A FORMER Victorian dairy farm and college could be transformed into a rural enterprise centre and new homes, as part of a multi-million pound development project.

Plans to regenerate the 140-year-old Court Farm in Hindlip Lane, near Worc-ester, which has stood empty for more than a decade, have been submitted by Marsten Develop-ments (Worcester) Ltd.

If given the go-ahead the former agricultural college campus will be used to provide employment opportunities while in a separate application by the same developers, the listed farm buildings would be transformed into seven dwe-llings.

The scheme, which invol-ves the renovation of a Grade II former farmhouse, built in the 1870s, shows the house itself would be converted into two dwellings.

Plans for the former college site would see the traditional brick buildings retained and the restoration of a single storey building in the middle of the site, together with its iconic clocktower.

The rest of the buildings would be knocked down and replaced with more ‘character appropriate’ properties.

Proposals also include an underground car park aiming to ensure the rural character of the area is maintained. Previous proposals to develop the site have failed due to its location as it sits on green belt land but agents for the developer, the Tyler Parkes Partner-ship, have said they hope the application will be successful this time around.

John Wilson, director at Tyler Parkes Partnership, said: “It is deliberately designed to look rural and have a different feel to the standard business park.”

In the planning support statement the agents add: ‘The proposals will result in the restoration of the listed dairy and the other traditional buildings at Court Farm through a sympathetic scheme of conversion that will overcome the conflict with green belt policy that the Secretary of State identified with the previous more intensive scheme.

“Conversion into residential accommodation reflects the previous use and character of Court Farm, and will result in bringing empty properties back into use once again.”