Kate Humble's plans for a rural skills centre were approved last week despite cabinet members having to apologise for the way the council had dealt with the situation.

The TV presenter and her husband Ludo Graham were at a special cabinet meeting last Thursday (28th July) to hear councillors praise their idea, which will transform the council-owned Meend Farm in Penallt.

The couple want to create a high-profile centre offering courses in rural crafts and farming skills.

Councillor Bob Greenland, cabinet member for modernisation, enterprise and communications, set out the structure of Monmouthshire County Council's (MCC) county farms.

"Our estate is divided into core farms, which we wish to retain, and non-core farms, which are available for disposal – this is the case with Meend Farm," he said.

"In February the tenant, a very good farmer, retired and normally the farm would be sold on the open market.

"That was the intention at the time until Kate and Ludo approached us with an outline vision for an open farm.

"They had been looking at the project for a couple of years as residents of Monmouthshire and wanted to site it here if possible."

The centre, said Cllr Greenland, will take up about 15 acres of the 118-acre site, with the rest being commercially farmed by "a local farming couple, as tenants."

"Visitors to the centre would be smallholders and people who get the vision Kate gives in the programmes she fronts," said Cllr Greenland.

"It will also connect people with their local food source – Monmouthshire is a foody destination and a provider of quality ingredients."

Cllr Greenland also highlighted the potential educational benefits of the scheme.

"How great it is that children could come to a farm like that and see where their food comes from and how it is produced," he added.

A sale price of £750,000 has been agreed for the farm, of which Ms Humble and Mr Graham will pay £525,000 straight into council funds.

for full story, see this week's Monmouthshire Beacon