Search to find new operators for community farm
The farm is in The Rising Sun Country Park
- Published
A community farm could soon be under new management, with a tendering process expected to start at the end of the month.
The previous operator of the Rising Sun Farm, in Wallsend, had to return it to North Tyneside Council in October 2022 after filing for insolvency.
North Tyneside Council has made improvements and repairs ready for the next manager, including bringing electricals into compliance, fixing the farm’s septic tank and damaged fences.
The council has discussed the future of the farm with stakeholders and the tendering process is expected to start at the end of January.
The announcement followed questions from Green Party activist Alan Steel, who asked the council for updates on ensuring the ecological and financial future of the farm, the Local Democracy Reporting Service, external said.
In response, deputy mayor Carl Johnson said he wanted to assure residents that “the authority is fully committed to securing the continued ecological and environmental benefits that the Rising Sun provides as a valuable community asset”.
A petition from October 2022, calling for the farm to be handed over to the Rising Sun Farm Association, gained over 6,300 signatures by the time it closed a month later.