CLASTON Farm at Dormington looks set to become a centre for the promotion of Herefordshire food and drink, with its own dedicated pub on site.

The unique scheme, backed by Herefordshire Council and now the Government, would see a number of redundant farm buildings converted into workshops, offices and up to eight "live-work" units that would blend living accommodation with small offices or working spaces.

The idea would be to attract people who wish to work from home.

Jonathan Barrett, Herefordshire Council's head of planning services, said: "There would be small craft workshops or IT offices attached to accommodation.

"It was the council's view that this represented a unique form of development in rural Herefordshire and would be of local, county and regional importance."

The council hopes the development will eventually become "a high quality tourist attraction".

Key to the plans is a centre dedicated to the promotion of local food and drink. This, in turn, would be linked to an on-site pub, where local fare would be available.

Herefordshire Council's central area planning sub-committee backed the scheme last year, after plans were submitted by site owner Peter Davies.

But because the idea of the residential units was a deviation from the local plan, a public inquiry was ordered in December by the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, John Prescott.

Now the Government has advised Herefordshire Council that it is minded to support the plans and an interim letter to this effect is expected by the end of the month.

Mr Barrett said that final Government approval would be subject to conditions, not least that the food and drink centre should be first to be built and that this should be linked to the development of the pub.

The final decision on whether to accept the conditions and press ahead lies with site owner Peter Davies.