A FAMILY’S dream of a smallholding, woodland and bed and breakfast hotel came a step closer after they moved onto the premises.

Many Worsley, 43, and her 48-year-old husband Steven have two adopted children of their own, Jessica and James, eight and 10, and the support of two major charities for their bed and breakfast plan on land they inherited at Chetham Farm, High Street, Turton.

They plan to build a four bedroom home on the land with a three bedroom annexe which will welcome newly-adopted children and foster families into a nurturing, peaceful environment.

The family moved out of their present home in Turton yesterday and will live in a caravan on the farm while the building work is done.

Mrs Worsley, said: “We are hoping the barn will be up by Christmas and all being well the bed and breakfast will be up and running by Easter 2016.

“We’ve sold our home to help finance the building so we will be living in a temporary caravan until it’s ready. It has been a dream of hours for around five years to get the complex up and running but we’re getting closer.”

Mandy and Steven were given a setback in 2013 when officials ruled their proposal breached green belt guidelines but Blackburn with Darwen councillors overturned that decision.

The family also plan to grow a small wood with a Forestry Commission grant and then create a smallholding with animals.

Mandy, added: “The bed and breakfast will be aimed primarily at providing short country breaks for couples with newly-adopted children.

“We know from our own experience what an emotionally stressful time this can be.”

Once the building work is complete, Mandy plans to leave her NHS job and live on the farm looking after the smallholding and the animals.