The opening of Keelham Farm Shop in Skipton has been put back until later in the year.

It had been hoped the shop, in the converted former Nicholas Smith’s garage, Gargrave Road, would open on Yorkshire Day, August 1.

But joint owner of the family business, Victoria Robertshaw, said this week it would now open some time in September.

Mrs Robertshaw said the August date – announced at the Craven District Council planning meeting when amended plans were approved – had been made before work schedules were in place.

She said work was due to start on site by the end of the month.

The £4 million development will include a shop, activity barn and animal croft area and parking for 105 cars. An originally approved wind turbine will now no longer be built.

“We will appoint the project contractor in mid-February and are currently reviewing in detail the programme of works,” she said.

“When we set the original completion date, we had not at that stage received tender documents, but, in the light of this much more detailed information, we have shifted the time-frame slightly.

“By the end of February, work will begin on site and we are looking at a completion date in September, instead of August 1 as we originally had hoped.”

She added: “There are some quite technical civil engineering works required to introduce complicated services to existing infrastructure and we need to spend the time at the outset analysing the potential contractors’ bids, to identify the best construction solution as well as best value.”

“Keelham Farm Shop, Skipton, has been in development for several years and it’s fantastic that we’re so close to realising our vision.”