AN award winning organic dairy enlisted specialist advice to help with its expansion plans.

Acorn Dairy, of Archdeacon Newton, Darlington, is on a scheduled ancient monument site and required specialist consultancy advice on every step of the planning and architectural process.

Graham Tweddle, director, said they knew it was going to be difficult to get planning permission for their expansion plans and asked George F. White, who had helped on their earlier wind turbine project, to handle their planning application to Darlington Borough Council and Historic England.

He said: "Working closely with their planning and architectural consultants, we’ve been able to expand our business and increase production, and delivery of, organic dairy products to businesses and homes across the North of England."

Hunter Hardy, head of George F White's architectural team, said: "The development involved the construction of large buildings, including a huge steel framed building along with new offices, on a scheduled ancient monument site.

"Working with the client and the contractor, we put together our planning and architectural skills and resource to provide strategic definition and direction to the client, starting from the creation of design concepts for the site through to the provision of a construction programme for the chosen contractor. As a result, collectively we secured a successful outcome at the first attempt for the client on a very unique site."