College Farm Trust teams with Jeremy Coller Foundation to plan public reopening

College Farm Trust has partnered with the Jeremy Coller Foundation to pursue refurbishment and reopening of the long-closed Finchley farm site. The plan could return the historic attraction to public use if regulatory and planning approvals are secured.

Why it matters: - College Farm has been closed to the public for more than 25 years, leaving a local landmark unavailable to visitors, schools and community groups. - The partnership is aimed at restoring the Grade II listed site and creating the funding base needed for a public reopening. - The project could preserve the farm’s educational role while protecting its historical and architectural heritage.

What happened: - College Farm Trust announced a partnership with the Jeremy Coller Foundation on July 23, 2026. - The agreement is intended to create conditions for refurbishment, rebuilding and reopening of College Farm in Finchley, London. - The Trust said the potential funding is subject to the right regulatory and planning consents. - At an Extraordinary General Meeting on June 6, 2026, members approved new Articles of Association that made the Jeremy Coller Foundation the sole member of College Farm Trust. - College Farm Trust said it remains an independent registered charity with its own board of trustees.

The details: - College Farm Trust owns College Farm, located at 45 Fitzalan Road, London N3 3PG. - The site’s buildings are in poor condition and in many cases contain toxic asbestos. - Refurbishment and rebuilding of the farm buildings, barns and offices are expected to cost a substantial amount. - The site includes Grade II listed farm buildings. - A new board of trustees was appointed in May 2025. - The board includes former Finchley and Golders Green MP Mike Freer and Finchley Society chair Mick Crick. - The board began seeking a partner with a shared vision and resources to underwrite the work. - Discussions with the Jeremy Coller Foundation began last summer. - The Jeremy Coller Foundation focuses on issues including building a sustainable food system. - The foundation funds the Science Museum’s Future of Food exhibition in London. - Chris and Jane Ower have run College Farm for almost 50 years. - The Owers have managed the farm through the foot and mouth and BSE crises and previous attempts to change the farm’s use. - The Owers supported the talks with the Jeremy Coller Foundation and back the reopening plan. - College Farm Trust was established to manage and conserve the farm, with a focus on environmental, historical and architectural heritage. - The charity’s stated public education mission includes children, young people and disabled people. - A Charity Commission statutory inquiry into College Farm Trust opened in August 2024 over concerns about former trustees’ decision-making. - The Charity Commission appointed an interim manager to oversee the process of appointing new trustees. - The current trustees were appointed through that process.

Between the lines: - The partnership gives College Farm Trust access to a major charitable funder, which may improve the odds of financing a complex restoration. - The requirement for planning and regulatory approvals means the reopening timeline is still uncertain. - Making the Jeremy Coller Foundation the sole member of the Trust signals closer long-term governance alignment, but the charity says College Farm Trust will keep its independent board. - The focus on farming education suggests the reopening plan is meant to serve both heritage preservation and public engagement.

What’s next: - College Farm Trust and the Jeremy Coller Foundation will now seek the approvals needed to move from agreement to actual restoration work. - The Trust will need to secure consent for refurbishment and rebuilding before the site can reopen. - The Charity Commission’s inquiry into historical matters at College Farm Trust will be completed in due course.

The bottom line: - College Farm’s path back to the public now has a financial partner, but the project still depends on approvals, restoration work and a costly rebuild of a long-closed site.