A FORMER pig farmer has criticised a "lack of support" for farm diversification schemes after spending years trying to establish a go-kart track.

Robert Bulmer was denied by planners when he tried to set the project's wheels in motion four years ago.

After failing to gain permission for an outdoor track, he successfully applied to build an indoor facility, completing acoustic surveys at a cost of £2,000 to back his proposals.

But Mr Bulmer, of Little Habton, near Malton, now says he is being denied vital European funding because his farm lies two miles outside the designated area where cash can be poured into.

He said: "Even though farmers are encouraged to diversify, unless you are in the area where the right funding objective applies, the money is just not available. It's absolutely crazy if you look at a map, because we are so close."

Mr Bulmer is applying again for permission for an outdoor track and said he was looking at other ways to support the development.

He said: "I went for the indoor track option because of the concerns over noise, but the costs were too great to justify. There's a chance with an outdoor track that I might get an outside investor to help me with the start-up costs."

Mr Bulmer said he had been disappointed over the way Ryedale District Council handled his original application.

He said: "I would not say that the council has been deadly opposed to it, but they have been as awkward as they could be and put everything they could in my way."

A council spokeswoman said that now an acoustic survey had been completed, the proposals for an outdoor track would be looked at as a new application.