Farmer Ted's: Major family attraction seeks permission for pumpkin patch, play area & Farmaggedon parking

Bosses at Farmer Ted’s Adventure Farm in Flatman’s Lane, Ormskirk, have applied for retrospective planning permission to use land as a Mammoth Maize Maze/for Pumpkin Picking, to temporarily use a field for staff parking during Halloween-themed Farmageddon, and for the use of paddock and pen areas, as well as a children’s play area.

It comes after the business successully applied lasst year for a Lawful Development Certificate of Existing Use for 20 buildings on its 23 hectare site - including the restaurant and kitchen, playbarn, theatre, office space, storage, an animal barn, workshop, toilets and the Christmas Grotto.

Althouth Worrall House Farm is still described as operational, the leisure attraction has become the main focus of the business, attracting 95,000 people every year and employing 52 permanent staff.

Farmageddon

In a statement to West Lancashire Borough Council, the agent for Farmer Ted’s said the field used for Farmageddon parking would remain grassed, is used for only 21 nights a year, and “is considered necessary by the applicant on road safety grounds”. The agent said: “This area of land allows staff to park away from the main car park used by guests – which the attraction brings in approximately 35,000 -45, 000 visitors during October and employs 230 staff during this period. Whilst it is acknowledged that there is an existing formal car park at this site, during the period of Farmageddon is it just not possible, especially leading up closer to Halloween, that the existing car park area can accommodate the number of vehicles on site – due to the number of guests and staff. By ensuring that staff have an area where they can park this ensures that guests who are visiting the Farmageddon experience can park on the existing car park (which is sign posted) and avoid having to park on the highway around the site, which due to the speed limit of the road and 90 degree bend as Flatmans Lane meets Wood Lane, is a preferred safer option.”

Play area

A Certificate of Lawfulness has been submitted to the Council in relation to establishing the existing use of a children’s play area, with attractions including ‘Bleat the Keeper’, ‘Safe Archery’, ‘Mossy Bottom Crafts’ and an extension to existing covered sand pit. Owners say these developments are located and connected on existing land utilised in connection with the leisure and educational facilities at Farmer Teds. They also say they are small in scale and are within the cluster of other buildings on the site ensuring that they do not result to encroachment or spread onto open areas of the site.

Maze and pumpkin picking

The eastern field is used for the Mammoth Maize Maze between the months of July and August and for Pumpkin picking in October. It is considered by the Council that this development amounts to a change of use of land and therefore retrospective planning permission is required. The applicant says that they are limited events, and that as the land can be restored between the events, the development would preserve the openness of the Green Belt.

Paddock/Pen areas

Owners are seeking a change of use of the land for areas used for animal paddocks and pens. They remain as open fields and the agent argued that they relate to an outdoor recreation activity in connection with the existing and established use of the site and that the development preserves the openness of the Green Belt by keeping land permanently open.

Long-term viability

A planning statement says: “Ongoing investment in the site is essential to maintain and grow its appeal to visitors. Without continued development, the attraction risks stagnation, which would negatively impact visitor numbers and, by extension, the long-term viability of the site.

“To remain competitive with other similar attractions both within Lancashire and nationally, it is critical that Farmer Ted’s evolves to meet changing visitor expectations. The development under this application seeks to ensure the site remains fresh, relevant, and engaging, encouraging repeat visits and supporting the local economy through tourism, education, and employment. Therefore the development under this application is deemed as necessary to secure the sustainable future of this well-established rural attraction and align with broader objectives to support rural enterprise, tourism, and community engagement.”