Community farm could soon have new owner

North Tyneside council has been running the farm since March 2023

A community farm could soon reopen with a new owner, nearly two years after it was taken over by a local authority.

The future of the Rising Sun community farm in Wallsend was put at risk when its owner filed for insolvency in October 2022.

Five months later it was taken over by North Tyneside Council, which began making a number of repairs to the site.

The council said it was continuing work to find an owner for the farm and hoped one would be in place in the coming months.

"The Rising Sun Farm is an important facility and provides a range of services to visitors, residents and our communities," a spokesperson said.

"We are continuing our procurement process to find a new provider, which we hope to have in place in early 2025. Until then the council will continue to prioritise the security of the site and the safety of the animals."

Farm repairs

After the farm's previous owner entered insolvency, a petition calling for it to be transferred to the Rising Sun Community Farm Association amassed more than 5,700 signatures.

The farm, which is set in a 162-hectare (400-acre) country park, was instead taken over by the council.

Since then, North Tyneside Council has undertaken a number of repairs and temporarily removed some of the smaller animals, such as ducks, geese and rabbits, to carry out remedial work on their enclosures.

It has also brought electricals into compliance, fixed a septic tank and repaired damage fences, according to the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

When it was opened, the farm offered adult social care and day trips for vulnerable adults, including people with learning disabilities and autism.

It has been valued at £4m and the council estimates the rental income for the farm at £90,000 in the first year of the contract.