First look at plans by community farm near Market Drayton

Plans have been unveiled to create a straw bale bunkhouse at Fordhall Farm.

A planning application has been submitted to Shropshire Council for the scheme which will involve replacing the current "unsightly" portable buildings.

The new facility will provide accommodation throughout the year, including for people taking part in volunteer weekends and as a space to run residential courses and workshops.

It will also be used as a residential base for Scouts, Cubs, Duke of Edinburgh and Brownies clubs, as an additional meeting room, and for private parties and functions.

Documents in support of the application say: "The bunkhouse project is a long-term plan to replace the current unsightly portable buildings with a permanent purpose built comfortable straw bale bunkhouse for the volunteers and community users.

"For the last three years staff have enjoyed the luxury of the Old Diary, heating, indoor toilets and insulation. Yet the volunteers remain in drafty portable buildings without running water and with only the use of the outdoor compost toilet."

Fordhall Farm became England's first community owned farm in 2006 when more than 8,000 people from across the world clubbed together to buy community shares in the business.

Now rented by Ben Hollins, the farm is owned and utilised by a community trust to use the land as an educational and recreational resource.

The documents add: "Fordhall Farm is England's first community-owned farm and has been organic for over 65 years.

"In 2011 Fordhall Farm completed the refurbishment of the Old Dairy building to provide a tearoom, farm shop and classroom facilities. Much of the success of Fordhall Farm is down to their volunteers who willingly give up their own time to assist with projects on the farm.

"Fordhall intends to construct much of the project themselves, running courses for straw bale construction along with lime rendering and plastering, cedar shingle roofing and car type foundation construction with the support of a main contractor."

The number of vehicles visiting the site is not expected to increase significantly as a result of the proposal and farm bosses say they would like to minimise the impact of the new build on the field where it would be built as much as possible.

Shropshire Council hopes to make a decision on the scheme by March 28.

People can comment on the proposal as part of the consultation into the development via the council website.