HC FARMS

[megilleland]

TO LET: Woodcroft Farm  Fromes Hill  Nr Bosbury Herefordshire  HR8 1QJ
 

Woodcroft Farm forms part of Herefordshire Council's Smallholdings Estate, the present tenant left the holding at the end of February 2017. The Council proposes to let the land and buildings only from 25th March 2017 to the 30th September 2017.

 

Is this part of the farms and small holdings mass disposal? Nice to see the Council getting some income even if it is for only six months - just enough to buy some more tea and biscuits for their next monthly meetings.

[Denise Lloyd]

So they have somebody waiting to go in there on 1st October 2017 - will be interesting to see who or what it will become -no doubt friends of friends

[megilleland]

Herefordshire Council Smallholdings Estate
For sale by direction of Herefordshire Council:

An important rural portfolio for sale by informal tender

    13 Sub-estates
    59 Individual Lots
    44 with Vacant Possession (2017)
    5 let under Farm Business Tenancies beyond 2017
    5 Lifetime Tenancies
    5 Retirement Tenancies
    36 Residential Properties
    Development and Investment Opportunities

A varied mix of rural properties ranging from houses with gardens to residential smallholdings and bare land together with dairy, stock and arable farms of up to 330 acres with the flexibility to purchase single properties, multiple lots, sub-estates or an entire portfolio.

In all about 4196.7 acres (1698.3 hectares)

Closing date for offers – Midday Wednesday 5th July 2017

For further information or to make arrangements for viewing any properties we would be grateful for contact by email to herefordshire@fishergerman.co.uk or by telephone 01905 677 357.

 

The farms are important, but the council's carpetbaggers are still selling them from under the feet of the local tax payer!
 

[Cambo]

unfortunately megilleland while the Queen who resides at No10 is strategizing to fight on two battle fronts firstly with the little business of a general election before the big battle of Brexit…for far to long now her barons have been running amok in there fiefdoms with little or no sight in end!

 

Depressing!!!

[Denise Lloyd]

I thought 24th April was to be the release date - does it really matter anyway yes too depressing for words and unbelievable really.  I hope the farmers that have been evicted have found a suitable alternative will move forward and not dwell for too long on how they have been treated like shite by the people who are paid for by the people who have been shafted.  Funny heartless old world and unfortunate time to market this land.

[Denise Lloyd]

Should be link to a farmers Weekly article

 

 

https://t.co/8eDJccn8qW

[Denise Lloyd]

Homes and businesses snatched off tenant farmers in Herefordshire council sell-off - News - FG Insight

 

This from the Farmers Guardian I will try to get the article later

 

[Denise Lloyd]

Here is the Farmer's Guardian article without the title and photograph:-

 

 

 

 

Start ......

Decision to sell off the 59 lots was granted in the hope to raise more than £40 million for the council’s ‘priority services’.

TFA chief executive George Dunn slammed the decision for its ‘poor management’ and said he was confused why Fisher German had suggested the majority of properties were vacant.

He said many farmers with a farm business tenancy would be robbed of their home and business.

“Most properties are occupied by tenant farmers,†Mr Dunn said.

“The sale of the estate is being taken forward on the basis of a political decision made by a single party Cabinet without full council approval and against the recommendations of the Council’s own scrutiny committee and County farms working group.â€

Mr Dunn reiterated previous concern the sale had gone against professional advice to ‘retain but rationalise’ the estate and said it marked a sad day for the Council’s tenant farmers.

 

Bad management

The 1,618 ha (4,000 acres) of agricultural properties currently earn the council around £400,000 a year but have a liability of almost £3 million.

Defending the tenancies, Mr Dunn said the liability was down to ‘a lack of planned preventative maintenance’ and the sell-off would not produce best value for Council tax payers but actually see previous bad management used as excuse to deliver a bad deal.

 

But Stuart Flint, head of agency at Fisher German, said the sale, due to run until July 5, would be ‘fascinating’ due to its unusual size and scope.

He said: “It is very rare for such a wide range of property holdings to be sold in a single process – and this sort of sale happens once every 10 years or so.

“The diversity of what is on offer also makes it unusual as there are development opportunities, big houses, small houses, extensive farm building ranges, properties with river frontages and a very wide range of bare land acreages.

“We are expecting interest from institutions, expanding farmers, developers and local agri-businesses, as well as ‘lifestyle’ buyers and people who see this as an opportunity to take on ‘a project’ in what is a really beautiful part of the world.â€

... end

[megilleland]

But Stuart Flint, head of agency at Fisher German, said the sale, due to run until July 5, would be ‘fascinating’ due to its unusual size and scope.

 

He said: “It is very rare for such a wide range of property holdings to be sold in a single process – and this sort of sale happens once every 10 years or so.

 

“The diversity of what is on offer also makes it unusual as there are development opportunities, big houses, small houses, extensive farm building ranges, properties with river frontages and a very wide range of bare land acreages.

 

“We are expecting interest from institutions, expanding farmers, developers and local agri-businesses, as well as ‘lifestyle’ buyers and people who see this as an opportunity to take on ‘a project’ in what is a really beautiful part of the world.â€

 

I see Stuart Flint is having an estates agents wet dream.

[Denise Lloyd]

I picked one section and chose one farm to look at - it is all such a mish mash some land rented out to a neighbour nothing straight forward all makes you wonder what has gone on and what is going on.

 

You can choose a big house or a small house nothing really emphasising the importance of farmers and what farmers actually produce - food for the nation! 

[megilleland]

9 The intention is to provide a basic package of searches to include a local authority search, drainage and water search, land registry search, chancel search, a highway search and a desktop environmental search.  (Chancel repair liability is a legal obligation on some property owners in England and Wales to pay for certain repairs to a church which may or may not be the local parish church.)

 

Extra funds can be found from a charge on local residents known as the chancel repairs liability that affects as many as 40% of England’s homes. This archaic rule, which dates back to Henry VIII’s reign and his dissolution of the monasteries, makes homeowners in about 5,200 parishes liable to pay for repairs to a church’s chancel: the area including the altar, the choir stalls and the roof protecting them.

 

In 2008, one couple in the West Midlands was forced to pay more than £200,000 towards the upkeep of their parish church after an appeal to the House of Lords failed.

[Denise Lloyd]

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/15254166.Controversial_sale_of_council_s_smallholdings_expected_to_raise_more_than___40_million/

[megilleland]

7th May 2017

 

Sunday Express running half a story - what about all the other tenant farmers?

[Denise Lloyd]

http://www.crowdjustice.com/case/save-herefordshire-council-farms/

[Denise Lloyd]

It's Our CountyLike Page

29 June at 13:21 Â· 

 

First legal step taken in race to save publicly owned farms in Herefordshire. Following first phase of major crowd funding campaign, IOC have served legal notice on Herefordshire Council to justify their actions or face Judicial Review.

Please like and share this post - we need more funds pledged to help pay for the full legal action in case it's needed.
https://www.crowdjustice.com/…/save-herefordshire-council-…/

[megilleland]

From Herefordshire Council News:

 

Tender process ended midday 5 July 2017

The Herefordshire Council smallholdings tender process has now ended with many bidders expressing an interest.

The sales continue to be handled by Fisher German, the council’s appointed agents, and bids will be reviewed this week.

Councillor Harry Bramer, Cabinet Member for Contracts and Assets, said: “The council is committed to its duty of care to the local community and to tenants. All decisions will be taken as quickly as possible so the sales can proceed efficiently for all parties.â€

The process of the launch, marketing and handling of bids and subsequent sales has, and will continue to, follow our adopted governance procedures.

Published: Thursday, 6th July 2017

[Denise Lloyd]

BBC H and Wâ€Verified account @bbchw  23h23 hours ago

More

@HfdsCouncil said "nobody will lose their livelihood" now tenant farmer Steve has 10 weeks to leave his home and land

[Denise Lloyd]

TFA†@tenantfarmers  4h4 hours ago

More

CEO @georgewdunn spoke to @BBCFarmingToday this morning on the sale of @HfdsCouncil tenant farms. Listen from 8:55 http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b08xxdp5#play â€¦â€¦

[Pete Boggs]

High time the senile yokel mafia running the county learned a lesson that the law applies to them just the same as everyone else. I fear any judicial review application is probably too late though and will be just beer money for the lawyers. Should have been done a bit sooner after the decision was made.

 

That same old quote from Harry "Al Capone" Bramer has been trotted out in every bloody Council press release for what seems like the last two years now  - rings more and more hollow each time.

[Denise Lloyd]

More bad national no international press for HC and yet HC keep pressing on with what they believe is right for the county

 

 

20 July 2017 08:21:52 |Finance,News,Property News,Rural Life

 

Herefordshire farmer ordered to leave land as council moves to fund 'struggling services'

The council said it must fund the 'growing bill' for caring for elderly and vulnerable people in the county

A Herefordshire farmer's bid to buy land he rented for 14 years has been rejected after county councillors wish to sell its tenant farms to fund 'struggling services.'

 

Steve Clayton, a tenant farmer at Rowleston, will have to sell his livestock after previously warning that the move would end his 'farming livelihood.'

 

The council said it must fund the 'growing bill' for 'caring for elderly and vulnerable people' in the county.

 

It could raise more than £40m by selling off 59 lots of land ranging in price from £175,000 to £2m.

 

Herefordshire Council’s Cabinet agreed in December 2015 to the sale of all its tenant farms.

 

Around 45 farming families are affected and some tenants have already left with others having to negotiate either new tenancies or uncertain as to their future.

 

The NFU said communication from Herefordshire Council during the past three years has been 'very poor'.

 

'Devastated'

 

Mr Clayton said he is 'devastated' to leave.

 

"Unless we find another farm to rent, our livelihood will be over," he told the BBC.

 

"We've probably invested well over £100,000 here and it's been a long hard struggle to do it.

 

"We just got into where we're sort of finding our feet and sailing along quite nicely but all of a sudden the mat's been pulled out from under us and our days of farming are over."

 

Patricia Morgan, deputy leader of the council, said: "As funding becomes ever tighter, the notices have been issued to ensure certainty for tenants and we will support tenants to ensure they receive the support and help they require."

 

'Steamrolling ahead'

 

Tenant Farmers' Association (TFA) chief executive George Dunn said the council was 'steamrolling ahead' with no regard for the impact of its actions.

 

"At the meeting of the Council’s Cabinet in December, various assurances were given which are not being followed through.

 

"The Cabinet also said that affected tenants 'would be supported through the process'. If kicking tenants out of their homes is being supportive, I would hate to see the Council taking a hardline!"

 

Herefordshire Council said: "A very small number of tenants will be adversely affected. Several tenants have been successful in bidding for their farms.

 

"Tenants' welfare will be supported throughout ensuring that their respective rights are protected."

[Denise Lloyd]

From the TFA News Letter

 

Hammer Blow for Herefordshire County Council Tenants

Farm tenants on the Herefordshire County Council Estate have been finding out their fate this week following the decision of the local authority made in December 2015 to sell the 4500 acre estate in lots. We understand that a number of tenants occupying on Agricultural Holdings Act tenancies have been unable to secure their freeholds but at least their tenancies will continue to operate under the statute with the new owners. More concerning is the fact that a number of tenants occupying on farm business tenancies will be evicted at the end of their tenancies in September despite the assurances provided to them by the Leader of the Council that no one would be evicted, no one would lose their homes and no one would lose their livelihoods. TFA Chief Executive George Dunn has said that whilst it appears that the local authority has complied with the letter of the law, its actions are morally indefensible given the clear and public promises made to farm tenants during the Cabinet meeting at which the decision to sell was taken. The Cabinet took its decision despite the advice of its own Scrutiny Committee and independent professional advice which said that best value for Council tax payers would be achieved by retaining and rationalising the estate. However, not even the Local Government Ombudsman was prepared to sanction the County Council when it was asked to consider whether or not there were grounds for a claim of maladministration. This is clear evidence that we need a greater degree of independent scrutiny by Central Government to ensure that wrongheaded decisions are not made out of political expediency as opposed to rational thought.

TFA Chief Executive George Dunn gave a radio interview on the matter to BBC Hereford & Worcester on Tuesday 18 July, listen from 02:06:00. A follow up interview was then held with BBC Radio 4 Farming Today on Thursday 20 July, listen from 00:08:55.

[Denise Lloyd]

 "This is clear evidence that we need a greater degree of independent scrutiny by Central Government to ensure that wrongheaded decisions are not made out of political expediency as opposed to rational thought."

 

One sentence from the above that says it all!! As long as the independent scrutiny is not headed up by guys like Peter Robinson 

[megilleland]

 "This is clear evidence that we need a greater degree of independent scrutiny by Central Government to ensure that wrongheaded decisions are not made out of political expediency as opposed to rational thought."

 

One sentence from the above that says it all!! As long as the independent scrutiny is not headed up by guys like Peter Robinson 

 

The government is the body that set up the "One Public Estate" which is resulting in the council selling off its assets. I don't think they would be independent. They are working hand in glove.

[Denise Lloyd]

FARMING, LAND

Smallholdings: State of the Nation

The county smallholdings estate is generating an operating surplus of £16.1 million from more than 2,500 farms covering an area of 86,700 hectares let as smallholdings.  In the words of the reportfrom which these data are taken:

Whilst the data set is incomplete this report indicates that council farms continue to play an important role in the tenanted agricultural sector across England covering approximately 86,700 hectares of agricultural land providing approximately 2,583 holdings for around 2,081 tenant farmers. About sixty percent of the lettings are equipped farms (1,536 equipped holdings) and 49 lettings were made to new entrants during 2015/16. The report shows that the reporting smallholding authorities generated a revenue account net surplus of just over £9.5 million in 2015/16.

What more can be gleaned from the 66th Annual Smallholdings Report from Defra?

• This year’s report is much more comprehensive than the last one as 42 out of 43 authorities with smallholdings in England responded.  They have a total of 89,360 ha in their farming estate, of which 86,700 ha are let as smallholdings in one way or another.
• Although the data are not complete, 41 authorities let 2,583 farms.
• The 39 authorities which provided rental information declared a rent of £23 million.
• Eighty-six hectares were added to the smallholding estate, but 1,048 hectares were lost.
• Total income for the estate was £26.5 million.  Operational costs of £10.4 million left an operational surplus of £16.1 million.
• 115 new tenancies were granted and 174 tenancies came to an end.  Forty-nine of the new tenancies were to new tenants, and 11 were ‘promotions’ within the estate.
• The estate includes 579 lifetime tenancies, 330 retirement tenancies and 1,172 Farm Business Tenancies (FBTs).
• Biggest smallholdings authority continues to be Cambridge by a considerable margin, with an estate of 13,190 ha and 181 let farms.  At the other end of the scale is Medway, 30 ha and two farms.

Local authorities are encouraged to refer to guidance prepared by the Association of Chief Estates Officers and TRIG (Tenancy Reform Industry Group), Rural Estate Asset Management Planning Good Practice Guidance in formulating future plans.

The report covers the year up to 31 March 2016 and its production is an annual obligation on Defra under the Agriculture Act 1970.  What pointers can we take from it:

• Local authority smallholdings are alive and well in many counties.  A case study of Staffordshire for example points out an annual return of 7% from rent and capital growth before considering development sales.
• However the picture seems to vary a great deal from county to county.  Some estates are vibrant, Staffordshire and Cambridgeshire for example, while others seem to be on a path of slow but inevitable decline (admittedly this comment cannot be attributed to the report itself).  Recent events in Herefordshire have highlighted some of the issues which can arise.
• Does this raise a question as to the appropriate level of ownership, control and administration of ‘county’ farms?  Is there a better way that this asset could be managed?  â€˜Lead’ authorities taking on more farms from those authorities with a very small estate to enable a more focussed approach to investment and future direction perhaps?

[Denise Lloyd]

The above has been written by 

Charles Cowap @charlescowap

Rural surveyor and sage. Translating new knowledge into rural professional and commercial practice. 

The abve 

[Denise Lloyd]

 

It just won't go away will it.  Looking forward to Mr Johnson's reply!

 

 

 

Herefordshire Farm Tenant Challenges Council Leader to Justify His Eviction

 

 

Tenant Farmers Association member, Steve Clayton, a farm tenant on the Herefordshire County Council estate, has written to the Leader of Herefordshire Council to seek an explanation as to why he is being evicted from his farm despite the promises made by the Council Leader.

TFA Chief Executive George Dunn said “This is a clear case of an officeholder within the Council saying one thing but doing another. Council Leader, Councillor Tony Johnson, promised all of the tenants on the Herefordshire County Council estate that they would not lose their homes or livelihoods in the process of the Council selling its farms’ estate but sadly that is exactly what is happening to Mr Clayton and other tenants on the estateâ€.

“To add insult to injury, the Council is taking an overly legalistic approach to Mr Clayton’s end of tenancy claim for compensation which has prevented him from being able to seek alternative accommodation. In the wake of serving notices to quit on some of its farm tenants, the Council promised that it would do everything possible to assist tenants but again the way in which it is dealing with Mr Clayton’s end of tenancy claim demonstrates that those promises were merely empty words,†said Mr Dunn.

“There is a lot to do before Mr Clayton will be required to leave his farm at the end of September and he is unable to move on unless the Council settles his legitimate claim for compensation and deals with the fundamental issue of why he is being evicted despite the assurances he has received to the contrary,†said Mr Dunn.

Ref: MR 17/25 

Date: 12 September 2017

Notes for Editors

A copy of the text of Mr Clayton’s letter to the Leader of the Council Is provided below.

For further information contact George Dunn on 07721 998961 or Harley Coles, TFA Communications and Events Co-ordinator on 0118 930 6130 or 07887 77715.

Stephen Clayton, New House Farm, Rowlestone, Herefordshire, HR2 0DR

08 September 2017

Councillor AW Johnson 
Leader, Herefordshire Council 
Hoe Farm 
Mathon Road 
Colwall 
Malvern 
WR13 6EP

Dear Councillor Johnson,

New House Farm, Rowlestone – Open Letter

On 3 December 2015 I sat in the public gallery alongside fellow farm tenants from the Herefordshire County Council estate as you chaired the Council’s Cabinet meeting at which the decision was made to dispose of the around 4500 acres of land making up the estate. Of course, this was not just land it also represented the homes, businesses and livelihoods of the 40 to 50 tenant farmers occupying holdings on the estate. I went to the meeting because I wanted to hear first-hand from you what I should expect for my future. I heard you say the following, and I quote:

“There has been much rumour and I think some conversation on the radio yesterday that this was going to turn people out of their homes etc and that is extremely wide of the mark. What we are talking about is a possible change of ownership of the tenancies not a change of the tenancies themselves. There will be some changes if it moves out of the ownership of this council but to many people it will arguably be to the advantage of the tenantsâ€.

You also said:

“I must take exception to ‘kicking in the teeth’ that implies that these people will lose their homes, lose their livelihoods or whatever, that is not the case. We are talking about a potential change of ownership if the decision is taken to dispose. There will be new owners. The tenants are protected by the terms of their tenancy and that protection will continueâ€.

Having arrived at the meeting nervous about my future position, I left, foolishly, in hope with these quotes ringing in my ears. At least if I could not afford to buy the farm from you, I had been provided with an assurance that I would not lose my home or livelihood.

Imagine how I felt then in the following February when I received a notice to quit my holding with no qualification. Imagine too, the turmoil and trauma that I and my partner Joyce have been through in the intervening period until now in which you have neither listened to reason nor provided any excuse for why the promises made in December 2015 have turned to dust.

Another statement you made at that fateful December 2015 meeting was as follows:

“Councillor Price made much of (and quite rightly) our duty of care to tenants particularly the FBTs. I promise Councillor Price and everybody else in this room we will do everything we can to make life as comfortable as possible for those affected in this way and we will be inviting them all to come and talk to us either collectively or individually.â€

Having pulled the rug from underneath our feet, you are adding insult to injury by a penny-pinching approach to what should be a straightforward end of tenancy compensation claim. Your officers are choosing to use technicalities to prevent me from obtaining a legitimate settlement for this end of tenancy claim. In fact the Council’s failure to agree my claim has caused, and continues to cause, great difficulty for me in securing my future beyond the end of this month when I must leave the farm.

Therefore, if you retain any aspect of a moral conscience, I would ask you at the very least to instruct your officers to settle my reasonable end of tenancy claim without further nit-picking and also explain how being evicted from my home, business and livelihood fits with the promises you have provided previously.

How else do you expect me to feel other than "kicked in the teeth" when you have said, quite categorically, that I would not lose my livelihood or my home and your actions have been to the complete opposite effect.

Yours sincerely,

Stephen Clayton

[Denise Lloyd]

https://t.co/8Anzvb90AC

 

 

 

 

 

takes you the Farmers Weekly report on Steve Clayton's letter - more media bad press for the Council

[Denise Lloyd]

https://l.facebook.com/l.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.farminguk.com%2FNews%2FHerefordshire-farm-tenant-challenges-council-leader-to-justify-his-eviction_47398.html&h=ATM2PJVlcbuwPeBkmlkioigBFO5aTQUpMxzWaGP9HflGkFywqzvrALrYDYkoO3tINvhLeMs3ZngtFldj9PwJzb917zBYlXOof8Lw5G16nFAHqQcdKog-AXDJX6i_30edrNshievqhL_lk5uZ5FOkN_CpClzPaLEOJj5QNvhmvbUUFxusmNDCkIrbjMWz5lMu7HJUHccBsYJUibWAPsLlzTJJLlH57ukFi5Ww_ojvRXeCUzgwvpAW6BOvG3QX_5KP24nfHBzMABrjrfe7DUAXFH4I9MYKIJjN

[Denise Lloyd]

https://www.herefordshire.gov.uk/news/article/405/herefordshire_council_smallholdings_sale_update_13_october_2017

[Denise Lloyd]

http://www.herefordtimes.com/news/15595146.Council_agrees_to_pay___1_million_to_tenant_farmers_in_compensation/?ref=mr&lp=9