Council could sell off its farms estate to reduce debts

The farms estate is Cornwall Council's largest land asset. Lee Trewhela reports on the debate over its future

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A CABINET member told a Cornwall Council meeting this week that the “number one thing” that could reduce its £1.2 billion debt would be to sell off its farms estate.

Following a long debate by its sustainable growth scrutiny committee, councillors agreed that there should be an inquiry into the future of the estate, which includes 10,800 acres of land and 81 farms.

The farms estate is the council’s single largest land asset and features 1,600 acres between Liskeard and Blunts village, about 1,000 acres between Mitchell and Trerice in Newquay, with the remainder of the estate dispersed across the rest of Cornwall.

The meeting heard that the main aim of the farms estate was to be a first foot on the ladder for people to enter the sector who may not have the ability to farm elsewhere, such as people who are not able to inherit a family farm. Questions were asked about how successful this aim has been.

Jonny Alford, Cornwall Council's acting head of property, said since a 20-year farms estate strategy was introduced in 2019 some financial issues had arisen, with pressures on capital spending. He said: “The estate needs to be profitable and revenue returns are narrow. Rents do not go up in line with costs, but costs go up in line with inflation.

“Dairy farming, which has been at the heart of the council's estate, is expensive to deliver on small scale land holdings such as those the council has.” A report to the committee suggested there could be alternative land use for its farms, including the provision of schools, housing and solar farms.

Strategic director Phil Mason told councillors: “Should we continue to have a farms estate, there are shades of grey. It might not be all or nothing. It might be that we reduce it, we enlarge it or otherwise. Like all other landowners, do we want to respond to the council’s current call for sites for housing purposes?”