🚜🏞️ Big news for Powys and beyond! Powys County’s farm estate isn’t going up for sale, according to council leaders. They’re gearing up to launch a 28-day consultation on a new strategy to manage their rural estate without a wholesale sell-off. 🌱
This vast estate, with 138 holdings over 10,700 acres, is a significant asset—being the largest council-owned farm estate in Wales and the fifth largest in the UK. The proposed policy aims to position the estate as dynamic and forward-thinking, ensuring it aligns with Powys’s broader ambitions while being financially sustainable.
Council leader Cllr Jake Berriman highlighted plans to collaborate closely with farming unions, current tenants, and young farmers’ clubs during the consultation period. The policy envisions farm tenancies limited to 15 years and “bare” land tenancies to 5 years. Plus, it encourages collaboration with private estates for those eager to dive into the private sector 🌾🤝.
The council is keen on making this a win-win, ensuring investments align with the council’s duties and the principles of “sustainable Powys.” On the cards are farm diversification plans focusing on food security and biodiversity, and exploring renewable energy projects on council lands.
The financial side will be a balancing act, with decisions guided by business cases to ensure resources are wisely used 🤔💼. Once consultation wraps up, insights will be dissected by the farming estate advisory group before the cabinet makes the final call. After a community-driven meeting in Sarn, the council decided against a £10 million asset sales goal, showing a commitment to nurturing the agricultural sector. 🌿🚜
Have thoughts on this? Let your voice be heard during the consultation, and let’s shape the future of farming in Powys together! 📢👥