Frank Rudd spoke to the Knutsford Guardian yesterday (Tuesday) after a decision by planners saved his livelihood.

"If our application had been refused we would have ended up on the dole," said Mr Rudd, who has grown tomatoes at his farm for 63 years.

"My sons have worked here too since leaving school and have never wanted to do anything else.

"So it wasn't just my livelihood I was trying to save."

The family's business had been threatened by a new £10,000-a-year Government tax on companies exposing the atmosphere to harmful gases.

Mr Rudd told the Knutsford Guardian last month that he could not afford the new tax, but he could not get a loan to buy an environmentally-friendly machine - to exempt him from the tax - because the bank would not accept a cottage with restrictive conditions as security.

Last week, though, planners agreed to remove the agricultural occupancy condition.

"We were not really expecting it to be accepted but it was a huge relief," said Mr Rudd's son Chris.

"Now we can move forward and hopefully expand the business."

The Rudds, who employ seven people at the farm in Stocks Lane, Peover, produce 320 tons of tomatoes a year for Asda and local shops.

The machine will save them up to £30,000 a year because it is a more efficient method of production.

"We will be one of the first firms to get it," said Chris Rudd.