Estate Farmers Need Longer Tenancy ; I Write in Response to Anthony Gibson's Column in Wmn Farming On May 20. I Agree with Him That Council Farms' Purpose Is to Give a Farmer a Chance to Farm in His Own Right, but I Disagree That This Should Only Be for a Short Term and Never Until Retirement.

Western Morning News, The › June 10, 2009

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Summary

I write in response to Anthony Gibson's column in WMN Farming on May 20. I agree with him that Council Farms' purpose is to give a farmer a chance to farm in his own right, but I disagree that this should only be for a short term and never until retirement.

As a tenant on the Devon Council Farm Estate and secretary of the Tenants Association, I would like to demonstrate why present policy fails to help tenants progress; the effect it is having on tenants and the local community, and suggest what needs to be done to ensure a thriving Estate for the future.

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Extract

Estate Farmers Need Longer Tenancy ; I Write in Response to Anthony Gibson's Column in Wmn Farming On May 20. I Agree with Him That Council Farms' Purpose Is to Give a Farmer a Chance to Farm in His Own Right, but I Disagree That This Should Only Be for a Short Term and Never Until Retirement.

Current policy allows 15 years on the Estate for most tenants on starter and progression holdings, which in itself limits their ability to progress off the Estate. T...

See the full content of this document