Agenda item

Cabinet received a report which followed the completion of a task and finish group instigated by the Sustainable Growth and Environmental Capital Scrutiny Committee.  The Group’s objective was to review the future management of the Council’s Farms Estate with a view to help inform and develop a long term strategy for the development of the estate.

The Group was established by the Committee at its meeting on 20 January 2014 and at its meeting on the 17 March 2015, the Committee endorsed the Strategy for the Management of the Farms Estate and recommended it to Cabinet for approval.

The purpose of the report was to seek Cabinet’s endorsement of the Strategy.

Councillor Seaton, Cabinet Member for Resources, introduced the report and highlighted the main issues contained within.

The members of the Task and Finish Group, which included Councillors, Tennant Farmers and Officers, who had assisted with the development of the Strategy were thanked for their work. There had been difficult relationships with the tenant farmers in recent years, however the situation was improving and recent meetings had been held with the Tenant Farmers Association. Arising out of one of the meetings was an amendment to the recommendations proposed to Cabinet, these recommendations had been circulated a supplementary paper and in summary requested that a working group be set up comprising the Cabinet Member for Resources, opposition Group members and members of the Tennant’s Association, in order to bring forward an action plan arising from the Strategy, which was then to be presented to Cabinet within six months for implementation.

Following additional comments from the Council’s Service Director for Education, People, Resources and Corporate Property, Cabinet debated the report and key points raised and responses to questions included:

·         Communities would be kept informed of the delivery of the Strategy, and the Action Plan would be specific and informative;

·         The Strategy would be published formally for transparency;

·         All bordering authorities had chosen to retain their farm estates, with Cambridgeshire being the largest land owner of farm land in the country. Peterborough City Council had looked at bordering authorities’ proposals and taken the Strategy forward in-line with them;

·         There were no provisions for rural studies in the city at the current time, however the Strategy contained an education element and Peterborough Regional College was keen to take on the tenancy of one of the farms in order to provide skill base education;

·         Peterborough Arena were always very keen to be involved and work would be undertaken alongside the ‘Kids in the Country’ event; and

·         The purchasing of farms estates may form part of the future Action Plan and would be considered for inclusion within the Plan.

Cabinet considered the report and RESOLVED:

1.     To adopt the proposed Strategy for the Management of Peterborough City Council’s Farm Estate;

2.     That the Strategy be delivered within existing approved resource allocations and if necessary a report be brought forward to a future meeting if extra resources were required or submitted as part of the medium term financial planning process; and

3.     That Cabinet delegates to the Cabinet Member for Resources:

                      i.        That a working group be set up comprising of the Cabinet Member for Resources, three opposition councillors and three members of the Peterborough City Farm Tenants Association to bring forward an action plan arising out of  the Strategy for  the Management of the Farms Estate, such action plan to be presented to Cabinet within six months for approval and implementation; and

                    ii.        Approve the lettings procedure including associated guidelines on criteria to be utilised on evaluation of offers received as outlined in the Strategy.

          REASONS FOR THE DECISION

Effective ownership of an agricultural estate required a long-term view to ensure sustainable management. Decisions made could affect the estate for many years and decades. Without a clear understanding of the aims of the Council with regard to the estate, effective management was handicapped. On occasion quick decisions were required to take advantage of events. In recent years there had not been an agreed strategy for the estate to enable such decisions to be made, resulting in lost opportunities. A clear strategy also would act as a means of informing the Council so that it had an understanding of the asset and the reasons for its ownership.  The Council’s Farm Estate was a long term positive asset held by the Council for the benefit of the rural community. It produced a steady stream of income and employment for the wider city of Peterborough. The Farm Strategy had been produced in conjunction with the Council’s tenant farmers

          ALTERNATIVE OPTIONS CONSIDERED

         There were no alternative options considered in this instance. There was no recorded publically held strategy for the management of the farms estate and the implementation of a Strategy provided a transparent framework for the farms’ future operation and ownership.