor centre.
The Wylands Farm in Powdermill Lane, Battle, spans 154 acres and is home to one of the UK’s best angling centres.
The site expansion plan includes new self-catering holiday lodges and rooms, which would be available this summer, and a new farm shop selling local produce, which would open in October.
The plans also include a new visitor centre, creative arts hub and lakeside café – all due to open later this month – and new business units for local small business ventures.
Wylands Farm boss Ray Grant said: "We appreciate that it's been difficult for many people during lockdown, particularly in the rural areas.
"We are working exceptionally hard to make Wylands Farm an attractive place to visit and relax, whilst providing a range of new jobs on the site and supporting the local creative industries within Battle and the surrounding towns and villages.
"The Farm Shop has been open for few months now and is proving very popular with visitors and the local community. The shop serves the highest quality products, and we are proud to use local suppliers, whenever we can.
"The visitor centre and café, being created within the refurbished Dutch Barn, are progressing well. We are looking forward to opening it at the end of this month. We hope it will be a very special place for people to visit and enjoy the attractive surroundings.”
Mr Grant emphasised the importance of providing new business spaces to support the local creative industries and start-up businesses.
"We have created some high-quality, flexible business accommodation for local businesses, young and old – I am pleased to say that there has been a lot of interest from small businesses,” he added.
Huw Merriman, the MP for Bexhill and Battle, recently visited the site.
He said: "I am always keen to support new and growing businesses in the rural areas - sustainable and sympathetic rural business growth provides job opportunities for local people.
"The owners of the farm are creating jobs in their angling centre and farm alongside creating much-needed business space for local rural enterprise."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here