Stop ‘tragic’ sell-off of county council farm, urges minister
Good on yer George – I fully agree with the sentiments set out by George Eustace here – lets hope the temptation to sell the “community silver” in terms of county farms is resisted by some authorities.
Mind you too often councils allow land agents too much control and don’t innovate enough in the management of the estates themselves. But that’s perhaps another story (hope my friend the Agricultural Chaplain in Lincolnshire Alan Robson is reading we have long held a cherished view on doing more in terms of this subject!)
The article tells us:
Defra minister George Eustice has called on local authorities to end the sell-off of county council farms – but warned that there are limits to what the government can do to stop it happening.
“It is a tragedy that some local authorities are choosing to sell because they are closing the door and closing opportunities for new entrants coming into the industry,” Mr Eustice told the NFU Tenant Farmers’ Conference at Newbury, Berkshire.
County council farms and estates had an important role to play, said Mr Eustice on Wednesday (4 November).
But he added: “There are limits to what the government can do – these are farms that are owned ultimately by local authorities. They are run by local authorities and county agents.”
Government cuts mean an increasing number of councils are looking at alternative sources of funding. They include Herefordshire, which is considering the future of some 45 council farms encompassing about 1940ha.