College Farm Trust partners with Jeremy Coller Foundation to back reopening plan

College Farm Trust has reached a long-term partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to support refurbishment, rebuilding and a future public reopening of the Finchley farm. The move comes after more than 25 years of closure and could revive a local landmark if planning and regulatory approvals are secured.

Why it matters: - College Farm has been closed to the public for more than 25 years, leaving a long-running gap in a local site tied to farming education and community use. - The partnership could unlock funding for major repairs to listed buildings, clearing a path toward reopening a site that has been out of public reach since before the foot and mouth crisis. - College Farm Trust says the plan would help preserve the farm’s charitable purpose while restoring access for children, young people and local residents.

What happened: - College Farm Trust announced a partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation on July 23, 2026. - The agreement is intended to create the conditions for refurbishment, rebuilding and reopening of College Farm in Finchley, London. - At an Extraordinary General Meeting on June 6, 2026, members of College Farm Trust adopted new Articles of Association. - Under the new structure, the Jeremy Coller Foundation became the sole member of College Farm Trust. - College Farm Trust will remain an independent registered charity with its own board of trustees.

The details: - College Farm Trust owns College Farm at 45 Fitzalan Road, London N3 3PG. - The site includes Grade II listed farm buildings, as well as ancillary barns and offices. - The buildings are in poor condition and many contain toxic asbestos. - The cost of refurbishment and rebuilding is expected to be substantial. - A new board of trustees was appointed in May 2025. - The board includes former Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Finchley Society chairman Mick Crick. - The board spent the past year looking for a partner with shared goals and financial backing. - Discussions with the Jeremy Coller Foundation began last summer. - The foundation focuses on issues tied to a sustainable food system and is the principal funder of the Science Museum’s Future of Food exhibition in London. - The potential funding remains subject to regulatory and planning consents. - Chris and Jane Ower have run College Farm for almost 50 years and supported the talks with the foundation. - The Owers say the farm has weathered the foot and mouth and BSE crises and repeated attempts to change its use. - The Owers also said the farm held regular open days before 2001 that drew thousands of visitors. - The current trustees say the reopening plan is aimed at educating young people about the history and future of farming.

Between the lines: - The deal gives College Farm Trust access to a larger charitable platform, but the project still faces the practical hurdles of planning approval, regulatory clearance and a major capital build-out. - The Jeremy Coller Foundation’s interest in sustainable food systems fits the farm’s education mission, which may help shape how the site is restored and used. - The Charity Commission opened a statutory inquiry into College Farm Trust in August 2024 over concerns about former trustees’ decision-making, and that inquiry remains ongoing. - The current trustees were appointed after an Interim Manager oversaw the process to replace the prior board.

What's next: - College Farm Trust will pursue the approvals needed to move from agreement to actual refurbishment and rebuilding. - The trust and the Jeremy Coller Foundation will work toward a long-term reopening plan for the public site. - The Charity Commission inquiry into historical matters at College Farm Trust will be completed in due course.

The bottom line: - College Farm’s future now hinges on whether the partnership can clear legal and planning barriers and fund the work needed to bring the long-closed Finchley landmark back to life.