TWO Cotswold farms could make way for houses to pay for more modern farming facilities.

Planners are now almost certain to approve the schemes, saying they want to help the two farmers, who both say they have to move to modern buildings to meet new hygiene and animal welfare standards.

Broadwell farmer Henry Pond wants to build a farmstead at Green Barn Farm on the edge of the village, converting farm buildings at Redhill Farm into offices and light industrial units and building five homes in part of the farmyard now taken by a steel-framed farm building.

In a letter to Cotswold District Council, Mr Pond's agents said: "Arable crops are stored at green barn farm and the livestock is housed at Redhill Farm.

"These buildings are no longer suited to modern farming and do not accord with the requirement of the assured Combinable Crops Scheme and the Farm Assured British Beef and Lamb Scheme.

"Redevelopment at the Redhill Farm site would appear to be both impractical and inappropriate."

District councillors last week approved the relocation, despite the views of councillor Sue Herdman, who said: "This is quite a small farm and it worries me what we are going to have to allow in order to let them relocate."

Councillors agreed they wanted the farm track moved and approved the industrial units in principle, but deferred the housing plans, because they want changes made to them.

David Oughton, of Rectory Farm in Lower Swell, wants to move his farm for the same reasons, but seems set to win planning approval in time for the new farm buildings to be operational by the spring.

His plans to redevelop Rectory Farm have now been substantially altered, with houses moved to take up a smaller area and create an area of open space. Councillors have welcomed the changes, although planning officer John Longmuir said: "There is a degree of tweaking that still needs to happen but officers would suggest they are nearly 95% there."

The plans involve building seven homes in the farmyard, converting barns to form two more homes and building a set of farm buildings just south of the village.