Landymore's Farm Shop and Tea Room in Stow Bridge has been given go-ahead for expansion to cater for ‘increase in popularity’

Plans to carry out alterations and a conversion at a farm and tea room have been approved.

A planning application submitted to West Norfolk Council by A G Landymore & Son, on behalf of Landymore's Farm Shop and Tea Room in Stow Bridge, was given the green light on Friday.

The Landymore family has operated the farm for three generations and the shop started up around 40 years ago. It has expanded from a simple stall to the current building on Wimbotsham Road at the southern entrance to Stow Bridge.

The plans that have been approved, which include an expansion of the farm shop and a conversion of a farm storage shed into a kitchen area for the café, is expected to create another four or five jobs.

The small café was added in 2017, which serves hot and cold drinks and food during shop opening hours. This has proved a “great success”, according to planning documents.

The shop itself was extended in 2018. Now, it is in need of another expansion due to increased popularity

A planning statement said: “The success of the shop and the café has resulted in a lack of floorspace now for both, and this current proposal seeks to increase the farm shop floor area by constructing an extension at the rear, to link it with an existing farm storage shed.

“The existing café area will become part of the farm shop. The farm storage shed will be converted and used to accommodate the café and new kitchen/prep area.”

The existing farm shed is currently used for produce storage only.

This expansion is a “natural progression” for the farm and will offer increased facilities to encourage people to shop locally, and staff say it will “blend it with the farm shop by using materials that match”.