The new owners of a West Dorset farm have outlined their future development proposals which they say will be low-key and in keeping with the Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty.

Spence Farm at Wootton Fitzpaine includes an existing bed and breakfast business and a vineyard.

It has just been granted planning consent by Dorset Council to create an accessible nature trail through Spence Plantation.

The application had led to an objection from the parish council which said that when considering other planning requests for the farm collectively the applications add up to a potentially significant use of the land for tourism rather than agriculture.

It questioned whether, environmentally, the pathway was suitable.

Agents for the farm said the owners intentions for the site include improving the quality of the existing B&B use to provide accessible accommodation … but not to overdevelop the site or seek significant change of use.

"They are very aware that the existing infrastructure, road network and land uses will not support extensive development and do not seek to significantly change, but rather enhance the existing in a sensitive manner. The applicants hope that the farm will become somewhere where a small amount of people can come to eat well, think well, and move well," said the letter to Dorset Council.

Among the expected future proposals are to update the house and stables to provide better quality guest accommodation, develop a "wellness barn" with a pool and gym equipment and create foraging walks and a vegetable garden in addition to the site's existing Wodetone vineyard.

The woodland trail will not involve the removal of any trees and follows the route of an older path with stone and gravel paths added to make the area more accessible for all, and some raised decking over a boggy area.

The application says bird and bat boxes would be added to the plantation together with a bird hide, an insect hotel and sycamore coppicing all helping to improve biodiversity.

Neither Natural England nor the council's landscape and highways teams raised any objections to the proposals which the site owners say will be guided throughout by an ecologist.