A FORMER pig farmer has hit out at a "lack of support" for farm diversification schemes.

Robert Bulmer, of Little Habton, near Malton, applied four years ago to develop an outdoor go-karting track.

When that was turned down by planners he successfully applied to build an indoor facility, completing acoustic surveys costing £2,000 to back his proposal.

But Mr Bulmer said he had been denied vital European funding - because his farm was two-and-a-half miles outside the designated area. 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 has now applied once more for an outdoor track, and said he was looking at other ways to support the development.

He said: "I originally went for the option of an indoor track 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: "You would have thought an alien had landed from outer space; people blew it out of all proportion.

"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."

He said initial fears over noise disruption were put into perspective after the results of the sound survey showed the decibel levels would be lower than originally thought.

Parish councillor Keith Richardson said he was surprised at how quiet the engines were.

He said: "From what I understand from the acoustic tests, these go-karts don't even make as much noise as a ride-on lawn mower."

He added: "We have not yet had a meeting about the new application, but the majority of local people seem to be for it because he is a local man investing his money in the area.

"If residents want to voice their opinion and raise questions or complaints then they should do that with the parish council."

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

Updated: 09:03 Wednesday, March 20, 2002