AN MP is demanding to know why a £50,000 lottery grant for a farm has been taken away.

The Knutton Village Farm project was awarded the funding from the People's Millions programme in 2008 after winning a televised vote on ITV1.

But it has emerged that the grant was revoked after project co-ordinators and Staffordshire County Council failed to agree about the leasing of land within a 12-month time limit.

It is now uncertain whether the creation of the community farm will go ahead.

Newcastle MP Paul Farrelly has written to council leader Councillor Philip Atkins to ask for an explanation.

Mr Farrelly said: "I've been trying to find out since November what has been happening, but I've been met with a wall of silence.

"It's very disappointing and frustrating, considering the amount of hard work which has gone into getting this project off the ground."

The Knutton Village Farm group, which was supported by parents who use the nearby Newcastle Children's Centre, started seeking funds for the farm in 2005.

It wanted volunteers to grow food, look after animals and produce power through renewable technology.

The farm in Blackbank Road would have offered activities for children and families, courses and guided tours.

In 2008, the group applied for People's Millions funding when the county council agreed to lease the land to Knutton Village Farm.

After the project won the vote in November, the organisers were told the grant had to be used within a year or it would be lost.

But concerns about the project raised by the council's legal department were not resolved for months, which meant the authority was unable to lease the land until November 2009.

At that point, the property department at the council said a service road would need to be built for the farm.

Funding for such a road was not available, so the project could not go ahead.

The Big Lottery Fund, which offered the grant, said: "Unused funding will remain in our funding pot to be given out to other projects that help communities and people most in need."

County councillor Mark Winnington, cabinet member for assets, performance and organisation, said the authority would continue to work with Knutton Village Farm.

He added: "The county council only became aware at the 11th hour of the extent of funding required by the project.

"We made strenuous efforts to help find ways to make the project offer value for money and continue to offer help for Knutton Farm with respect of putting a business case together to attract funding."

Clare Butters, who has been chairman of the Knutton Village Farm group, was unavailable for comment.

But former board member Peter Cotton, pictured, said delays plagued the project.

The 73-year-old added: "All this time nothing has been done and we are no closer to getting the farm built."