Inflatable building bid aired for farms

Housing everything from livestock to crops, farm buildings are traditionally solid and permanent structures dotted around the Shropshire countryside.

But a new type of farm building could soon be spotted popping up all over the county. Thanks to an expert team headed by the county's world famous balloonist Per Lindstrand, inflatable buildings could be the future for every farmer.

Lindstrand Technologies Ltd, owned by the legendary balloonist and based in Oswestry's Mile Oak Industrial Estate, has just broadened its product line and is venturing into the agricultural market for the first time by developing the inflatable farm buildings.

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Although better known for its balloons, the Lindstrand group has been involved in air cell technology and inflatable buildings for many years.

Its inflatables come in various shapes and sizes and in the past it has developed a hanger for the Swedish Air Force to house warplanes, produced a mobile command centre for the US Marine Corps and even made a huge inflatable building called the Millennium Arches which was used to host the New Year celebrations in Stockholm in 2000.

Now, in a move which could revolutionise how the county's countryside will look in the future, the company has now turned its attention to producing inflatable buildings for farmers.

The inflatable buildings are designed so that the internal climate can be controlled.

And because they are cheaper to erect and can be inflated in a matter of a few hours, Mr Lindstrand believes not only will farmers save money, the new product will be a more effective way of installing farm buildings.

Mr Lindstrand said: "The agricultural market can now look forward to drastic cost-cutting in the long term storage of food stuffs."

He said the buildings were more than 20 per cent cheaper than a rigid structure and no planning permission is required for a period of six weeks with the landowner's permission.

The buildings have a life expectancy of 20 years in a European climate and are able to be located next to where crops are cultivated to reduce transportation costs.

By Iain St John