Contents of Farm Estates consultation on track to be discussed by Powys councillors before Christmas
Comments made by Powys residents as part of a consultation on the county council’s draft Farm Estates policy are on track to be discussed by councillors in December, a committee has been told
At a meeting of the council’s Economy, Residents and Communities scrutiny committee on Thursday, November 6, an update was asked for by Chairwoman Councillor Angela Davies.
This was during discussion by councillors of the forward work programme on topics to be discussed at future committee meetings.
Cllr Davies (Liberal Democrat – Rhayader) said: “On December 17 we have the rural enterprise policy, and I just want to check with the directors and officers that this is still on track to come to us.”
Head of Planning and Regulatory Services Gwilym Davies answered: “It is on track for that date.
“What I would say is that we’re currently considering the consultation response and it all depends on whether further time is needed to consider and appropriately re-write the policy.
“It is a moving piece, and I will keep you and the vice-chair (Cllr Gary Mitchell) informed.”
Cllr Davies added that she would “keep a track” of the work being done on the consultation over the next few weeks.
With 138 holdings and 10,700 acres of land, the Powys farms estate is the largest of its kind in Wales and the fifth largest in the UK.
In August, the Liberal Democrat/Labour Cabinet agreed to ask residents for their views on the new draft Farm Estate policy which is called “Supporting Sustainable Rural Futures.”
The consultation took place between September 1 and October 12 and the purpose was to find out whether: “the farm estate, as a non-statutory service, is a priority for our residents, and if it is then how we can improve the resource to meet their future needs with the right policy.”
The draft policy, which sets out the proposed strategic vision, management objectives and working practices for the council rural estate, will replace the existing policy and delivery plan that has been in place since 2018.
The council’s Farm Estate has become a political football over the last couple of years.
In July, opposition councillors joined forces against the minority administration and voted in favour of a motion to scrap a £10 million annual asset sales target and pause the sale of county farms in Powys.
The motion rose from a meeting in Sarn near Newtown, organised by Kerry Community Council, which discussed concerns about the sale of council farms and the impact this may have on those hoping to become farmers.
Sales of land from the estate formed part of the overall sales target – which the council missed by a long way last year, having found just over £1 million.
The Cabinet raised concerns last month about the lack of funding from sales that could be used for council building or maintenance projects, known as ‘capital receipts.’
The fear is that this financial gap to pay for projects such as news school buildings may need to be plugged by borrowing more money and in turn, passed on to Powys residents in the form of higher Council Tax bills.
