Larchfield Estate undergoes £117,000 refurbishment through the Rural Development Programme

Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA has officially opened a £117,000 redevelopment project on the Larchfield Estate in the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area.

Rural Affairs Minister Edwin Poots MLA officially opened a £117,000 redevelopment project on the Larchfield Estate in the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area. Minister Poots is pictured with Sarah and Gavin Mackie at the ‘Oild Piggery’ building.

Sarah and Gavin Mackie, the owners of Larchfield Estate, redeveloped the ‘Old Piggery’ following an award of £50,000 through the Rural Business Investment Scheme under the LEADER element of the NI Rural Development Programme (RDP) 2014-2020.   The project, which was administered by Lagan Rural Partnership (LRP) Local Action Group, enabled the redevelopment of an existing old building and landscaping of the surrounds to meet the growing demand for a unique, exclusive location for corporate events and special celebrations.

Speaking at the event, Minister Poots said: “Larchfield Estate has a long history in this local area and in recent years has become well renowned as a leading wedding and corporate event venue within Northern Ireland.  The £50,000 of LEADER funding invested into the redevelopment of the ‘Old Piggery’, together with match funding from Larchfield Estate, has enabled the creation of a new facility which will encourage more guests to come along and enjoy the enhanced experiences that will be on offer.”

Minister Poots added: “Across the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council area the Lagan Rural Partnership Local Action Group has invested over £2.6million of LEADER funding in rural initiatives and I’d like to pay tribute to those Directors of the Local Action Group who give up of their time freely to implement rural development in their local area. Without them my Department could not invest this money.”

Gavin & Sarah Mackie said “Larchfield Estate is a place of exceptional heritage and beauty, a family home and a business we are passionate about. We are delighted to welcome Minster Poots and delegates from both his office and Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council to mark the redevelopment of The Old Piggery into an experience room, ideal for smaller parties, conferences and group stays.  As an apex business we are proud to work with a fantastic network of local suppliers and we look forward to a bounce back to business in 2021 for all our clients and suppliers affected by Covid in 2020."

Ald. Allan Ewart MBE, Chair of Lagan Rural Partnership said “To date, the Rural Business Investment Scheme has funded local businesses £1.2m over the course of this programme who have directly created 81 jobs as a result of this investment.  It has been exciting to watch this project develop while also protecting original features both internally and externally. The final results are just stunning."

Alderman Jim Dillon MBE, Development Committee Chairman added: "Supporting local businesses is important to the council and we are pleased that through the lagan Rural Partnership funding is available to help our rural businesses grow and diversify. The partnership between the council and DAERA has benefited the many businesses and sustained employment Lisburn Castlereagh area in recent years."

Notes to editors: 

1. DAERA had allocated £2.6m of LEADER funding from the NI Rural Development Programme 2014-2020 to the Lagan Rural Partnership Local Action Group (LRP LAG) to deliver investment in rural businesses, villages and communities within the Lisburn and Castlereagh City Council and Belfast City Council rural areas.  The schemes administered by LRP LAG under this programme are the: Rural Business Investment Scheme; Rural Basic Services Scheme; Village Renewal Scheme; and All Island Cooperation Scheme.  The LRP LAG has allocated its funding to 47 projects across all schemes.
2. The Rural Business Investment Scheme provided much needed investment support for the creation and development of micro and small enterprises in rural areas.  The programme was designed with the primary objective of creating new jobs. 
3. LRP LAG has issued Letters of Offer under the Rural Business Investment Scheme worth approx. £1.2m to 31 rural businesses which has levered in some £1.9m in private sector match funding, creating 81 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs to date.
4. Larchfield Estate has been in Mackie family ownership since 1968 and Gavin and Sarah Mackie took over as custodians of the Estate in 2007.  Initially a rural farm, over the past decade the business has grown substantially as a venue for weddings, as well as private and corporate events. 
5. The funding provided to Larchfield enabled the conversion of an existing old building renamed the Old Piggery (after its 1900s purpose) and landscaping of the surrounds to meet the growing demand for unique, exclusive locations for corporate events and special celebrations.  
6. The Old Piggery is available for dining and experience space and for meetings, entertaining as part of a corporate retreat, corporate events such as: board meetings, strategy days, training sessions or complimentary workshops such as candle making, cookery masterclasses or yoga.  It can also be used for special celebrations such as landmark birthdays, anniversaries and pre-wedding parties.
7. Total Project Cost was £117,895.66 with Larchfield Estate contributing private investment of £67,895.66 alongside the £50,000.00 RDP funding. 
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