A POPULAR Cockermouth farm attraction is one step further on their journey to expanding their already successful business, with the creation of a soft play centre at the site.

Plans were submitted for the demolition of existing barn and replacement with play barn in association with Wellington Farm at the popular café and visitor attraction Wellington Farm, Lamplugh Road, Cockermouth, in November.

The plans have been granted approval with conditions by Cumberland council officers last Tuesday, December 19 meaning that the business can push ahead with their work to improve.

The Stamper family, who are the owners of Wellington Farm have expanded their business in recent years with the addition of the popular glamping pods at the site, they say this is the next step in the development of the business.

Speaking to the Times and Star when the plans were submitted, Debbie Stamper, Marketing Manager at Wellington Farm said: "It's an idea that we have had for a long time, obviously we have got the café and then we have built on the business with the glamping pods, and we kind of just feel like this is the next step.

"We are really proud of being in Cockermouth and we want to keep developing our business and keep it sustainable, we want to create more jobs, we want to be here for a long time, we kind of just want to build on what we have got already, develop it and make it stronger."

The farm currently operates a successful café and tearoom, glamping pod area and an area of woodland walk alongside a small animal area with sheep, donkeys, llamas.

The family say the the new barn will enable longer stays by existing customers of the tea rooms and pods.

It has in the past been used for intermittent use for trikes and other activities but it is considered appropriate to now formalise the use and provide an improved facility.

Debbie said: "It is going to have some soft play inside, what we hope is that we can put a little function room in there as well, so it will look like soft play but we hope it can be a multi purpose barn that we can use for a few other things as well.

"It's an existing building we want to smarten up and its a good opportunity for us to develop it into something that will make our business stronger."