Issue - meetings

To receive a presentation from the Cheshire Shared Service County Land Agent and offer opinions to Cabinet on the conclusions of the Cabinet Review Group, commissioned by the Portfolio Holder for Prosperity, on the Farm Estate Policy Review

The Committee received a report from the Assets Manager and the Shared Services County Land Agent on the Farms Estate Policy Review. The report summarised the work of a Cabinet Review Group (CRG) that was commissioned by the Portfolio Holder for Prosperity to carry out an investigation into farms estate to assist the Council in reaching a conclusion upon the formation of policy for the service. The report set out the conclusions and advice that the Cabinet Review Group were going to offer to Cabinet and financial and legal implications of adopting the recommendations.

Members of the Committee asked questions and made comments about the report and recommendations. The points made included:

·         The farm estate would be rationalised to create fewer but larger and more sustainable and viable farms. Rationalisation would result in surplus assets such as buildings (e.g. farm houses and out buildings) that would be sold. Some assets that may be sold would possibly provide opportunity for housing developments depending on their location and proximity to other developments and infrastructure. Plans for rationalisation and which assets would become surplus had not yet been carried out however decisions would be managed based on the recommendations of the policy and in relation to corporative objectives and the Council’s vision for the borough.           

·         Some of the capital receipts from rationalising the estate had been reinvested to prepare the estate for the new arrangements and also to make improvements to the quality of assets and farms to improve the quality of the estate.         

·         Vacant farms were advertised through a tendering process and potential tenants make an application to the Council.  Demand for farms was high and the Council had received 40 applications for a recent vacancy the vast majority of which were good quality applications.

·         The majority of Committee members welcomed the report and believed that a review of the policy was necessary to bring the farms estate up to date a make the Council’s farms more viable and sustainable.

RESOLVED: That the Committee endorse the recommendations of the Cabinet Review Group

The Asset Manager and County Land Manager left the meeting