Holding types

The Estate is a valuable resource and to ensure it is farmed appropriately and the opportunities it offers to prospective tenants are realised the County Council has established a tenant selection process which has been endorsed by the Business and Property Committee.

Holdings become available as tenants move on to larger farms, retire or their tenancies expire. Very occasionally, the County Council has acquired new farm land and buildings and these are let once
assimilated in to the overall County Farms Estate.

The County Farms Estate has two main tenancy entry points in to the estate:

• Entry holding - these are smaller holdings.  They provide the first opportunity for starting a new farming business, on a full or part-time basis.  These tenancies will usually be for a maximum of 10 years with a break at five years operable by either party
• Progression holding - these are larger holdings for more experienced farmers.  These tenancies run for between 10 to 20 years

All new lettings are for a predetermined length and are let in accordance with the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 (as amended).  On occasion, where the tenancy does not meet agricultural tenancy requirements, a business tenancy in accordance with the Landlord and Tenant Act 1954 will be required with a provision to contract out of the security of tenure requirements of the legislation.

The general principle should be noted that County Council farms are provided as a gateway into the industry and it is hoped that all successful applicants will continue to seek opportunities to move onto larger farms within the private sector.

A copy of the standard Agricultural Tenancy Agreement that sets out the obligations for the tenant and landlord will be provided as part of the application process.  These agreements are not negotiable and applicants should ensure that they have considered the conditions and potential costs associated with each holding.