WORK is starting on 19 luxury holiday lodges in the Ribble Valley.

The new park, which will be called Ribble Valley View, will be located in Old Langho just behing the Black Bull Pub, in Old Langho Road.

The wooden lodges will all have between two and three bedrooms and licenses for owners to stay for 12 months a year.

The project has been part financed by the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Investment and is headed up by fourth generation farmer Ian Simpson, who runs Simpson Farm Dairies in Kenyon Lane, Dinkley.

Mr Simpson, who is managing the project along with cousins Philip, Robert and Helen, said the idea was part of the farm’s diversification plans.

The father-of-one said: “We inherited the idea from my dad.

“We are diversifying — we are doing it to keep the farm going and bring in another income.

“It gives us a bit of stability and we are really serious about it. The lodges are going to be luxurious inside and they will have water and electricity.

“They will all be top of the range.

“We are going for the personal touch and hoping that it is going to be a success. We are starting the groundwork now and digging up all the bases.

“That will take six weeks and then we will be ready to put the lodges up. It is really exciting.”

Simpson Farm Dairies has 150 cows and a dairy and delivers milk around the Blackburn area.

It is expected the lodges will be on sale within the next six weeks.

Anybody interested in finding out more about the holiday homes should call 0800 1814044 or 07929764297.