THE sale of Occombe Farm to the company behind the successful Greendale farm shop on the outskirts of Exeter has been completed.

Former Occombe staff who lost their jobs in last year’s collapse of the Torbay Coast and Countryside Trust will be among those to work for the new owners.

The news was announced today on the social media platform of Occombe – the first post online since October last year when the trust shut it down.

Occombe, just off the ring road at Paignton, was part of the trust’s huge portfolio of properties left in limbo when it went into voluntary liquidation blaming escalating costs and falling revenue for its plight.

Torbay Council reached an agreement with the liquidators to reclaim the management of council-owned land and buildings previously leased to the trust, including Berry Head National Nature Reserve, Cockington Country Park and Occombe Farm.

Earlier this year the council announced that it was planning to sell the site to Greendale, which has pledged to create up to 200 jobs as a result of the deal, which could in the long term include glamping areas and padel courts alongside a farm shop and café.

The price paid by Greendale has not been disclosed.

Its statement said: “This marks the beginning of an exciting new chapter for this much-loved site.”

In the short term, Greendale says, this will include reopening Occombe’s farm kitchen, play barn and nature trail. Then there are plans to create new retail and leisure facilities with the aim of attracting more visitors to the area and boosting the local economy.

Tom Shwenn of Greendale said: “We are excited to develop a partnership with local specialists and are confident that the team will deliver the Occombe Farm family experience that so many people remember fondly.

“We’re also delighted that familiar faces will be returning, with the farm kitchen and play barn staffed by former Occombe employees.

“We know there is a huge amount of work ahead of us, so we ask the people of Torbay to bear with us as we bring that vision to life. In return, we will do everything we can to reward their patience by creating a destination that they can once again be proud to call their own.”

During a Torbay Council meeting some members said that while they were excited about Greendale’s plans, they were concerned that the council was ‘rushing into’ a deal.

Deputy leader Chris Lewis (Con, Preston), however, told them: “We know Greendale has a proven track record. At the moment Occombe is closed, and if we stand around and talk about it we end up with neglected buildings that stay neglected for years.

“We are putting our trust in Greendale, and the sooner Occombe Farm is open to the public the better.”