New tractor repair business set for Cricklade

A BUSINESS repairing tractors could be setting up in Cricklade in Wiltshire.

And it’s as a consequence of improvements at the other end of the A419 and A417.

Phil Garlick and his wife used to run a farm and an agricultural tractor repair business in Birdlip in Gloucestershire, near Cheltenham. Their farm had been bought by the Government in order to build the ‘missing link’ on the A417, which is often a source of hold-ups to people driving from the M5, or Cheltenham, to Swindon or the M4.

Mr and Mrs Garlick have now bought Whitehall Farm just to the south of Cricklade, where they intend to farm again, and also start repairing farmers’ tractors.

The couple already have permission to use one of the buildings at the farmyard for such purposes but they have applied to planners at County Hall in Trowbridge for permission to demolish a number of buildings and replace them with new buildings better suited to the repair business.

Their application says: “Unfortunately the existing buildings are too low for most modern agricultural vehicles. For that reason they wish to demolish some of the cattle sheds and build a new, taller agricultural machinery workshop, with attached office.

“We require more space for the repair, and for covered storage before and after repair, of tractors and agricultural machinery.”

It adds that the business already employs the members of the family, a full-time mechanic and two part-time or self-employed mechanics.

And that it is expected two further full-time fitters will be employed.