Rural jobs boost as barns given a makeover

The Courtyard, which stands on the A65 near Settle in North Yorkshire, is now home to a cluster of small businesses, including a cabinet maker and upholsterer, a wine merchant and a fabrics retailer.

The development was created by local businessman Mark Hancock, who was concerned that the barns would deteriorate without investment.

Mr Hancock, who is the chairman of the Skipton-based planning and development firm Rural Solutions, said: “People are drawn towards buildings with real quality. Creating rural employment is massively important, particularly at the moment.

“The good news is the building teams that were involved in The Courtyard have gone on to be engaged in other work.”

In 2004, Mr Hancock set up Amerdale, a privately-funded development and investment company.

Over the next three years, Amerdale built a portfolio of around £100m spread across the UK, Germany and China.

He completed the sale of the company in August 2007 to Kilmartin Property Group, where he later took on the role of chief executive to oversee the merger of the two companies.

William Fry, the managing director of Rural Solutions, said yesterday: “The countryside is alive and incredibly innovative. There are job opportunities in a plethora of businesses.

“The old chestnut of broadband connectivity remains.

“Technology has improved matters, but there are still swathes of North Yorkshire where broadband connectivity is just unacceptable.”

County Councillor Carl Les, chairman of Connecting North Yorkshire, responded: “It is absolutely right to say that broadband connectivity in many parts of North Yorkshire is unacceptable, but it is wrong to say that the issue is not being addressed.

“Later this month, North Yorkshire County Council will be signing off the procurement contract for the Connecting North Yorkshire initiative, which will make high-speed broadband available to the vast majority of communities in the county, opening up new business opportunities while at the same time giving private households the kind of online access currently only enjoyed by the residents of major cities.”