Farmer Will plans to build six glamping pods in Bucks

Will Young, a sixth generation farmer from Grendon Underwood, in the Aylesbury Vale district, revealed in an interview with the Bucks Free Press his future plans for the site.

Will found love on the fifth season of Love Island with Jessie Wynter where they returned back to life on Middle Farm in the lambing period.

Upon speaking about his new book launch For the Love of Farming, Will revealed how farmers need to diversify in order to have a sustainable future.

This includes plans for six glamping units for guest use along with associated parking, footpaths, landscaping and a new connection to the existing mains sewerage network. 

The proposed glamping site will offer "subtle and discreet countryside accommodation for tourists visiting this area’s attractions on short breaks and weekend stays", according to the planning documents.

The glamping pods would provide additional income for Middle Farm.

Will said: "Coming off the show, me and Jessie were thinking about things we can do here and one idea was to set up glamping pods where you can invite the public to come and stay on the grounds and see.

"It's just difficult as the government/or council don't back farmers, although they say 'we want you to diversify' but when you go right okay it went through the process and now we need to do testing for newts so it puts a massive stop to it. so we're in the process of it and setting it up and letting the public come in [to the farm]."

Jessie Wynter said: 'It's really exciting we just need to get the council on our side.

"What we want to do is get younger generation interested and what a way to get them interested than actually get them to a farm, especially young children if they don't know the option of being a farmer when you grow up they wont inspire to be that as all they see is farmers television and books and stuff.

"Our end goal is to bring that light to farming and hopefully get the younger generation involved, even if it was a holiday or small weekend away here, it could change the way they look at farming going forward." 

According to the plans, the glamping units are manufactured and designed to be energy efficient with well-insulated floors and fully insulated walls with the use of materials with a low life cycle environmental impact where possible, double glazing will be utilized.

Guests staying at the proposed site will be able to visit Finemere Wood, Bernwood Forest and Calvert Jubilee Nature Reserve in close proximity.

Guests can also visit Woodlands Fishery, Thames Valley Pigeon Shooting and Hogshaw Farm and Wildlife Park or Bicester Village, just across the border in Oxfordshire.

The document says: "As previously mentioned, this site will be part of a farm diversification project to help provide an additional income that will help sustain the future of Middle Farm."

To view the plan type 23/02357/APP into the council's planning portal.