by Trevor Bevins, Local Democracy Reporter.
Changes are planned at the Tumbledown community farm in Radipole which will ‘tidy up’ the site and make it more efficient.
The site, off Radipole Lane, which was granted planning permission in 2022, cost Weymouth Town Council £68,000 to run last year.
Plans just submitted to Dorset Council for approval show the moving of the two existing 20 x6metre polytunnels, close to the entrance, to Field 2, with the vacant polytunnel site then being used for a 34 x 7metre solar panel array.
Said a town council statement with the planning permission request: “The proposals to relocate the polytunnels and install solar panels at ground levels are considered to provide sympathetic and appropriate designs.
“The proposal for polytunnels has been considered in depth and the location proposed is considered to be the most sympathetic location whilst still retaining functionality of the buildings. The use of the land for the polytunnels is considered to be in keeping by maintaining the agricultural use.
“Overall the project seeks to provide a facility on the site for vulnerable people as well as the community as a whole. The scheme seeks to provide enrichment to health and well being as well as education regarding the plant to plate model. The project aims to bring the land back into use in a sustainable way, by growing food on those parts of the site. It seeks to reduce the impact on the environment, develop individuals’ and the community’s food growing and processing skills, generate income to achieve a sustainable operation and reinvest surpluses to strengthen Tumbledown’s future.”
The 27-acre former farm, owned by Weymouth Town Council, is being developed as what is described as ‘a community asset’ through the production and sale of local fruit and veg, supporting people with volunteering and learning opportunities, as well as protecting the local environment for the benefit of the community, according to a town council statement on the aims of the site.
The planning application, P/FUL/2026/02993 , can be viewed and commented on via the Dorset Council website.
