Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate Strategy 2019-2039 ...

Information Classification: PUBLIC

Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate Strategy 2019-2039 Incorporating the Asset Management and Business Plan 2019-2029 Farming with Cornwall’s Climate and Nature

Cornwall Council’s Farms Strategy 2019 - 2039 2


Foreword Our Council Farms Estate stretches over approximately 1.5% of Cornwall’s land area. In 2018 Cornwall Council undertook a full review and held an inquiry over the future of the Estate concluding it will continue to be an important entry point for new entrants into land based businesses and it will be a major contributor to Cornwall’s Environmental Growth Strategy and Cornwall’s carbon neutral ambitions through our Climate Change Action Plan published in July 2019. Our intention is that the Estate will provide a foundation for sustainable, carbon neutral and regenerative agriculture in the 21st Century, improving social, environmental and economic well-being in rural communities in Cornwall.

The Council Farms Estate comprises of a variety of holdings which host a range of farming activity; dairy, stock, and mixed farms as well as a number which also support diversified farming activities. The Estate has been and will continue to enable farm businesses to make an important contribution to the foundation of Cornish agricultural production and ensure that future generations of new entrants will be given the opportunity to make their living in agriculture and farm based business.

The integration of the Environmental Growth Strategy and Climate Change Action Plan into the Council Farms Estate Strategy can be delivered through widespread adoption of integrated farm management and biological farming strategies, working with natural process and natural flood management, including the improved management of environmental and historic assets including Cornish hedges, hedgerows, ponds, orchards, and woodlands. This combined with a desire to further diversify, innovate and provide opportunities for social development, combined with a decision to reinvest in our farms infrastructure, provides a progressive and positive outlook for our estate.

Sue James started this review as Cabinet portfolio holder for Environment in 2017 and I am delighted to be able to now take it forward, following Public Consultation and Council adoption for delivery. We are both committed to creating a Council Farms Estate fit for the challenges and opportunities the remainder of the 21st

century is set to bring.

Adam Paynter Sue James Portfolio holder for Resources Portfolio holder for Environment 2017-2019



Contents Part 1 – Strategy 2019-2039 (pages 1 – 46) 1. Strategy Summary

a. The Vision b. The Ambitions c. The Structure of the Strategy

2. Why do we need the strategy? 3. How has the strategy been developed? 4. What is the time frame for the Strategy? 5. Who is the Strategy For? 6. How will the Strategy be implemented? 7. Context and Description of Cornwall’s Council Farms Estate

a. An economic development asset b .A cultural and historic asset c. An ecological and environmental asset

8. Why is Environmental Growth on the Estate important? a. What is environmental Growth b. Definition of Environmental Growth c. The Potential of the Estate

9. Farming in the 21st Century 10. The Policy Landscape

a. National Policy and Strategies b. Local Policies and Strategies

11. The Four Ambitions of the Council Farms Estate b. Farming Futures

i. Profitable Production ii. Informed Investment

b. Environmental Growth i. Enhanced Environment

c. Vibrant Communities i. Accessible Acres

d. Sustainable Estate i. Measured Management

ii. Good Governance 12. Action Plan



Contents Part 2 – Asset Management and Business Plan 2019-2029 (pages 47 – 73)

1. Asset Management.

• Community Asset • Holding by Holding Future Management Plan. • Migration Land Blocks. • Acquisition of Land. • Disposal of Assets.

2. Farming Futures • Tenant Selection • Progression • Retirement and End of Tenancy Arrangements • Smallholdings Authority • New entrant Opportunities • Sub-letting and Sharing Possession by Tenants.

3. Environmental Growth • Whole Farm Reports • Farming with Carbon Report • Forest 4 Cornwall • Reduce GHG release

4. Vibrant Communities • Enabling Council Initiatives • Education and Training • Community Engagement • Public Rights of Way and Footpath Management • Community Supported Agriculture

5. Sustainable Estate • Business Planning and Tendering Training • Business Progression Planning • Whole Farm Reports • Soil Analysis

6. Property Maintenance • Property Compliance • Backlog Maintenance • Decent Homes • Defect Maintenance



7. Staffing Support to the Estate 8. Governance 9. Revenue Budget

• Maintenance Costs • Property Costs

Appendix 1 – DEFRA Statistics – Annual Reports to Parliament on Smallholdings in England. Appendix 2 – Draft Whole Farm Plan Report template Appendix 3 – Community Supported Agriculture



The vision for Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate

This strategy marks a step change in defining the role and purpose of the estate. The estate will seek to deliver well equipped farm and business opportunities that enable tenants to establish and grow successful business which deliver a holistic approach to economic and environmental growth; including promoting health and wellbeing; and value and enhance the distinctive historic landscape of Cornwall.

Products and Public Goods (including Eco-system) Services provided by the Council Farms Estate

By creating a thriving and progressive Council Farms Estate which supports individual agricultural businesses the Council should be enabling both environmental and economic growth whilst directly supporting the agricultural sector. It will also indirectly support numerous ancillary businesses which support the wider farming businesses, and support industries and deliver multiple benefits to the population of Cornwall through seeking to meet a wide range of strategic objectives.

Cornwall Council’s Farms will play an important role in supportinglocal communities by delivering profitable, sustainable, carbon neutral agricultural production and rural businesses which are underpinned by the adoption of the very best environmental practices, technology and innovation.



Our four ambitions

Structure of the Strategy This Strategy captures our intentions, overarching ambitions and critical focus for enabling actions for the Estate as a whole. The following chapters will provide more detail on the headlines shown below.

Our Ambitions and principles to enable their achievement are:

• Farming Futures o Profitable Production o Informed investment

• Sustainable Estate o Good Governance o Measured management



• Environmental Growth o Enhancing environments

• Vibrant Communities o Accessible Acres

To deliver the Strategy, every holding in the Estate will be required to play its part in achieving the ambitions, which will require us to take a holistic view of the current performance and potentials of each farm in the Estate Business Plan; and this potential and agreed goals will be captured through a Whole Farm Plan for each holding.

Why do we need this Strategy? The Council Farms Estate can deliver considerable direct benefits to the agricultural sector and importantly wider benefits for Cornwall, through adoption of a progressive strategy with wide ranging objectives for the general public of Cornwall. It is important to understand the wider public policy landscape, both nationally and locally. Therefore, this strategy sets out the reasons and purpose for Cornwall Council to continue to maintain and invest in the Council Farms Estate and Service.

At the same time it is important to understand the fiscal realities and pressures on both Cornwall Council as Landlord and on our individual tenants growing rural farm businesses. This Strategy restates the inherent responsibilities of the Council to provide units that meet industry and sector standards, such as Decent Homes, SSAFO regulations, Nitrate Vulnerable Zone regulations and animal health and welfare standards, while also providing genuine business opportunities that enable growth and progression opportunities for tenants.

How has this Strategy been developed? This Strategy document is directly linked to the Farms Inquiry which ran through the summer of 2018. The Inquiry heard evidence from 39 witnesses and produced five recommendations with thirteen supporting components. This strategy document has been built up using the recommendations as a foundation, with further contextual information from national policy and other sources including the relevant local strategic documents and reputable reports from the agricultural industry.

The Strategy has also been written to align with the Cornwall Council Climate Change Action Plan (July 2019) and in consideration of the National Farmers



Union (NFU) climate change publication Achieving Net Zero: Farming’s 2040 Goal (September 2019).

What is the Time Frame? The Council has recognised the benefits of long term strategies, Cornwall’s Environmental Growth Strategy has a 50 year time horizon and Cornwall Strategic Economic Plan runs to 2030. To create more stability and continuity for the Council Farms Estate a 20 year lifetime for this Strategy has been deemed appropriate, with a refresh at 5 yearly intervals if it is deemed necessary.

To see successful delivery of this strategy it is considered fundamentally important that the Business Plan is revisited after 10 years to ensure that the financial support for the service enables the vision set out in this document to be funded and delivered. The strategy embeds environmental growth and climate emergency best practice in the operation of the Council Farms. Consequently, the success of this strategy will also be assessed against outcomes identified within the Climate Change Action Plan, which runs to 2030.

Who is the Strategy For? There are a number of groups who have a direct interest in the Council Farms Strategy, these are:

• Current and Prospective Council Farm Tenants • Rural communities in Cornwall where farms on the Council’s Farms

Estate are located • Cornwall Council Members • Officers of Cornwall Council • Other organisations within or allied to the agricultural industry • Other major landowners in Cornwall • Other publically owned estates in the UK

How will the Strategy be implemented? Integrated Estate Planning

This Strategy sets out our high-level ambitions for Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate, however, this will only be delivered through more detailed planning for the Estate as a whole and for each holding within the Estate.

• Estate Business Plan



This Plan will set out the approach to the management of the Council Farms Estate over the next 10 years which will see the majority of the holdings going through a renewal of tenancy. This will include a plan for each holding and land block which will be built up to meet the agreed Financial Targets for capital and revenue. The Business Plan will be flexible enabling the Service to meet new opportunities as they arise.

The Whole Farm Plan The Whole Farm Plan (WFP) is considered to be the cornerstone of the implementation of the strategy on a farm level. The Plans will be produced in partnership with the new / current tenant and the Council’s staff team who will support the exploration of opportunities. External consultants will develop the document led by the tenant and land Agent team. The Plans will include:

• a basic description of the farm including a map, identifying its key environment, heritage and landscape features and assets, liabilities and risks

• baselining of the business metrics, KPI’s (Key Performance Indicators) so as to be able to plot its performance and benchmarking against industry standards

• Identification of physical output figures included stock numbers, Ha of crops grown and business metrics including turnover, profitability, employment (FTE)

• baseline of environmental performance, and the associated KPIs • a SWOT analysis identifying the opportunities for business and

environmental growth, resource efficiency and climate resiliance and plot out a route for the tenant achieving the advancement of the business

• a targeted land management approach that will deliver specific outcomes linked to future ELMS or other support scheme

• identify where business support and mentoring may be required • where training and CPD would help business and environmental growth • identify the opportunities for contribution to and integration with the

local community

The individual Whole Farm Plans will be aggregated across adjoining holdings to inform the wider Estate Plan and its regular review and Performance Reporting.



Integrated Planning – Estate business plan, whole farms plans, ambitions and enabling principles

Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate History

Cornwall’s Farms Service was established before the 1st World War (1909) and significantly grew in size and importance after the First World War as they provided opportunities for returning soldiers; at one stage, it is reported that there were up to 400 separate lettings. Developments to keep in line with agricultural economics have seen the number of holdings reduce in number and become larger units; moving to 170 holdings by 1991, the overall land size of the Council Farms Estate remains broadly similar.

Scale, Distribution and Classification of Land

The current Council Farms Estate stretches to 10,819.32 acres or 4,489 ha (approximately 1.5% of Cornwall’s land area) and 89 let farm units which are spread across the length of Cornwall and is the third largest local authority owned Council farms service in the UK.



The Estate’s land holding is dispersed across the Cornwall often in pockets of 200 to 300 acre blocks of land. There is limited ownership in the West of Cornwall and the North Cornwall Area. There are concentrations of larger blocks of the Farms Estate near Newquay at Trerice (1,200 acres 6 holdings) and Quethiock near Liskeard (1,600 acres and 8 holdings). Farm units range from 5.2 ha to 91 ha providing a diverse range of business opportunities. The average size of commercial farms in Cornwall are larger (by an average of 14 hectares) than the Council Farms Estate. Although, these farms are likely to be farmed in a more traditional and less intensive way so the difference in output becomes more marginal.

The classification of land on the Estate is shown in Table 1, indicating the majority of the Farm Estate consists of land that is mid-range in terms of quality.

Table 1 Agricultural land classification of the Council Farms Estate

Agricultural land classification Percentage

Grade 2 7.8%

Grade3 76.2%

Grade 4 12.1%

Non agricultural 3.9%

The Estate as an Economic Asset Farming activities on the Estate

The size and types of farms found in Cornwall are broadly similar to the South West as a whole and trends seen in Cornwall. The farms in the South West are dominated by three farm types, which represent 68% of the total number of commercial farms. Lowland Grazing Livestock farms make up 38% of the total; dairy farms and Cereal farms 16% and 13% respectively. The same data for Cornwall is broadly similar with 76% of the total from these three farm types and dairy farms 18% of the total, but with more Lowland Grazing farms and less Cereal farms. It should be noted that there are no horticultural holdings or large scale vegetable production (except as break crops).



Table 2 Estimated gross output split for the Council Farm Estate (% of total)

The economic contribution The Rural Business School of Duchy College has assessed the role played by the Council Farms Estate in Cornwall’s economy by using estimates of the size, cropping and stocking of the estate and comparing this to Defra and Farm Business Survey regional data of June 2018.

Table Three shows the Defra estimate that the Gross output at basic prices1 for England, the Government Office South West Region and Cornwall alongside the estimate of the Council Farms Estate. The Gross output at basic prices for Cornwall was confirmed to be close to £594 million2 using regional estimates used for the other incomes, of which it is estimated £15m or 2.5% can be attributed to the Council Farms Estate.

1 The estimates of gross output are part of the Defra calculation of Total Income from Farming. 2 Method used - Data on the economic performance of farming at County level (NUT3) is published when Defra calculate their Total Income from Farming2. This approach was used to estimate the contribution of the County Farms Estate to the economy using data provided relating to the 2017 calendar year. The Gross output from the Estate has been estimated based on the cropping and stocking of the units along with regional estimates for other income streams2. The other income includes diversifications which are assumed to be similar in both type and size to the whole of the South West. Standard outputs for cropping areas and livestock numbers were calculated for both the average farm in Cornwall and the County Farms Estate and adjustments made to reflect the 2017 crop year.

Sheep Beef cows Pigs/Poultry

Arable

Grassland

Other cattle

Dairy cows



Table 3 Gross output at basic prices, 2017

Gross output at basic price, £m

England 19,442

South West 3,296

Cornwall 594

Estate 15

Contribution to employment In the South West it is estimated that the workforce per farm holding is 2.45 individuals3 including part-time and casual workers. This is a higher proportion than for England4, and it is estimated5the workforce on farms in Cornwall is estimated to be a higher percentage of the total workforce than for the South West as a whole; at close to 4% or a work force of approximately 11,180. However, this number can vary with yields6, thus from the available information it is estimated that guide the Council Farm Estate with 89 farms would require approximately 230 labour units7 supplied by 255 individuals.

3 The June Survey 2016 4

Agriculture in the South West region in 2016 contributed 0.85% to the regional economy and employed 2.36% of the regional workforce. In comparison, England overall contributed 0.42% to the national economy and 1.12% of the workforce in 20164, indicating that agriculture is more important to the South West region than many areas. 5 Data from the Office for National Statistics which combine agriculture, forestry, fishing and mining the contribution of agriculture in Cornwall to the county economy is likely to be three times as important as the South West estimate, nearer 4%. 6 Data from the Farm Business Survey for the 2016 crop year indicates that the average South West farm has 2.21 labour units per farm. 7 A labour unit is represented by 2,200 hours per unit.



Productivity In terms of Gross output per labour unit the South West and Cornwall are broadly similar at £52,000 per labour unit, which is lower than for England. The Council Farm Estate has been estimated to be generating Farm Business Income (note8) for 2017/18 of approximately £3.4M (note 9). This represents a Farm Business Income close to 22% of total output, a figure similar to the average dairy producer in the South West for the same period.

Opportunities on the Estate

Within the preceding 10 year rolling picture, the current Farms Estate shows that 41 holdings have been let or re-let in that period. This has enabled 25 new entrant opportunities and has seen 8 tenants progress into new opportunities either within the Estate or outside of the Council Farms Estate.

The Council Farms Estate as a cultural and historic asset

Within the Council Farms Estate there is great diversity of historic features on the estate. This includes a wide range of assets, including 7 holdings in the Cornwall Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and number of features included in the globally important UNESCO World Heritage Site as well as nationally important Scheduled Monuments and Listed buildings. There are also a large number of non-designated heritage assets and thousands of crop marks which are not identified in the table below but which have been mapped for which there is a desire to respect, preserve and to study further in order to better understand our history.

Historic landscape assessment - Revealing patterns and connections Characterising landscapes reveals the patterns and connections within a landscape, spatially and through time, for example in relation to buildings and patterns (of fields, streets and routeways). It also enables consideration of inter- relationships between places, and it provides a framework for the recording and

8 The Farm Business Survey calculates a Farm Business Income. Although Farm Business Income is equivalent to financial Net Profit, in practice they are likely to differ because Net Profit is derived from financial accounting principles whereas Farm Business Income is derived from management accounting principles. For example in financial accounting output stocks are usually valued at cost of production, whereas in management accounting they are usually valued at market price. Results are published on the Farm Business Survey website and specific data can be extracted using a tool called ‘Data builder’. Using this tool the average Farm Business Income before rent for Cornwall and Isles of Scilly was £45,600. Unfortunately the percentage of land rented by these farms is not published but the June Census 2016 indicates that 35% of the land farmed in Cornwall is tenanted. The rent paid on the Cornwall sample was therefore estimated to be £295 per hectare. Using this figure we can adjust the Cornwall average Farm Business Income to reflect a fully tenanted situation, adding an extra £29,700 in rent costs. 9 Care needs to be taken when interpreting data from small samples of farms



evaluation of the views and perceptions of people, such as their experiences and memories. The management of farm holdings plays an important role in integrity of our heritage and landscapes over time.

Table Four Historic landscape character assessment of the Council Farms Estate

Historic Landscape Character The farms are predominantly located within Anciently Enclosed Land (AEL) and Recently Enclosed Land (REL). Each character type has different potential to contain important archaeological remains and ancient hedgerow and woodland communities, and provide guide to the different historic landscape significance and environmental growth potentials for each farm.

• Ancient Enclosed Land

AEL is Cornwall’s agricultural heartland, with farming settlements documented before the 17th century AD and irregular field patterns with either medieval or prehistoric origins (rather than the straight-sided fields of later enclosure). Each farming settlement will contain a wealth of historical, architectural and archaeological information. Surveys of field systems yield considerable

Type Area/Ha Area (%)

Urban 11.8 0.3

Upland woods 7.9 0.2

Upland rough ground 4.3 0.1

Steep sided valleys 112.9 2.6

Reservoirs 0.1 0.0

Recently enclosed land 561.7 13.2

Industrial (predominantly) 1.0 0.0

Ornamental 0.1 0.0

Coastal rough ground 23.8 0.6

Anciently enclosed land 3545.9 83.1

Total 4270 100.0



agricultural, social and tenurial information. Buried archaeological features can be expected virtually anywhere in this Zone. The educational potential is great with a full and interesting story to be presented, both indoors and in the fields and farmsteads. Its components, rarity, coherence, time-depth, contribution to landscape character, the high regard in which it is held and the potential it holds for historical and archaeological research and presentation combine to make AEL of very great importance.

• Recently Enclosed Land

REL was enclosed in the 17th, 18th and 19th centuries, usually from land that was previously moor or downland and often medieval commons. Settlements are closer together than in AEL as farms' or smallholdings' acreages were smaller. Most are single farms, not hamlets, and the dwellings and farm buildings are usually smaller and more simply built than in AEL. Being exposed, there is relatively little woodland compared with AEL, but more evidence of its previous vegetation in gorse, heather, ling etc. on hedges and in corners of fields.

Specific Historic Buildings and Assets

Table Five Historic Assets on the estate

Designation

Number of assets

Hectares of land within designation of the estate

UNESCO World Heritage Site 3 131 Ha

Conservation Areas 6 315 Ha

Scheduled Monuments 7

Listed buildings 15

Non Designated Heritage Assets 314

Mines 19

Engine houses 2

Mine Shafts (known) 82

Historic Landfill 3 191 Ha



The Estate as an Ecological and Environmental Asset

The Council Farms Estate is home to a diverse range of environmental designations and ecological assets. The table below identifies the number and amount of assets on the estate.

Table Six – Ecological and Environmental Landscape Assets on the Council Farms Estate

Designation

Number of Farms within the Estate

Land area within Designation / length

Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty 7 464 Ha

Areas of Great Landscape Value 13 964 Ha

Areas of Great Scientific Value 5 128 Ha

Ancient Woodlands 22 63 Ha

Traditional orchards 1 (Trerieve) 1777 metres sq Ancient Tree Inventory 6 Council wildlife sites 31 96.4 Ha Sites of Special Scientific Interest 12 22.2 Ha National Nature Reserves 1 0 Ha Special Areas for Conservation 3 2.4 Ha Special Protection Areas 1 76 metres sq Marine Conservation Zones 2 Heritage coast 17 272.8 Ha Open country access land 2 12.6 Ha

Public Rights of Way 142 sections on holdings

37.93km

County Geology Sites 2 2836 metres sq

The table identifies that the Farms Estate is very rich in environmental assets, including nearly 1/3 of the Farms Estate holdings containing a County Wildlife Site and 1/6 of the Estate holdings with parcels of Ancient Woodland.



Why is Environmental Growth on the Council Farms Estate Important? Agriculture is by far the largest land use in the UK, and makes up 78% of the land use in Cornwall. How we use, manage and utilise our land resource is critical to our ability to deliver a sustainable future for all of us along ide other structural changes in transportation policy, energy generation and industrial production. It has been identified that current standard farming practices are contributing to a number of the problems that are manifesting within our environment such as poor soil management, biodiversity reductions, impacts on water quality and carbon emissions. It is therefore imperative that the Councils Farms Estate is guided and resourced to show leadership and able to catalyse the positive change required in this arena creating the conditions for tenant farmers to successfully deliver the vision outlined.

What is Environmental Growth? It has become increasingly clear that declines in wildlife populations continue to fall despite a range of environmental protection measures being regulated over the last 35 years. Despite this, the frequency of severe weather events are increasing and the global climate is changing and the natural environment being pressured from an increasing number of directions and forces. All of which is contributing to instability of the earth’s ecosystems, which are noticeably becoming dysfunctional as a result of human activity and therefore threatening the security of our long term food supply and our existence. The conventional approach of most governments of relying upon environmental protection is therefore not enough and the acknowledgement that growth of the environment is essential for safeguarding the future of successive generations. Therefore, in Cornwall the Environmental Growth Strategy was developed with our partners and adopted in 2016. The Strategy refocuses our attention on the role of the environment to provide foundational ecosystems goods and services that we are reliant upon. We see that sustainability starts with a healthy ecosystem, which then supports a healthy society and thriving economy. Without a stable environmental base, our social and economic systems become fragile and unstable.

Achieving environmental growth within the Council Farm Estate will deliver a climate change resilient and sustainable network of Farms in Cornwall.



Prepared by: First Name Surname Job Title

Recasting the model of sustainability with our environment providing the foundation for all our lives

The Environmental Growth Strategy sets out our ambitions and target outcomes for the environment, it also offers a definition of Environmental Growth, which is a new term, purposed to help us think differently about caring for the ecosystems that underpin our lives.

Definition of Environmental Growth

Environmental growth is the net gain of our natural systems –important because protection is not enough.

Environmental growth will be achieved by: Securing our natural heritage and enhancing it through better

management. Increasing our natural capital by increasing the size, number and

connectedness of areas where nature thrives. Designing existing activities and new developments to enhance and

support our natural systems.



The Potential of the Council Farms Estate The Council Farms Estate has the potential to catalyse and lead the transformational change required within the industry. Farming with nature can be highly productive for food production and other ecosystem goods and services. Actively encouraging methods of production which have this in mind will have a substantial impact on realising the potential of the Council Farms Estate over the next decade. Additionally, the Estate has approximately 500 acres of currently unmanaged woodland which has the potential for a number of potential uses with income potential as well as environmental growth outcomes. The extensive range of ecological, environmental and historic designations equally gives tremendous scope for delivering environmental growth through careful management alongside food production activities Figure one, provides an illustrated example from West Country Rivers Trust on how small changes in land management can provide considerable benefits to the farmer, livestock and nature.

Considering how our larger land holdings can be managed more effectively at a landscape scale to deliver wider outcomes is a key opportunity to deliver environmental growth and the transition to low carbon agriculture through new working practices and uptake of technologies. The collected holdings at Quethiock and Trerice are key opportunities to explore inter tenancy collaboration and environmental growth at scale on the Estate.

The Council Farms Estate can lead the way in identification of priority investments in infrastructure on farms. This will require new tenant selection processes to identify candidates with the skill set to meet the Estates ambition, and require the Estate deliver training and incentives for Tenants that can support land management and business practice and change at farm level. This will enable the Estate to meets it ambitions and set a standard across the County. The Council Farms Strategy recognises the recently published NFU Achieving Net-Zero 2040 goal and in conjunction with the Council declared climate emergency, intends to deliver a Net-Zero carbon footprint ahead of the NFU national goal.



Figure one Good Farm : Bad farm – Environmental Growth alongside Sustainable Food Production

Reproduced with the kind permission of the West Country Rivers Trust

Farming in the 21st Century The agricultural industry has seen many revolutions of practice and technology, it is anticipated that the 21st Century will be no exception. During the 20th

century the agricultural industry has significantly increased in productive efficiency. The industry has seen labour requirements reduce due to mechanisation. Average farm sizes have increased and farms have become highly specialised and less diverse. This can arguably have been driven by the need to feed the nation and more recently by the globalisation of markets for virtually all farm gate commodities. This drive for efficiency has been successful in achieving this aim, but it has unintended consequences on our wider environment.

Correspondingly, the population of the world has also increased from 1.5 billion in 1900, to an anticipated 9 billion by 2060. The percentage of the global population who live in extreme poverty is also increasing and their ability to make provision for elevations in food price is extremely limited.



All of this change is built on the reliance of low cost and abundant fossil fuels sources which is delivered through and serviced by the globalised supply chain. Significant questions now exist about climate change, as well as the other planetary boundaries that are being pushed passed the estimated safe limits for humanity. Therefore, there are foundational questions for land based industries to face in the future to ensure that production is sustainable.

In Cornwall we have seen that during the 20th Century we have observed dramatic increases in farm size, field size and profound changes in our landscape which has impacted on the distinct characteristics of Cornwall which has been farmed for thousands of years. It is rich in heritage and with a unique Atlantic climate an early growing season with a variety of soils and a coastal, rural environment that draws in many visitors here.

The role for agriculture and horticulture is critical in balancing the different requirements on Cornwall’s land, landscape and maritime environment, for Cornwall’s future sustainability, socially, environmentally and economically. The Council Farms Estate has its own role to play as set out in this Strategy.

Key challenges:

• Relationship with the European Union and future international trading agreements.

• Changing financial regime for agriculture. • Changing regulatory frameworks and enforcement. • Changing customer preferences and perceptions of agriculture. • Recovery of nature and natural systems. • Mitigation of and adaptation to climate change. • Competing pressures on land. • Global scarcity of resources. • Scale of production units in relationship to production costs. • Need to generate and retain added value locally • Demography of farming work force in UK and need for new entrants. • Challenge on public sector, particularly local authority budgets. • Need for new models of production, finance and supply of products. • New models for relationships between landlords and tenants.



The Challenge of Climate Change Climate Change will have increasingly significant impacts in Cornwall in the coming years, our Council Farms Estate will be impacted by many changes but also provides significant opportunities for activities that can help Cornwall mitigate and adapt to a changing climate.

Carbon sequestration in soils, wetlands and trees

The farmed environment provides a substantial opportunity to mitigate carbon emissions through land use practices which enable carbon sequestration, soils, wetland and trees can all absorb carbon from the atmosphere creating a carbon sink or store. Considering how the Council Farms Estate through the farming practices of the tenants can contribute to Cornwall’s ambitions to reduce substantially carbon emissions will be considered in the Whole Farm Plans.

Organic waste management and anaerobic digestions

Organic waste matter on farms can be a source of pollution if badly managed but when well managed is an important resource. The development of anaerobic digestion plants and slurry management systems can provide sources of bio-energy for on and off farm use. Considering how holdings on the Council Farms Estate can make use of new technologies will be area for future exploration and potential investment.

Generation of land based renewables – wind, solar farms, solar on farm building roofs

The Council Farms Estate provides a significant opportunity for the generation of renewable energy through onshore wind turbines, should Government policy move towards this source of generation again, solar farms are already widely distributed in Cornwall and farm building rooves can offer large expanses of space for the installation of solar panels. The context for investment in renewables is likely to improve as both Cornwall and the rest of the UK increase efforts to curb carbon emissions. Efficient production reducing emissions At farm level, our tenants will seeking to produce the same volume of food through reduced inputs; this may be precision farming techniques, increased energy efficiency in buildings and machinery and changes to the cultivation practices to reduce CO2 release and N2O.



Plastics management Agriculture and horticulture industries are a large consumer of plastics, ensuring these plastics are carefully and efficiently used and disposed of to prevent plastic pollution on land and at sea, will be an important aspect of sustainable farming in the 21st century. Ensuring our Council Farms Estate is equipped and managed to use plastics responsibly will be a future focus in Whole Farm Plans.

Climate change adaptation actions – farming with nature through change As the climate change the risks to the natural systems we rely on will increase, the way land is managed through this change can either exacerbate or mitigate these impacts. Considering how the holding on the Council Farms Estate can play a role in managing water through catchments, using natural flood management techniques or how ecological corridors can be preserved throughout holdings will substantially increase the resilience of Cornwall’s environment to climate change. By planning land uses with natural systems and acting to enhance them, the Council Farms Estate can demonstrate how we can successfully adapt to climate change and minimise environment impacts on human and wildlife communities.

Changing macro and micro climates opportunities and threats

Climate change will bring different weather patterns to the UK, Cornwall is already famed for its early and long grow season. It is likely the predictability of our seasons will change, this will present challenges and opportunities as new micro climate patterns form. This may be consequential for some early grown crops that fill a niche in the market; or new conditions may be suitable for new or novel crops unsuitable for previous conditions.

Enabling development thought the provision of alternative green space

The provision of additional recreational space is required when new development creates pressures on sensitive environmental areas, increasing access to greenspace through the Council Farms Estate can offer deliverable opportunities to distribute recreational pressures into new and less pressurised areas.

Enabling access to land

A key aspect of the return to low carbon lifestyles will be the ability for communities to access the resources they need locally, this includes food, but also, other resources such as wood and space for community activities. The



Estate and Farms Service can be managed to support the emerging needs for space to enable this critical change, either through making small parcels of land available through the adjustment to tenancies or through supporting communities to secure access to land. This can play an important role in re-localising a number of forms of production.



Service Name 20 June 2019

The Policy Landscape UK policy is evolving, the environment as a subject area is accelerating up the agenda. There are elements that are included in realm or topic area, including climate change, wildlife and habitats, pollution sources and many, many more. All these elements impact or influence on land use and farming practices or commodity markets. As such it is important to be aware of them as it will influence opportunities and behaviour.

National Policy and Strategies 1. Emerging national position in relationship to EU withdrawal

In 2018 the Government launched the White Paper titled: A Green Future: our 25 Year Plan, and published its Industrial Strategy. At present the UK Government is drafting the Agricultural Bill as well as an Environmental Bill. These key pieces of national legislation will set the scene for the post Brexit policy landscape for food and land use, and the Government’s approach towards key pieces of UK policy including the future Environment Land Management Scheme (ELMS). These are considered key structural legislation and policies all are or will be critical to understand when considering the future for the Council Farms Estate.

2. Role of County Farms Services in the Rural Economy

These recent policy developments appear to support the findings of Defra’s Future of Farming Review, undertaken in 2013, which recognised the value of County Farms to the agricultural industry in the UK and as a critical entry route for young farmers. Thus, the Government is supportive of see the continuation of publically facilitated Statutory Smallholdings Estates in order to provide the first rung on the farming ladder. Section 39 of the Agricultural Act 1970 states:

‘The statutory aim of smallholding authorities is that in performance of their functions they shall, having regard to the general interests of the agriculture and of good estate management, make it their general aim to provide opportunities for persons to be farmers on their own account by letting holdings to persons who satisfy the requirements set down in law.’



The review concluded: • County Council smallholding estates are an important, strategic, national

asset that should be retained. • More effort should be made to support existing and future tenants on

these estates to sustain their businesses either on the smallholding estates or in actually encouraging moves in the future into the private sector.

• There should be greater collaboration between individual County Farms Estates to help effective management.

To enable this review the Government observed that: • Local Authorities should carry out strategic reviews of their estates so

that policy decisions on the retention, disposal or acquisition of land take a longer-term view seeking to maximise revenue from development whilst not undermining the principal objectives of the estates.

• Local Authorities should make greater effort to develop the wider benefits that their land holding could provide particularly in regard to renewable energy, local food, public access, education, employment and the broader rural economy.

• Local Authorities should seek to manage their disposals of land from estates in a more patient and thoughtful way to maximise revenue from development sales whilst not undermining the principal objectives of the estates. Some of this development profit should be used to re-invest in the estate.

• Local authorities should pay greater attention to the wider benefits derived from owning and managing their estates and should regard County Council Farms as a vital part of the wider regional economic strategy.

Thus the ambitions of this Strategy for the Council Farms Estate go far beyond the need to fulfil those of a statutory small holding authority of offering farm business units. Cornwall Council has the potential and responsibility to contribute benefits across a wider range of social, economic and environmental activities.

Local Policy and Strategies

The well-established Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership (CIOS LEP) and Cornwall and Isles of Scilly Local Nature Partnership (CIOS LNP) draw together important partners and stakeholders to provide insight, leadership and support for the future direction of Cornwall and the Isles of Scilly. Cornwall Council has adopted the Environmental Growth Strategy (2015 –



2065) and Cornwall Strategic Economic Plan (2017 – 2030), which were both developed in conjunction with the CIOS LNP and CIOS LEP respectively. Both documents have long term time frames and both have a common theme of sustainable land management and food production.

The Cornwall Local Plan (2016-2030) sets out ambitions targets for housing growth and infrastructure needs; the Council Farms Estate has the potential to provide direct and indirect spatial capacity to enable the delivery of this plan if deemed strategically beneficial for the Council and the communities we serve. In addition, the County Farms Estate could be seen as a vehicle to help deliver the Cornwall’s Sustainable Energy Action Plan through adopting and installing appropriate renewable electricity and heat generation technologies and or encouraging the growing of energy crops such as Miscanthus or Short rotation coppice.

The Council Farm Estate could also support the Resources and Waste Strategy, through sites for anaerobic digestion units or as a land bank for the spreading of the digestate which is produced as a by-product of the process and is an excellent source of nutrients and acts as a soil conditioner.

It is also acknowledged that the other environmental initiatives such as the management of our heritage assets and canopy cover through our tree and hedges can be delivered on the Farms Estate. The Health and Wellbeing Strategy, Cornwall Educational Strategy and the Children and Family Service plan are all deliverable through the Council Farms Strategy and will be adopted to guide future land use, land management and decision making on the Council Farms Estate in Cornwall.

As such the Council Farms Estate in Cornwall is uniquely well positioned to be a mechanism for the delivery of an ambitious range of economic, social and environmental outcomes, and contribute to the solution of a range of challenges and opportunities that Cornwall Council and rural farm business face.



If you would like this information in another format please contact:

Cornwall Council, County Hall Treyew Road, Truro TR1 3AY

Email: [email protected] Telephone: 0300 1234 100 www.cornwall.gov.uk

Cornwall’s Resources and Waste Strategy

Cornwall’s Historic

Environment Strategy

Cornwall’s Health and Wellbeing Strategy Cornwall’s

Sustainable Energy Action

Plan

Environmental Growth Strategy • Pollinator Action

Plan • Canopy Action Plan

Children and Family Service

Plan

Cornwall’s Strategic

Economic Plan

County Farms

EstateStrategy

Cornwall Education Strategy

mailto:[email protected]

http://www.cornwall.gov.uk/



Four Strategy Ambitions Farming Futures Ambition Intent: To provide a ‘gateway’ into agriculture for new entrants to farm on their own account and provide a platform for them to progress and grow their business. The range and scales of full and part time opportunities will reflect the diversity of Cornish agriculture with all holdings being equipped with an appropriate range of facilities and infrastructure that enable tenants to farm in a sustainable, efficient and business-like manner, while also promoting the integration of good environmental, farming practices and social cohesion. The Estate will be managed to support changes in the wider context for agriculture in Cornwall and the UK.

Enabling Principles

1. Fair Rents and Profitable Production Profitable farm businesses are the foundation of the Council Farms Estate. It is essential that the opportunities offered provide land, with or without buildings or homes at a fair level of rent so that all tenants can develop their business plans without unreasonable constraint. Fair rents will reflect the management expectations of the strategy and Whole Farm Reports. Equally all tenants need to understand the market place for both niche and commodity markets, for both goods and services to enable responsiveness to opportunities if and when they arise. Healthy, well managed soils are a key underpinning component of the estate achieving profitable production and a long term sustainable estate. Without good soil husbandry that promotes the conditions for nutrient cycling through biological systems bacterial and fungal life does not have the ability to achieve long term profitable production will be compromised and ultimately prevent the achievement of an enhanced environment.

• The Council Farms Estate will work to provide farm units with efficient and compliant infrastructure and to create opportunities for new entrants to expand their business based on sound business planning. The Council Farms Estate will support the expansion of tenants businesses to grow and facilitate moves off the Estate or through agreed investments which generate additional employment on their existing holdings.



• New Opportunities will include bare land, bare land with buildings and fully equipped holdings to facilitate a range of new entrants and progression opportunities across the estate.

• We will make available capital and revenue resources over the duration of the Strategy to undertake planned buildings work to ensure all residential properties meet the Decent Homes. The majority of these works will be undertaken at the same time as tenancy change / renewal. Buildings and other critical farm infrastructure should be functionally safe and efficient and fit for purpose.

• The Council Farms Estate will seek to support and encourage tenants who seek to adopt diversification opportunities (subject to appropriate permissions such as Planning), adding value to farm products to meet market needs and expectations, of local consumers.

• The Council Farms Estate will seek to make and support sensible and viable investments in energy efficiency and renewable electricity and heat energy as well as novel crops and innovative farming techniques and technologies to work towards a sustainable estate.

• We will work with tenants to prepare and deliver Whole Farm Plans that enable them to be resilient to changes in market prices and ensure that investment generates a return and create employment.

• As part of the Whole Farm Plan the Estate will also provide support in the form of business mentors and directions towards training and Continuous Professional Development opportunities for tenants.

• The Council Farms Estate will work to provide farm units with robust infrastructure. These will be business opportunities that that provide for business growth and the estate will support expansion of tenants to grow and facilitate moves on to other estates or through agreed investments which generating additional employment on their existing holdings.



Profile of a new entrant This ambition is focused on enabling ‘new entrants’ into farming; it is likely* that a ‘new entrant’ will reflect the following characteristics:

• Forward looking, passionate and committed to farming in Cornwall; • Aiming to produce food alongside other environmental and social ‘public

goods and services’; • Recognise the importance of climate and the ecological emergency • Possess the range of skills and/ or qualifications to support the proposed

business • Be new to running an independent farming business through leased land

and/or buildings • Will be innovative and farming at an appropriate scale

It is unlikely* that a ‘new entrant’ will:

• Be running an established farm business • Be part of a larger organisation or business • Be an existing landowner of scale

* These statements are guidance as every tenant will be considered on the merit of the application that is made for the holding on offer.

Diversification

Energy Alternative

uses for land

Innovation in farming

Alternative

models forfarming

Adding value Profitable

Production Being Best in

Class



2.Informed Investment The development of “smart agriculture”, changes in funding streams and fast moving market prices require a flexible and reactive Landlord when faced with innovation at farm level. Investment must be built on sound business plans which have been challenged and tested. We will ensure sound business planning is in place for both landlord and tenant and that diversification and growth come out of strong agricultural production and rural businesses by:

• Creating partnerships and participating in applied research initiatives with local and national academic partner organisations

• Encouraging good decision making by supporting tenant access to business mentors, advisors and academic institutions to carefully build their plans ensuring good long term decision for landlord and the tenant businesses.

• Utilising the data arising from effective monitoring and evaluation of the Estate10, to enable trends and patterns to be noted and accounted for in planning processes.

• The key performance indicators noted in this Strategy will be collated into an annual report to help inform long term investment decisions on the Council Farms Estate.

10 More information in Sustainable Estate Ambition under the Measured Management principle.



Farming futures KPI’s

Indicator

Number of FTE hosted on the Council Farms Estate

Number of different products produced on the estate

Number of businesses hosted in the estate and actively growing

Turnover of businesses on the estate

Ambition: Environmental Growth Ambition Intent: To ensure the Estate delivers environmental growth alongside food production to mitigate and adapt to climate change and address ecological breakdown

Environmental Growth aims to ensure the common place and highest quality environments are valued, cared for and enhanced on all our farm holdings. This can be achieved through careful stewardship of the land by thinking on a catchment and landscape scale and attending to the delicate balances nature needs to thrive and plants and animals need to grow. A new focus on optimising soil health and performance; adopting opportunities to improve water quality and storage, increasing canopy cover and managing maturing trees and woodlands carefully, valuing hedgerows and field margins as ecological corridors and the foundations for pollinator networks, will enable our estate to increase its provision of biodiversity and other ecosystem goods and services. We will also ensure that the heritage assets on our holdings that provide an important part of Cornwall’s cultural history will be well managed and protected. This will align with national plans to increase the provision of public goods through new support schemes for farming.

The need to address climate change through changed farming practice is critical for all, the Estate provides considerable opportunities to create sustainable energy and circular economy opportunities, and to experiment with new crops and farming practices which can support both the reduction of carbon emissions and the adaptation to a changing climate.



Enabling Principle - Enhanced Environment The Council Farms Estate offers the most significant opportunity for Cornwall Council to demonstrate leadership in the agricultural sector through the delivery of the Cornwall’s Environmental Growth Strategy within a sustainable and regenerative farming estate. Many businesses now demonstrate that food production can occur alongside positive environmental performance, using both innovative and traditional methods of farming. By working with the climate, natural features and systems through the supported development of Whole Farm Plans, our tenants can farm with and alongside nature. This will enable the Council Farms Estate to substantially contribute to the regeneration of the ecological benefits provided by a healthy environment which include:

• Resources are replenished so there is more food, fuel and medicine and pharmaceutical products are available.

• Nature is revitalised so there is an abundance of wildlife and green spaces.

• Natural regulation is restored so that climate, hazards, disease and pests remain within safe limits.

• Food webs are rebuilt so that people, plants and animals thrive. • Natural cycles are repaired to improve air, water and soil quality

and a mechanism to help tackle the climate emergency. Future management of the Council Farms Estate will seek to incentivise tenants to deliver 'public goods' in support of the Environmental Growth Strategy through the Whole Farm Reports supported by the Farm Business Tenancy and Management Agreements by:

• Working with tenants in partnership, to identify areas requiring protection, maintenance and enhancement (Environmental Growth) on individual holdings within the Council Farms Estate.

• Identify opportunities for and provide support, training and guidance and assistance in gaining access to schemes and systems as well as mechanisms to deliver environmental growth and decarbonise the farming system.

• Working in partnership with adjoining land owners to establish links across landscapes to support connecting habitats, delivery of ecosystem services on land and sea, regenerating healthy natural systems and conserving historic assets and features.

• Encouraging, providing active support to tenants who manage their businesses through schemes such as:

• Certified Organic production systems;



• Land in Agri-Environment Schemes; • Certified land under Pasture Fed Livestock Association

(PFLA); • Certified land under Linking Environment and Farming

(LEAF); • High Nature Value Farming; • Working With Natural Processes (such low till, minimal

input, minimal/ no chemical usage); • and/or deliver:

• Healthy biologically functioning regenerated soils; • Natural Flood Management features, improved water

quality and storage; • Increased high value habitats and enhanced biodiversity; • Biodiversity net gain opportunities • Carbon sequestration and environmental credit (offsetting)

opportunities; • increased canopy health and cover; • Areas of rewilded space where appropriate

• Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy.



Environmental Growth KPI’s

Indicator Potential

Tonnes of organic matter on the estate

Tonnes of Soil Carbon on the estate

Ha of productive farm land P (phosphate) indices of 2 or higher11

Ha of productive farm land K (potassium) indices of 2 or higher

% Broadleaf Canopy cover of the Estate.

% of land delivering environmental growth

Number of Ha under positive environmental management certification (e.g, LEAF, PFLA, under an Agri-Environment Scheme etc.)

Kwh of renewable energy generation capacity on the estate per annum.

Condition of heritage assets (Scheduled Monuments, listed buildings, Historic Environment Record sites, traditional farm buildings etc)

Ambition: Vibrant Communities Ambition Intent: To increase public understanding and connection with food production, the countryside and nature; and to build the cohesion and resilience of rural communities. The Councils Farm Estate can play a major role in sustaining and building rural communities, by supporting, aiding employment and business opportunities in the countryside and providing opportunities for greater public access and responsible enjoyment. The Council Farms Estate will also develop opportunities to grow public understanding of food production through initiatives such as Open days, Forest Schools, community orchards, provision of community growing spaces and enjoyment of the natural environment and the delivery of the health and wellbeing agenda and supporting pioneering, innovative business models.



Enabling Principle - Accessible Acres There are a number of important social functions that the Council Farms Estate can perform in delivering wider public benefits to the population of Cornwall. This Strategy is seeking farm businesses hosted on the Council Farms Estate to maximise the provision of education, health and wellbeing and recreational opportunities through a greater connection to our natural and cultural heritage. Considering how the sense of identity, community, place and belonging can be strengthened through work with local communities, voluntary and social enterprise sectors to expand the experiences local resident communities, children, young people and their families.

Enabling access to the Council Farms Estate to extend beyond the community of tenants to a wide range of users can be facilitated by:

• Actively contributing to the Council’s wider aims and priorities by

maximising social benefits by exploring options for diversified activities of care farms, forest schools, eco schools, educational visits and training, allotments and community support agriculture.

• Offering extra support, including introduction to Cornwall Council's Social Services referral teams where there may be opportunities to make provisions for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families.

• Recognising the social value and benefits of recreational space by exploring ways to encourage and maximise this use including the connection of habitats and access routes and extending the public rights of way network.

• Actively considering opportunities for appropriate development or supporting land management initiatives, such as delivery of ‘biodiversity net gain’ on Council Farms Estate land to support delivery of the Cornwall Local Plan.

• Favourably considering opportunities to deliver Suitable Alternative Natural Greenspace (SANG’s) which can arise as a result of developments which impact on areas designated as a Special Areas of Conservation and Special Protection areas through the delivery of the Cornwall Local Plan.

• Ensuring tenancy agreement recognise the risks involved with providing additional services, such as care farming alongside the primary production of food.

• Noting the value of increasing access alongside other measures of productivity for the holding.

• Ensuring tenants are actively supported to identify, develop and deliver these opportunities, either independently or in partnerships.



Vibrant Communities KPI’s

Indicator

Number of cross holding collaborations on the Estate

Number of holdings offering a social benefit (Community space, Education, Access)

Number of care farms or social prescribing opportunities

Number of farms holding community open days

Inclusivity and diversity supported by activities on the Estate

Public rights of way open and unobstructed

Extension of Rights of way (permissive and dedicated )

Ambition - Sustainable Estate Ambition Intent: To enable the Estate, and the businesses on the Council Farms Estate, to be financially and environmentally sustainable, underpinned by principles of integrated farm management; creating employment and sustaining dynamic rural businesses, encouraging opportunities to add value, meet local market needs, adopting innovative practices and delivering high animal health and welfare standards. It is essential the Council’s Estate as a public asset is managed to provide an optimal mix of benefits. Action on climate change and the ecological crisis are critical as is accounting for the policy, funding and market changes the farming industry is also facing. This ambition focuses on ensuing the Estate and its tenants businesses are evolving positively; where profitable farm businesses will help people and nature to thrive, as set out in our earlier ambitions. Setting clear criteria against which we can measure and monitor our progress towards theses aims will enable good management of the Estate as a whole and appropriate support to be given to tenants as they establish and build their businesses.



Enabling Principles

1. Good Governance As a publically owned Council Farms Estate, the approach to governance must ensure we consider the public interest in the management of the estate. This occurs through the decision making about the Council Farms Estate being distributed through a number of levels in the Council’s structure. The Deputy Leader oversees the running of the Farms Estate with support from Officers and reference to a Scrutiny process in line with the Council’s agreed allocation of responsibility.

The Council Farms Panel, made up by elected Members with an interest in and experience of rural businesses and farming in Cornwall, have provided the ongoing performance monitoring for the Council Farms Estate. The Farms Panel have scrutinise the delivery of the farms service against this Strategy and on matters of interest to the Estate. The future role of this group will be considered by the Constitution and Governance Committee in December 2019.

An annual report will be made to the Neighbourhoods Overview and Scrutiny Committee (NOSC), with recommendations for management made to the operational Service Director as required. This Strategy proposes the following changes to Governance arrangements:

• Revisions to the tenant selection process to reflect the outcomes of the Inquiry will see Officers undertake this role and report to the appropriate Director for approval to the selected tenant.

• We will implement a tri-annual performance reporting mechanism at holding level, measuring against baseline data, to inform KPIs and supporting investment decisions as well as monitoring the progress and growth of tenants businesses, their delivery of environmental growth and wider public goods.

• A revised framework for maintenance, repairs and renewals will be prepared to include reviewing options for enabling tenants to undertake minor repairs and ensuring major works are carried out by specialist contractors to ensure a value for money balance between quality and price.

2. Measured Management



The core tool for the delivery of this Strategy and the Council Farms Estate Business Plan is the Whole Farm Plan which will set out the agreements between landlord and tenant of the expected performance of the farm. Monitoring and evaluation is an important management tool and requires careful planning to ensure it does not create management burdens without outcome. Therefore, the Strategy has set out Key Performance Indicators for each of the four Ambitions. These ambitions will be monitored in the following way (Table seven), annual financial and compliance performance figures will be recorded and reported, while the wider ambitions set out in this Strategy which will take longer to show progress will be measured on a triannual basis on each holding.

Table Seven

Ambition Method and frequency of assessment

Year of full implementation

Profitable production Tri annual review of each holding via a Farm Business Survey and reported in a rolling annual report.

2023/24

Environmental growth

Vibrant communities

Sustainable estate Annual reporting to Neighbourhoods OSC

2020/21

To deliver this approach effectively it is intended the Farms Service will be supported to produce the Tri- Annual Reviews through a partnership with a local organisation11 to undertake the Farm Business Surveys needed to gather the performance indicators needed for the Strategy’s wider ambitions. The review will assess:

1. Measuring performance against baseline data across the four ambitions providing economic, social and environmental data.

2. Condition of key farm assets, the built infrastructure and the environmental infrastructure of the farm including soils (examining physical, chemical and biological features) high value and quality habitats, features including hedges, ponds, orchards, riparian land, copses and woodlands and an assessment of the historic features on the estate.

3. Needs and opportunities for investment in infrastructure or appreciation of assets which could attract fiscal recognition in line with agreements



made in the Whole Farm Plans.

4. Opportunities and needs for skills development and training opportunities for tenants and signposting to opportunities for Continuous Professional Development (CPD).

5. Plans for succession of the tenant on to internal or external opportunities to ensure the Estate is generating a turnover of innovative and environmentally aware farmers into the farming community in Cornwall.

In order to gather data and assess the progress and performance of the Council Farms Estate, the Service and tenants will have:

• Dedicated resources in the Farms Service to support the preparation and

monitoring of Whole Farm Plans, providing new tenants a partnership approach over 12 months to formulate and verify Whole Farm Plans for environmental growth, increasing public access, education and/or care farming over the period of their tenancy using support and specialist input or training as required.

• Access to services using remote sensing and new technology to provide data efficiently and cost effectively across the Council Farms Estate in partnership with academic counterparts.

• Monitoring by the Farms Service to identify any trends in needs or opportunities for joint training or learning sessions between tenants where there is good practice and innovations within the Council Farms Estate that can be shared.

11 Duchy College currently support the delivery of the Defra Farm Business Survey and have business mentors who can actively support businesses and provide a recommendation where innovative funding may be required when undertaking surveys. Utilising an existing mechanism such as this could be effective and efficient.



Sustainable Estate KPI’s

Indicator

Number of homes on the estate meeting decent homes standards

Number of buildings or structures in disrepair

Number of farm buildings and infrastructure unsafe and / or causing a heightened risk of pollution

Number or percentage of tenants in rental arrears

Number of tenants in rental arbitration

Number or percentage of positive succession tenancies

Total annual rental value of the estate.12

12 The total rental value should not target to be maximised. Concessions on rental value for environmental and social functions should be recognised for its delivery of wider public goods, therefore this should be seen as a function of buying good value for money. This indicator will require comparative analysis – for example against capital value.

Cornwall Council’s Farms Strategy 2019 - 2039


t n e agem n a M

Council Farms Strategy 2019 -2029 Action Plan

1 11

Create and implement a six-monthly reporting process to enable us to present the with an Annual Strategy report which will include a review of new tenants Evaluate the tenancy selection process and upgrade the selection criteria and scoring to reflect the Ambitions of theStrategy Report to the Constitution and Governance Committee to agree future scrutiny arrangements for Farms Service Design and implement a framework formaintenance, repairs and renewals which includes a review of options forenabling tenants

Set robust KPIs to evidence how theCouncil Farms Service is working to deliver the 2019 Farms Strategy

Farm

ing

Envi

ronm

enta

l Vi

bran

t Fa

rmin

g Fu

ture

s

Envi

ronm

enta

l Gro

wth

Vibr

ant C

omm

uniti

es

Sust

aina

ble

Esta

te

AMBI

TIO

NS

Good

Gov

erna

nce

Mea

sure

d

Info

rmed

Inve

stm

ent

Acce

ssib

le A

cres

Prof

itabl

e Pr

oduc

tion

Enha

nced

Env

ironm

ent

2019

- 20

20

2020

- 20

21

2021

- 20

22

2022

- 20

23

2023

- 20

24

2024

- 20

25

2025

- 20

26

2026

- 20

27

2027

- 20

28

2028

- 20

29

2029

- 20

30

SUCC

ESS

MEA

SURE

S



Establish the processes we will use to capture the key data that evidences that the Farms Service is delivering on its key objectives through the KPIs that we have identified

Devise and implement a tri-annual performance reporting mechanism at holding level which will measure against baseline data to inform KPIs and support investment decisions

Identify and set out ways we will work with tenants to support their entrepreneurial business plans, to enable them to be resilient to changes in market prices and ensure that investment generates a return

Design and introduce Whole Farms Plans, working with tenants in partnership, to identify areas requiring protection, maintenance and enhancement (Environmental Growth) on individual holdings within the estate.

Specify the ways we will incentivise tenants to deliver 'public goods' in support of the Council's Environmental Growth Strategy through the use of Whole Farm Plans

Identify mechanism for increasing engagement with Private landowners to facilitate progression across estates esp with tenant

Design and implement a training, CPD

and mentoring programme for tenants



Put in place a dedicated resource to support Whole Farm Management planning in the Council Farms Estate team

Model and apply a formula for flexible rent-setting which will enable us to charge new tenants only 50% of the agreed rent over the first three months of their tenancy, in order to help establish their businesses and support the development of their Whole Farm Plan

Put in place processes which enable us to provide new tenants with 12 months to formulate verifiable Whole Farm Plans for environmental growth, increasing public access, education and/or care farming over the next 10 years

Define and establish the practices we will adopt to enable us to cultivate and engage with local academic partnerships, to benefit from collaborative opportunities and sharing of good practice

Research and evaluate the ways funding can be used innovatively to advance new technologies to review and improve the condition of whole farm assets

Appraise the ways we can offer extra support, including introduction to Cornwall Council's Service to assist in delivery of CC services through the Estate.



Investigate and explore the ways we can encourage and maximise the use of recreational space in recognition of its social value and benefits

Invest resources to understand the ways we can maximise social benefits, such as care farms, forest schools, allotments and community supported agriculture, to support the provision that is available for children and young people with Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND) and their families as part of Cornwall's Local Offer

Invest resources to understand the ways we can maximise opportunities to work with the community, voluntary and social enterprise sector to contribute to aspirations within communities for children, young people and their families to strengthen a sense of identity and belonging, in ways which also support the ethos of One Vision Partnership Plan

Set out how we will work in partnership with adjoining land owners to establish linked 'environmental ribs' and support connected habitats, delivery of ecosystem services, sustainability and conservation of historic assets and features


47


Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate Asset Management & Business Plan 2019 – 2029 Farming with Cornwall’s Climate and Nature


48


Contents Asset Management and Business Plan 2019-2029.

1. Asset Management.

• Community Asset • Holding by Holding Future Management Plan. • Migration Land Blocks. • Acquisition of Land. • Disposal of Assets.

2. Farming Futures • Tenant Selection • Progression • Retirement and End of Tenancy Arrangements • Smallholdings Authority • New entrant Opportunities • Sub-letting and Sharing Possession by Tenants.

3. Environmental Growth • Whole Farm Reports • Farming with Carbon Report • Forest 4 Cornwall • Reduce GHG release

4. Vibrant Communities • Enabling Council Initiatives • Education and Training • Community Engagement • Public Rights of Way and Footpath Management • Community Supported Agriculture

5. Sustainable Estate • Business Planning and Tendering Training • Business Progression Planning • Whole Farm Reports • Soil Analysis

6. Property Maintenance • Property Compliance • Backlog Maintenance • Decent Homes • Defect Maintenance

7. Staffing Support to the Estate 8. Governance


49


9. Revenue Budget • Maintenance Costs • Property Costs

Appendix 1 – DEFRA Statistics – Annual Reports to Parliament on Smallholdings in England. Appendix 2 – Draft Whole Farm Plan Report template Appendix 3 – Community Supported Agriculture


50


[This plan is from item CAB/86 considered by Cabinet at its meeting on the 18th December 2019 as Appendix 3. It has since been amended and updated to reflect Cabinet’s decision at that meeting and as well as the decision of

the Constitution and Governance Committee at its meeting on 5th February 2020, item CG/66.]

1. Asset management

1.1 Community Asset. The Council has classified its assets by use to enable a consistent approach

to be taken to manage assets which in use, can be wildly ranging. This categorisation has seen the Farms Assets regarded as a commercial asset type and led to pressure to deliver financial returns in line with Pension Fund performance. The nature of the estate, the 2007 Strategy and the new implications of Climate Change and Environmental Growth lead to a logical recognition that this portfolio is a community asset to be managed to deliver a wider series of outcomes than just an “internal rate of return” or yield in investment assets.

1.2 This does not mean that “good revenue management” relating to rent levels, rent collection, maintenance and cost allocation will not remain part of the management approach i.e. there will be a commercial budget management approach to day to day activity. The impact will be in the revenue performance demanded of the estate over the 10 year period.

1.3 Holding by Holding Future Management Plan. To enable sound estate management to take

place across the estate during the next 10 years it is necessary to create a clear direction of travel for each of the individual holdings within the estate. This enables timely and targeted Property related activity to take place. It will also provide clarity for tenants who can then understand and plan their own investment proposals during their tenancy. This ensures all investment delivers the long-term benefits to the tenant, the landlord and the holding.

1.4 This Holding by Holding estate structure is not immutable and can be varied should

circumstances or opportunities provided for an alternative approach to be taken. Decisions to vary the structure would be taken through Service Director and the Portfolio Holder who will be responsible for the monitoring of the delivery of the 2019 Strategy.

1.5 The current estate has life expired infrastructure. This ranges from traditional old stone barns

designed for cows tied at the neck through to large farmhouses. It needs to be recognised that some of these assets need to be rationalised and taken out of the estate and the proceeds from sale utilised by the Authority to support investment back into the estate.

1.6 The future of each holding has been assessed against a simple matrix of land quality,

infrastructure quality and condition and environmental growth potential. This has created the structure against which each holding has been assessed and has led to the options appraisal articulated in the three models presented to the Cabinet in November 2019.

1.7 Previous Strategies have used terms such as “core and non-core” and “starter and progression”

to assist in identifying holdings. The new Strategy will not use those terms but will reference holdings as;

i. FEH Fully Equipped Holdings - house, building and land

ii. BL Bare land iii. BL NE Bare Land held and to be let to new Entrants iv. BL Prog Bare land held to be let to existing tenants v. Other Non-agricultural lettings

51


1.8 Within the proposed estate structure, specific regard has been had to the four ambitions to

ensure that the estate through its individual holdings is able to deliver the strategy expectations.

1.9 The focus remains on creating and supporting New Entrant opportunities for those who want to create a new rural business based on food production and land management.

1.10 It is envisaged that over the 10 years of this business plan which is the first half of the 20

year strategy we will see the estate structure change as follows:

1.11 Cabinet, at its meeting on the 18th December 2019 approved the adoption of model 1 of the 3 considered. Extract from that report relating to Model 1 is provided below in italics.

a. Model 1 - This model requires an overall capital requirement to implement the Strategy

over 10 years, totalling £16.4 million. Disposals of assets, mainly residential and farm buildings with an estimated sales value of £5.2 million can be generated from the estate restructuring, leaving a net capital funding requirement of £11.3 million over the 10 year period.

b. A specific sum of £1 million has been included in the capital ask to support Environmental Growth activities which will be identified and dictated in the Whole Farm Report prepared for each holding. Specifically, this will support the increase in woodland from 300 acres to 1,050 acres. This is consistent across all models.

c. The revenue forecast sees the overall net annual revenue return from the Estate eventually reduce by approximately £600,000 by year 10 as provision is made for increased revenue expenditure to implement the management plan. This will see additional revenue investment in maintenance to retain the building stock in good condition, funding the borrowing costs of net capital investments and additional staffing resource to deliver the Environmental Growth and Vibrant Communities activities (the Whole Farm Report coordination and monitoring), to ensure the delivery of the intent of the four Strategy ambitions.

d. The Estate will continue to trade profitably but the level of return to the centre will

reduce.

e. Staffing costs are increased to £223k per annum in Year 1 to include an additional Land Agent focussed on the delivery of the Whole Farm Reports, the development of partnerships and Climate Change mitigation activity. An additional 50% of a building surveyor post, thus creating a full time support to the Farms Estate, is included to deliver a coordinated approach to the delivery of the capital investment and the revenue funded work. This approach is consistent across all Models.

f. Currently, external funding has not been included in the financial forecasts. However, the

staff team will be tasked with seeking opportunities for funding to support the estate overall and individual outcomes on specific holdings. The Business Plan explores this in more detail.

g. The impact on the structure of the estate of this Model will see a reduction of 1% of the physical area and a reduction of 15% in the number of Fully Equipped Holdings. There

52


will be an increase in the number of bare land plots available for new entrants, this will include growing plots, Community Supported Agriculture opportunities and livestock grazing lets. The detail is in the Business Plan. The implication on the Structure of the estate are set out below.

Estate Structure Current Model 1 Change

Fully Equipped Holdings (FEH) 89 74 -15 (17% reduction)

Bare Land New Entrants (BL NE) 1 13 +12

Bare Land Progression (BL P) 32 20 -12

Other 4 15 +11

Dairy 44 32 -12

Sell All 0 0 0

Sell part 0 13 +13

Acreage 10,880 acres 10,756 acres 124 acres-

Sold 0 126 acres (1.1%)

Additional Woodland 0 743 acres (7%)

1.12 The specific holding by holding detail will be set out for review and agreement through the appropriate governance structure as set out in section 8 in the first quarter of 2020 or as soon as practicable.

1.13 Migration land blocks. The geographic layout of the estate had led to some parcels of land being isolated from holdings. These have been referred to as “migration land blocks”. It is anticipated that where the opportunity arises, isolated parcels of land within the estate will be sold to acquire replacement land more closely associated with FEH or either of the BL holdings. This improves holding profitability through reduced travel time and cost, improves the impact of Whole Farm Report planning and reduces management time. There will however, be a slight fall in the number of parishes that the Council Farms is active within across the County. Governance arrangements will need to be in place to enable the circulation of sale proceeds to be used to acquire replacement land. These opportunities will arise in an ad hoc manner and require a clear and timely decision making process.

1.14 Acquisition of land. The financial modelling makes no provision for the acquisition of

land. However, this does not assume that acquisition is not a future management option. A separate business case will need to be made to support any acquisition. The justification could include acquiring land assets to protect vulnerable environments, to extend existing landholdings to improve production and profitability, to secure future development land or to secure key landholdings to improve downstream outcomes.

1.15 Disposal of assets. All models presented to Cabinet in Dec 2019 included the generation of

capital receipts through the sale of buildings; residential and commercial. The sale of agricultural land was only included in Model 3 and dismissed. However, in identifying a residential property for sale, regard has been had to the saleability of that property. An assumption of an average of

53


5 acres being sold with each property has been made for business case purposes. The intention will be to keep these land disposals to as small an area as possible for each sale.

1.16 In releasing assets, due regard will be taken to the impact of the sale on adjoining farming

activity. Where appropriate, physical building works may be required to create separated utilities and drainage, separate accesses or the reordering of agricultural infrastructure to reduce the potential for conflict between the residential and the agricultural.

1.17 All sales will be in line with the Council’s Code of Practice for land and property transactions. 1.18 Each Smallholdings Authority, which the Council is defined as one, has to provide information

to DEFRA each year on data relating to its Farms Estate. This is then collated across all other English authorities and reported to Parliament each year. Hyperlinks to the 2 most recent reports are provided in Appendix 1.

Our four ambitions

54


2 Farming Futures

2.1 Tenant Selection. Fundamental to the work of the Farms Service is a consistent and transparent approach to the management of holdings at the key estate management points in each tenancy for example, selection of new tenants, setting of rent, assessment of suitability for renewal of leases and end of tenancy arrangements.

2.2 The Farms Inquiry 2018 recommended that the Future letting activity of Farms Estate holdings be managed and undertaken by Officers from the Farms Team. The Land Agents will oversee the marketing of and presentation of the farm on viewing day in line with previous practice. Shortlisting, pre-interviews checks and final interview will be led by the Land Agents with support from the Environment Service. There will be no Member involvement in this process.

2.3 The Constitution and Governance Committee at its meeting on 5th February 2020, item CG/66

made the following decisions and recommendations. This business plan has been updated to reflect these:-

a) in respect of the Cornwall Council Farms Panel with immediate effect, the responsibilities for

overseeing the application for new tenants be undertaken jointly between the land agents within Customer and Support Services and officers within the Environment Service.

b) With immediate effect, the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee (currently

Neighbourhoods) assumes responsibility for reviewing the Farms Strategy and for monitoring its performance.

c) that the Constitution be updated accordingly to reflect these decisions.

It is therefore important not to read this document in isolation but the annual reports from the Farms service to the relevant Overview and Scrutiny Committee (currently Neighbourhoods) to understand the annual achievements made and the anticipated work plan.

2.4 New tenants have requested the opportunity to view the farm more than once following the viewing day to undertake due diligence and to ensure they are clear what the farms offers in terms of buildings, infrastructure and land. They have also requested soil sample information to inform their understanding of the farms condition. Soils sample information will also be required at the commencement of the tenancy to establish baseline data for future appraisal. If soil samples are provided at the viewing day these will be used within the Tenancy documentation.

2.5 The staff directly involved will be trained on interview technique, selection matrix scoring and evaluation to ensure a thorough and robust approach is used to ensure that the decision making is sound. The officers involved will produce a completed evaluation matrix for each interview with supporting written statement setting out the reasons for the decision reached. This will be reported to the Director responsible for the management of Farms Estate (Currently CASS). The Director will review the evaluation and written statement before approving the selection.

2.6 Farm business tenancies will be offered with a minimum of 11 year tenancy to a maximum of 20 years tenancy. At the end of the first occupation period the tenant will be able to apply for a five year extension to the tenancy provided they produce written evidence in the form of 5 year business proposal that indicates that they remain committed to the development of their farm business and the Council’s agricultural holding in line with the Whole Farm Report or agreed management strategy for the farm. There will be cases where the tenant fails to meet that standard or their performance during the first tenancy has been poor. Those tenancies will not

55


be extended. Decisions regarding extensions of tenancies will be made in the period 12 to 24 months before the tenancy term date.

2.7 Bare land lettings may be let for shorter periods i.e. 5 years to reflect the start-up nature of the opportunity but with break clauses to facilitate early progress to other opportunities. It will be the default position that these bare land opportunities will be let to new entrants or existing Council tenants, and not to adjoining third party farmers who may be able to offer a larger rent payment. It would only be in the circumstances where there was no interest or no suitable tender where bare land would be let to third party farmers. Such a letting would be for a year to year arrangement to facilitate the management of the land.

2.8 Financial assistance in the form of an initial rent free period of 3 months will be offered to all

new tenants. The purpose of this is to enable them to commit time to the development of the Whole Farm Plan which is anticipated will require a number of sessions with the Consultant and the Land Agents to draw up, finalise and set out in documentation in a manner that provides clear guidance and protection to both parties throughout the tenancy.

2.9 The revenue budget includes an allowance of up to £10,000 per holding to cover the one off cost

of letting – these include the Whole Farm Report, soil samples, building survey reports and any internal costs linked to the letting.

2.10 At the end of the second tenancy, if the tenant wishes to remain in occupation of the holding they will need to tender for the farm in open competition.

2.11 Exceptions to this arrangement will be made where the tenant was selected to deliver a specific corporate objective and that delivery is ongoing and to the required standard. Equally, there will be situations where the tenant has built a business that provides local employment, added value or environmental outcomes which would be lost. These decisions will be considered in line with the agree tenant selection process mentioned above.

2.12 Progression. Traditionally, the Council has seen tenant progression as a movement to a larger farm or to a farm off of the estate. This binary approach to progression fails to capture those scenarios where a tenant is able to build a business that grows vertically, rather than horizontally. Business diversification which sees increased non-family employment based on the farm is an equally valid expression of progression. As end of tenancy conversations develop and progress is measured, officers will be mindful of progression in this form and make provision for this is their assessment of requests for extensions of tenancies.

2.13 Retirement and end of tenancy arrangements. Tenancies will not be extended beyond the state pension age of the lead tenant. This ensures that the Council is able to continue to offer new entrant opportunities. We recognise that there will be tenants who at the State Pension age remain fit and healthy and able to undertake the full range of activities required of a hands on farm tenant. However, our duty remains to new entrants and the creation of new opportunities. We expect that current tenants who remain on the estate at their state pension age will recognise that it is time to hand over the stewardship responsibility for the holding to the next generation.

2.14 Small Holdings Authority. The Council acknowledges that it is a Smallholdings Authority in line with the Agriculture Act 1970. As such, subject to the inclusion of appropriate legal text within tenancy agreements, the Council can and will utilise legislation within the 1986 Agricultural Holdings Act to terminate agricultural tenancies upon the tenant reaching state retirement age and subject to the availability of suitable alternative accommodation.

2.15 New Entrant Opportunities. These will take a number of different forms; fully equipped

56


holdings, bare land holdings or bare land with Buildings. Whilst there has been a focus on Fully Equipped Holdings as the route of entry the creation of Bare Land New Entrant (BLNE) opportunities are designed to offer cheaper entry points for, in many cases, but not exclusively, younger people to take land and build their business from a secure land holding base. Some of these opportunities will include buildings in addition.

2.16 These BLNE opportunities should enable the Council to “bring on” its own replacement

tenants for Fully Equipped Holdings (FEH). Whilst preference will not be shown in the tenant selection process, bare land tenants who have proven themselves, built their business and exhibited the agronomy skills to farm in line with the Strategy and low carbon principles will be in a position to make a strong case for their next step in the industry.

2.17 Sub-letting and Sharing Possession by tenants. Members have expressed a clear concern regarding the subletting or contract growing of crops by external large scale growers. The concerns include the long term impact of this approach to soil quality and soil indices, the failure of the selected tenant to farm the holding and the impact on the Council Farms reputation and ability to offer new entrant opportunities.

2.18 The Agricultural legislation and tenancy agreements prevent sub letting but “croppers” have been careful to work around this prescriptive clause and often grow under contract. This is not a breach of some tenancy agreements but is a breach of the moral code that needs to exist between landlord and tenant. Sharing possession with contractors in this way can be carried out with the Council’s consent and each tenant will be encouraged to contact the Council to discuss such plans and consents as mentioned below. There have been cases where tenants have effectively ceased day to day farming and introduced cropping arrangements which is unacceptable.

2.19 A single crop or 12 month agreement to allow a “cropper” to break long term pasture or heavily weeded arable land as part of an agreed agronomy or husbandry approach to enable the tenant to improve their management of the holding may be acceptable. These cases would be agreed on an individual basis and recorded in writing to include any commercial terms for the Landlord’s consent to the proposal.

2.20 Also, there would be a requirement for the tenant and cropper to provide a soil management plan including cover crop, planting and ploughing directions etc to show that the impact of the activities will be positive to the land block and holding. Permitting the sharing of possession in this way with a “cropper” will be the exception not the rule.

3 Environmental Growth

3.1 Whole Farm Reports It is 10 years since the Council consistently undertook Whole Farm

assessments of the environmental and agricultural features on each holding and identified land management actions that would lead to their protection and improvement. Known as the FWAG reports, these documents have stood the test of time and remain relevant to the management of the holding. The management actions within the report were coupled with advice around improved agricultural activity that would improve production and reduce expenditure. Tenants valued these reports as they were able to shape the outcomes.

3.2 The reintroduction of a Whole Farm Report will be the backbone to much of the activity

identified to take forward the Environmental Growth Activity. From 1st April 2020 Whole Farm Reports will be reintroduced to build an evidenced based understanding of the environmental and heritage features of each farm. Again, it will be for the tenants to shape the outcomes such that they drive the land management solutions. Where farms adjoin each other, we will

57


ensure the Whole Farm Reports are linked to create supporting land management activities. The land management actions will be built into the tenant’s business plan and monitored. External Consultants will be procured to deliver this work.

3.3 The Whole Farm Report will be designed to be used by the tenant to support bids for future

revenue payments under the “public money for public goods” concept. This may be through Countryside Stewardship schemes or their replacement schemes. It may be that the way in which the report is delivered may change to more appropriately meet the needs of future schemes.

3.4 The Council has two large land holdings – Quethiock Estate (9 farms 1400 acres) and Trerice

Estate (6 farms 1000 acres). To drive forward the Whole Farm Report concept and the interlink across Council holdings and to begin to engage with adjoining landowners it is the intention to put in place reports for all of these farms by negotiation with existing tenants by March 2023. This would be a programme that sits outside the reletting activity.

3.5 Funding is included in the revenue programme of the Financial Models. The draft specification

for the Whole Farm Report is set out in Appendix 2. The tender process will be managed through the beginning of 2020 with a view to commencement of first reports from April 2020. The use of an external consultant to deliver this element of the Strategy creates an independence to the activity that should allow the tenant to fully engage and provide challenge to the Officers to put in place the most appropriate and sympathetic solutions across the estate.

3.6 The overseeing of this activity will be through the creation of a third Land Agent post. This post

will support the roll out of the reports, work with tenants to support the delivery and report on progress to the Council. This post will also seek to work with adjoining landowners to widen the impact of the land management activities onto privately owned land. The land agent will also be responsible for recording agreements with tenants that provide them with clarity and protection in respect of end of tenancy activity.

3.7 Farming with Carbon Report. The Council’s declaration of a Climate Change Emergency creates

significant focus on the Carbon cost of all of the Council activities. The Farms Estate is part of the equation. The Strategy therefore creates clear focus on the need to account for carbon in land management activity.

3.8 The first action will be to commission a survey and report establishing the carbon footprint of

the estate as a base line study. From this baseline the Council can move towards carbon zero through the introduction of a range of land management techniques. This will create a clearly focussed lens on the Estate activity rather than the application of a UK or World view. From this report, through the Whole Farm Reports, we will be able set out for tenants, land management options with carbon assessments to inform their thinking and decision making. Funding has been approved through the Council’s Climate Change team for the report and land management study. This will be commissioned in the first quarter of 2020.

3.9 The National Farmers Union “Achieving Net Zero” report issued in Autumn 2019 provides

some industry clarity on carbon within agriculture. The three Pillars – Boosting productivity and reducing emissions, Farmland carbon storage and Coupling bioenergy to carbon capture, utilisation and storage, provide some clear guidance at farm level as to what can be achieved. The Council has set a 2030 date for carbon zero, the NFU is targeting 2040, whilst the Government is still targeting 2050.

3.10 A further element of this early work will be to provide an assessment of the current estate

58


and identify the land which could be marginal for food production and which could be considered for transition into woodland, either via simple natural regeneration or via a targeted forestry planting scheme.

3.11 Forest 4 Cornwall. Flowing from the Carbon Report and land assessment the Estate will

seek to increase the canopy cover across the estate from the current 100 ha to 400 ha by the end of the 10 year business plan.

3.12 The funding for this work which could include deer fencing, consultant advice, planting

activity and maintenance , relocation of utility services, creation of public access etc will be drawn from the £1m Capital fund allowed within the business case, the works could include:

• new woodland planting to meet Forestry Commission grant scheme requirements; • natural regeneration activity with or without targeted planting to accelerate progress of

canopy cover; • shelter belt planting along existing hedge row to amplify the benefit of existing field

boundary environments; • encouragement to alter and extend hedge trimming activity to favour single stem

saplings; • improved management of existing woodland to extend canopy cover; • improve environment with woodlands; and • delivery of increased timber production through a managed felling/thinning regime.

3.13 Ideally these plans will develop out of the Whole Farm Reports and will be built into the day

to day management of the holding by the tenant. Simply planting trees as an isolated activity is insufficient to ensure the Environmental Growth strategy is developed.

3.14 Early indications are that the availability of accredited disease free planting stock will not

meet Cornwall Council’s planting ambitions but the wider planting expectations. This creates an opportunity to create a tree nursery. Investigations have commenced in late 2019 to explore this; the delivery mechanism may be through a fully equipped holding and an existing commercial grower rather than a new entrant.

3.15 Reduce GHG release. Specific action relating to the management of air quality and the

capture and control of methane, a by-product of livestock farming, is being taken to establish the effectiveness of new patented technology. This takes the form of methane capture over existing slurry lagoons. Capital Funding was approved in July 2019 for a pilot project for 6 dairy farms to introduce covered lagoons to capture methane.

4 Vibrant Communities

4.1 Enabling Council Initiatives The proposed holding by holding plan for the Estate has been prepared in the knowledge of expectations and requirements in 2019. The needs and demands for land will change over the next 10 yrs. There will be circumstances where the current expectation that the land will remain as part of the Farms Estate and used for food production could need to be addressed to support wider Council service priorities.

4.2 The Farms Estate whilst an agricultural estate is a land bank for Council Service initiatives. Over the past 20 years a number of land plots have been released from agricultural tenancies to meet the needs of the Council other service ambitions

• Education sites Richard Lander School, Truro and Braddock School, Liskeard

59


• Housing sites Higher Carvinack, Shortlansend and potentially at Churchtown, Veryan,

• Gypsy and Traveller sites at South Treviddo, Horningtops

• Wind turbine at Trenerry, St Allen

It is anticipated that this philosophy of putting land to the higher use value, subject to planning and Council Priority will continue. However, there has to be the expectation that the commercial value of the land taken will need to be addressed in the Farms Budget to facilitate either replacement assets, additional investment or readjustments to the revenue budget targets.

4.3 The Business case does not include provision for investment in new projects utilising redundant infrastructure i.e. barn conversion to commercial or community use. These will be brought forward as individual business cases to support the development of the four ambitions as and where there is a business case supported by local or evidenced demand.

4.4 Any sites identified with housing potential will be brought forward to support the Council

planning objectives around delivery of housing. Exception sites for local residential housing will also be brought forward as and when identified. In particular, the use of Class Q permitted development will be explored. A specific piece of work is required to create a deliverable model for conversion of portal frame agricultural buildings into living accommodation. It is perceived that this may offer a solution for retirement accommodation for tenants on the estate.

4.5 The migration of land is referenced elsewhere within the plan and forms part of the asset management activity of the Estate.

4.6 Education and Training. The Council Farms has provided support to Duchy College over the years through the provision of farm visits and business planning/farm tendering exercises for students as part of their degree course activity. The available Land Agent resource has restricted our involvement in recent years. Subject to resource, the Farms Service will work to support degree level activity through the Farms Service.

4.7 In support of wider national initiatives, we need to work with existing tenants to create on farm opportunities for apprenticeship on Council farms. While traditionally these have often been generated through family demand i.e. sons or daughters wishing to farm, there is a wider need to create opportunities for non farming young people who wish to explore farming as an industry. The provision of farm based or rural business apprenticeships through selected tenants should also be revisited with Duchy College or other providers.

4.8 The Council leases land to Cornwall College at Rosewarne. This has not been managed through the Council Farms estate team previously. However, the opportunity, working with the College, to explore small scale growing plots, undercover growing and even a bare land new entrant holding could be explored with a view to providing both more new entrant opportunities as well as on farm training opportunities for College based learning. The clear interlink between the College and the Council needs to be developed.

4.9 Community Engagement. Each of our holdings sit within its own community. In certain places,

Trerice and Quethiock, we have larger conglomerations of holdings which enables us, as an estate, to have a more significant impact on local communities. That impact can be both positive and negative. It is the ambition of the Council that our holdings and our tenants contribute positively to the local community in which they are placed.

60


4.10 There will be ongoing expectations on tenants to uphold the reputation of Cornwall Council through their management approach to the holding. Whilst this can be delivered through a high standard of farming within the holding there will also be the requirement to manage existing public and prescriptive rights of way such that they are open and accessible to the public in accordance with the best practice guidance for public rights.

4.11 There will be specific holdings where the contribution to the community will be more

significantly expressed through the management of that holding. These holdings will deliver diversified activity which may be specifically targeted to a specific group e.g. school children, adults, paying guests.

4.12 We will bring forward specific opportunities designed to provide these direct to community

services. The council is committed through its farms estate to the creation of care farms and to educational visits. These opportunities may require additional landlord investment to underpin the tenants input which will include marketing and business management. To that end we have decided to make Ruthvoes available as a care farm opportunity.

4.13 Public Rights of Way and Footpath management.

4.14 The Council has 142 separate public rights of way on the estate with an approximate length of 37km located on 53 holdings. The role of these paths in local walks for local people is immeasurable. There is only one holding where the footpaths are linked to the Coast Path.

4.15 Whilst the day to day responsibility for the management of footpaths rest with the tenant under the tenancy agreement, in practice we recognise that the Landlord has a role to play in supporting the Public Rights of Way (PROW) team in ensuring paths are open and accessible. Where there are physical works required to keep open footpaths, an arrangement will be put in place with a volunteer group to undertake the works on a prioritised basis. The Council will fund the materials with the labour being provided by the volunteers.

4.16 There are a number of sites where the Definitive Plan and the path, as walked on the ground are not identical. Working with colleagues in PROW, these abnormalities will be addressed. Solutions appropriate to the circumstances will be agreed, including the tenant in the solution to ensure a deliverable on farm solution.

4.17 Officers will seek to identify new routes to be granted on either a permissible or permanent basis to improve public access. Each case will be on its merit but the premise will be to increase access where possible to the benefit of the public but with protection to the efficiency of the farming activity.

4.18 There is an additional commitment to modify routes to improve the efficiency of farming or quality of the route for walkers where agreement can be reached with the key stakeholders.

4.19 Community Supported Agriculture (CSA). CSA’s exist in a variety of styles and concepts. The estate currently has no examples of this local growing modelled activity. Although it should be noted that it sold Bosavern Farm, St Just to a CSA to facilitate this endeavour in a one to one deal. It is noted that local communities are expressing increasing desires to be connected to food and their local environment. This can be delivered through a number of different approaches. Where the local community has the capacity and energy to develop a “growing” project of whatever description, we will endeavour to identify a suitable locations within the estate to enable them to develop their ambition.

4.20 This may take the form of allotments, it may take the form of a community supported

61


agriculture project, it could take the form of a “mega allotment“, where a local grower grows for a local community. There is no single approach and no single solution.

4.21 Appendix 3 sets out some early thinking about how the opportunities could be supported and the infrastructure required. Further work is required to take this forward with CSA groups to ensure a sustainable financial model for both parties.

5 Sustainable Estate

5.1 The Council’s ambition has to be that through the sustainable practices and businesses of our tenants the Council achieves a sustainable estate. These two are interlinked, one cannot exist without the other.

5.2 To support our tenants and ensure that they can develop sustainable businesses based on

sustainable practices we will develop the following activities:

• Business planning and tendering training sessions to be delivered to potential applicants. This will enable potential applicants to develop their business skills, their business planning and presentation skills such that they can fully articulate their business proposal for an individual holding. This session will be delivered through internal and external resources utilising skills which exist within the county.

• Business progression planning. This session or series of sessions will be delivered to

existing tenants to enable them to evaluate the status of their business and develop plans for the expansion, redirection or progression of their current practice.

• Whole farm reports. These documents will encapsulate the ambitions of the tenant and the

council in shaping the future of each holding and group of holdings within the estate. The underlying principles will be to ensure the protection and development of topsoil, of water sources and courses, the protection and development of environmental habitats and heritage structures. The inputs to each holding may differ but the outcome should be the same in that each holding can be assured of an ongoing productive life for food production

Diversification

Energy Alternative

uses for land

Innovation in farming

Alternative

models forfarming

Adding value Profitable

Production Being Best in

Class

62


and for the environment.

• Soil analysis. It has not been traditional to measure and record soil chemistry and indices at the beginning and end of tenancies. However, tenants have indicated quite clearly that we should be establishing the soil chemistry at the commencement of the tenancy, the target soil indices and then require tenants to manage the holding in such a way that at the end of the tenancy the soul indices are in line with the target set. Failure to achieve those targets will be treated as a breach of tenancy.

5.3 The development of these events will be through existing providers such as the Princes Trust,

Duchy College and others supplemented by our own Officer time and expertise. Funding will be through the revenue budget, access to training funds and in-kind support.

5.4 The work already identified on Whole Farm Reports, Forest 4 Cornwall and soil sampling will

extend the sustainable nature of the estate of a physical asset.

5.5 The financial sustainability of the estate is linked to the revenue and capital performance of the estate. The Capital funding required to clear backlog deferred maintenance will reduce pressure on the revenue maintenance budget. The rethinking of the farms maintenance arrangements will ensure greater value on farm repairs. However, farm rents will remain set at market levels but there can be no expectation that this will see significant growth. Officers will therefore be tasked to explore other income routes to support and extend current income expectations. These will include renewable energy installations from both commercial developers and potentially from the Council’s own investment. The expectation has to be that where the Council invests in renewables across the Farms estate that a ground rent will be factored into the business case and paid to the Council Farms budget to reflect the commercial value of the opportunity.

6 Property Maintenance

6.1 Property Compliance Recent investment work, specifically around farm electrical systems, is being undertaken currently (2019) through a program of work impacting on every let holding. It will be the case that all electrical systems will be compliant by the end of 2019. Ongoing works around private water systems will form part of business as usual activity and where appropriate capital investment. Officers will actively identify properties which can be directly linked to SWW mains water supplies and therefore taken off of the Council’s private water supply and distribution systems.

6.2 At the point of reletting, new tenants will be provided with documentation setting out the

compliance certification in place for the holding. The obligation on new tenants will be to ensure that the systems are handed back in a compliant state, evidenced by similar certification.

6.3 The Council, working with the tenant, may agree to undertake in tenancy testing to ensure

inspection regimes are undertaken, with the costs of such inspection being recovered through an agreed process.

6.4 Backlog Maintenance The council instructed Mace a building surveying framework supplier to

undertake a high-level condition survey assessment of the farms commercial buildings to advise on the level of outstanding backlog maintenance. The outcome of that report identifies the need for approximately £16 million of investment over the next 10 years to deliver an improved farm estate, assuming there was no alteration to the existing estate and no of buildings. Each of

63


the financial models presented were adjusted to reflect the movement of buildings out of the estate.

6.5 It is proposed to undertake the majority of these works at the point of reletting of the holding.

This will ensure that new tenants have the benefit of holdings which are fit for purpose and meet the red tractor compliance standards. However, there will be cases where it will be necessary to undertake works to existing holdings to ensure that they continue to meet the red tractor or equivalent standard such that the current tenant can continue to trade.

6.6 It will be the role of the land agents working with the building surveyor to manage this work

program ensuring that we achieve the right balance between the two.

6.7 Decent Homes The council has completed works to 50 of its 130 residential properties. These works have insured that those properties meet a decent homes standard. The second phase of work undertaken in 2017/2018 by the Authority was targeted at those properties which were considered to be at greatest risk or occupied by more vulnerable occupiers.

6.8 Decent homes is non-defined term but for our purposes we are using the guidance set out in the

Housing Health and Safety Rating System (HHSRS regulations) for rented homes. In addition, where appropriate, we will also undertake backlog maintenance works and minimum energy efficiency standard (MEES) work to ensure the property exceeds the basic standards for let property.

6.9 There is an interlink between Decent Homes and MEES work. However, budgets do not allow

for a full refurbishment of every residential property to the highest property standards. The residential properties are often “hard to treat“ properties and therefore it may be appropriate to adopt a building solution that is specific to an individual property.

6.10 As a minimum, we would expect all residential properties to have a controllable heating

system, a wired smoke and CO detection system, roof installation to current building regulations standards and for there to be no risks within the property. Kitchen and bathroom facilities will be functional and safe.

6.11 It is the expectation that all properties will be brought to the decent homes standard at the

point of new letting or within 12 months of reletting dependent upon the circumstances. If a survey identifies a significant HHSRS risk, during a tenancy, then those works would be brought forward.

6.12 We have allowed £3.5 million over the 10 year period to cover the extent of works required

over the remaining 80 properties.

6.13 Defect Maintenance. The Tenants Forum has challenged the Council about the quality, value and timeliness of the building maintenance service it has provided over the past 5 years. Evidence has been provided of below standard repairs, often an indication of a lack of understanding of functional and operational arrangements on a farm. A lack of coordination of works, poor communication to tenants and timing of works programme lead to a dissatisfaction with the service at farm level.

6.14 Current frameworks are being tendered in 2020 for April 2021 commencement. As part of

this exercise, it will be necessary to ensure that there is in place, specific arrangements applicable to the Farms Estate that ensure that issues identified by our tenants are not

64


replicated.

6.15 The Business Plan provides for the creation of a Farms Estate specific Building Coordinator role to act as the link between tenants, Property Services Building teams and contractors to ensure a timely service is in place. This post will ensure compliance activity is routinely undertaken, plan minor capital works and oversee delivery and work with the land agents to monitor quality and effectiveness of building maintenance.

7 Staffing Support to the Estate

7.1 The direct and indirect staffing costs of the council farms estate are funded from the Property Services staffing budgets. Within the Financial Models, the staffing costs are shown directly against the income from the estate. This is a more accurate presentation of the situation.

7.2 Across the estate, the tenants advise that they would like more interaction with the land agents,

and wish to see a significantly improved coordination of the building maintenance and backlog capital work.

7.3 We currently employ two land agents who directly manage the estate who are supported by one

senior manager and by one technical officer who coordinates front of office activity. Building surveying support is less than 50% of one team member sat within the Building Maintenance team.

7.4 The intention is to increase the land agent compliment to three qualified surveyor with

responsibility for the introduction and monitoring of the Whole Farm Report and coordination of the landlords investment in environmental growth and climate change activity. In addition, it is proposed that one building coordinator is employed directly to undertake the management of the maintenance compliance and backlog maintenance work. This in turn will release the existing land agent team to focus on the reletting of the holdings, tenant management and the introduction of other support measures identified in the Strategy and Business plan.

7.5 This will ensure that there is adequate capacity to deliver the ambitions of this new strategy. We see these costs increasing from approximately £125,000 to£223,000 from year one of the business case.

7.6 The team provide professional advice to the Council’s Development Control team producing

independent assessments of those applications which are broadly or mainly agricultural. This work generates an income stream that supports the wider professional services of the Property Services team.

8 Governance

8.1 This part of the business plan has been covered in section 2 above, Farming Futures, following the Constitution and Governance Committee decision in February 2020.

9 Revenue Budget

• The Revenue position for the Council Farms portfolio shows a requirement on the Estate to deliver a positive revenue return of £850k from the rents generated across from the

65


property portfolio of £1.4m. This is allows 40% of the rent to cover all maintenance and compliance activity.

• Staffing costs are funded from the estate delivery staffing budget. Direct staffing costs currently include 2 land agents and 1 estate assistance, costed at £100,000.

• In direct staffing costs including building services support, asset management support and data team support could be estimated at £213,000.

• Wider support including finance, exchequer and legal are estimated to be £ 35,000. • These figures provide the baseline for assessment of the future model.

9.1 Due to world trade instability, the summer of 2019 sees lamb and beef prices at significantly

lower levels than the previous years and liable to more pressure post October 2019 depending upon the decision made regarding our trade position with Europe. Milk price remains volatile and is significantly susceptible to world trading activity. It should be noted that 45% of the farms estate is milk price reliant. It is therefore difficult to set out a three year sales and income budget on farm with any level of confidence. This in turn holds rental bids down.

9.2 The changes to European support prices for land managers and farmers will be changed over the

next three years. This will almost certainly see a reduction in the overall level of support to farmers and land managers.

9.3 Farm input costs (Machinery, fuel, fertiliser and seeds,) continue to increase in cost.

9.4 Cash flow to farm businesses remains tight and with tenant farmers being less able to secure

bank loans at favourable rates there will remain ongoing pressure on farm businesses to remain profitable.

9.5 Against that background we do not foresee there being significant rent increases across the

whole estate. There are certain farms where rents are below the current market rent and there will be rent increases at the point of new letting. We have therefore made allowance for a 2% per annum rental increase over the duration of the business plan.

9.6 Maintenance Costs Whilst tenants have been critical of the performance of our current

maintenance framework. They have also challenged the value for money nature of the framework. It is clear that as building standards around health and safety and welfare facilities are enforced this will lead to additional costs having to be carried by the contractor, these in turn are passed on to the client. However, the current maintenance framework lacks the specialism of agricultural contractors who in turn bring a value engineering approach to the defects and improvements required on farm. In addition, it is the experience of the officers involved in the day-to-day management of the estate that a number of the tenants are competent to under take routine building maintenance work which falls to the landlord under the lease. Tenants have willingly offered to undertake the works required on a labour for materials basis to ensure that the works are completed to a timetable that suits their operational requirements and to ensure, to a certain extent, that the works are done to their required standard.

9.7 The management of landlord’s compliance will continue to require specialist input, this may be

via an audit of the tenant’s activity or through self-delivery.

9.8 The current budget of £250,000 per annum is inadequate to undertake the property compliance and landlords planned and reactive maintenance obligations that sit within the tenancy agreements. The result has been a gradual loss of building quality. For example it has not been

66


possible due to funding pressures to undertake external decoration obligations within the leases for the past eight years.

9.9 We have allowed an additional £250,000 within the revenue budget to cover the costs of the

required compliance and maintenance activities across the estate. This is costed to cover all compliance and term maintenance activity, planned maintenance including external decoration to dwelling houses and to farm buildings (Where required) and reactive maintenance.

9.10 Property costs In addition to the compliance and maintenance costs identified above, the

council as landowner is responsible for additional expenditure related to the estate. These costs include end of tenancy compensation, void property costs, water costs relating to the supply of water and of electricity to pumping systems.

9.11 Whilst we recover some of these costs from the tenants through cost recovery

arrangements, we have to make provision within the revenue budget to carry these costs. In particular, where a property is being surrendered from the lease, the landlord is required to compensate the outgoing tenant. In most situations these costs need to be funded from the revenue budget.

9.12 We have made no provision for increased costs in this area. It is our anticipation that works undertaken through the capital expenditure line and through estate restructuring will, over time, see a reduction in revenue costs directly attributable to the landlord.

67


Appendix 1

Each Smallholdings Authority in England report to DEFRA on various statistics and data relating to its estate. It then publishes an annual report to Parliament each year and links to the 2018/2019 and 2019/2020 reports are provided below. 2019/2020:- https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/70th-annual-report-to-parliament-on-smallholdings-in-england 2018/2019 https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/69th-annual-report-to-parliament-on-smallholdings-in-england

https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/70th-annual-report-to-parliament-on-smallholdings-in-england




68


Appendix 2

Council Farm Strategy

Draft Whole Farm Report Template

The whole farm report provides a baseline of environmental information for each landholding, identifying constraints and opportunities. The report outcomes will be used to inform management of each land holding for the duration of the Farm Strategy and for assessing progress delivering agreed Key Performance Indicators.

Key Environmental Growth outcomes from the Whole Farm Report will be based around the following themes:

• enhancing and extending habitats;

• water quality and storage;

• heritage assets and distinctive historic character;

• canopy cover; and

• delivery of all aspects of the ecosystem services.

The inclusion of activities drawn directly from the Climate Change Emergency paper will be delivered though this ambition. In particular, carbon sequestration through woodland planting, good soil management, wetland creation and land management plans.

The land management plans will protect or enhance specific features across a holding or holdings that will be identified through each Whole Farm Plan, the core tool in the delivery of the Council Farm Strategy at a practical level. Our intention is to see tenants farming with nature as closely as possible to maximise the recovery of nature and biodiversity across the estate.

An outline Whole Farm Report template for baseline environmental information is provided overleaf. It is recommended that the report is written with the support of a qualified environmental expert and balances desk based data collection with data collected as part of a comprehensive site visit.

Contents

Executive Summary

1. Introduction

2. Property Details – address, location description/map, size, NGR, access

3. Desk Study

a. Statutory and Non-Statutory Designations

b. Landscape

69


c. Biodiversity

d. Heritage and Historic Landscape Character

e. Soils, Geology and Mining

f. Water Resources

g. Waste and Pollution

4. Site Reconnaissance

a. Environmental Management

i. Biodiversity

ii. Heritage and distinctive historic character

iii. Soils, Geology and Mining

iv. Water Resources

v. Waste and Pollution

b. Permitting

5. Ecosystem Services Assessment

(https://www.the-ies.org/resources/ecosystem-services-assessment)

6. Environmental Growth Opportunities

a. Woodland creation

b. Enhancing and extending habitats

c. Natural climate solutions

d. Heritage and Historic Landscape Character

e. Soil management

f. Wetland creation and water management, including natural flood management

g. Waste reduction

h. Pollution prevention – waste, water, air, noise, light, greenhouse gases, chemicals, slurry, sediment

i. Carbon management

7. Conclusions and Recommendations

Information that should be considered when drafting each Whole Farm Report can be readily obtained from mapping information and a site visit and includes:

https://www.the-ies.org/resources/ecosystem-services-assessment

70


Access

• Permitted Rights of Way; • SWCP; • Open access land; • Permissive paths; • Potential access / GI routes; and • Historic redundant Canals and Railway routes, navigable rivers etc.

Statutory and Non-Statutory Designations

• Designated site SSSI, SAC, SPA, NNR, LNR, MCZ etc. • Designation of neighbouring land; • Priority Habitat Inventory Site; • County wildlife site; and • Biodiversity Action Plan habitats.

Heritage

• Historic Landscape Characterisation (for rapid understanding of previous agricultural changes)

• Historic landscape of great value; • Scheduled Monuments; • Historic Environment Record (HER); • Listed Buildings (Grade 2, 2* and 1); • Historic house (including traditional vernacular design and building materials); • Historic farm buildings/stead (traditional vernacular buildings); • Historic Enclosed Land, including types of hedges; • World Heritage Site; • Registered Historic Park and Garden; and • Ancient Woodland site. • Land use pattern in 1880 (First edition OS) to see potential for reversion to more biodiverse

land use, especially valley-bottom wetlands and orchards

Biodiversity

• Important ecological network features (hedgerows, copses, wetland areas, rivers); • Tree Preservation Orders (TPO); • Woodlands (Especially Ancient woodland); • Condition of hedgerows (multiplied if Anciently Enclosed Land); • Orchard(s); • Pond(s); • Heathland; • Biodiversity Action Plan habitats; • Protected species; and • Priority species.

Landscape

• Designated AONB (propose to move WHS to heritage); • Area of Great Landscape Value (AGLV) classification; and • Important cultural reference for a community.

71


Soils, Geology and Mining

• Soil classification; • Geology – artificial deposits, superficial deposits and bedrock; • Aquifer designation (Principal, Secondary A or B, Secondary Undifferentiated or

Unproductive); • Presence or absence of radon; and • Mining and subsidence (shrink-swell, solubility, compressible ground, running sand,

collapsible rocks, landslide, adits, shafts, infilled mines ).

Water Resources

• Surface water features (pond, spring, stream, river etc); • Groundwater resources (well, borehole); • Abstractions (surface water or groundwater); • Place in the catchment – upper, mid, lower; • Flood risk and location within floodplain (pluvial, fluvial and groundwater flood risk); • Discharges to surface water or groundwater (waste water, soak-away etc); • Water quality; • Statutory or water resource designations – Nitrate Vulnerable Zone, Source Protection Zone; • Fish barriers; and • Geomorphology.

Waste and Pollution

• Historic landfills; • Operation landfills and waste management sites; • Pollution incidents; • Fly-tipping and uncontrolled waste; • Air quality; • Noise; and • Light.

Environmental Growth

• Agri-environment schemes. Has the farm ever been in a CSS, ESA, HLS, ELS OELS, WGS, ECSFI.

72


Appendix 3

Community Supported Agriculture

CC is considering how to bring the right sites forward for small scale local growing through CSA, growing groups or committed individuals. There will be no guarantee of residential accommodation on these opportunities – they will in almost all cases be bare land growing units.

The detail will develop over time – this will not be an instant roll out simply because all of our estate is currently let on agricultural tenancies. But I would like to think that we may be able to establish say 10 of these over the next 10 yrs across the county, each one autonomous but virtually linked, feeding a local community and linking residents back to food and its roots.

• We need to think about how we meet demand and supply.

• We will need to agree infrastructure requirements- hard standing, water and electric - and how these are made available.

• We will allow polytunnels, sheds for storage, packing, crib space –subject to planning being complied with where required.

• We will be prepared to offer 10 yr leases, with breakclauses for both sides

• We accept that there is the risks that they may go wrong and we have to fund the clearance of “horticultural paraphernalia” from CC budget.

• We will need an agricultural rental value to be paid – I’m thinking £100 per acre for a bare field as a guide not an absolute figure. The more infrastructure supplied by the Council, the more rent will need to be charged.

• We will expect a commercial approach to be undertaken around the business - ie business

plan, cash flow, market demand etc

• We will expect there to be a clear mentoring arrangements – Duchy College Rosewarne or Dartington could be obvious providers of this - to ensure the model has sustainability and sound commercial. How we help support this I am not sure yet but we will some how – it may not be financial help though!!.

• At this stage, I do not intend to impose any strict farming practices – ie no organic

requirement or no chemical sprays – equally I am not sure about positive covenants, ie, you must have bee hives!! – there needs to be market led approach. Do we need a whole farm report- not sure we do!

• We would look to support a virtual network of these groups across the county…again not

sure how at this stage. But Defra have talked of a new entrant /collaborative fund to provide

73


infrastructure…again no details and at this stage no money available…. But we would look to bring forward bids into that fund if it materialises.

There are groups out there who focus on this – often a mechanism to get a house in the countryside; Ecological Land Coop and Loan for Enlightened Agriculture fund – we will need to engage with these and build an understanding…this may cause conflict with our planning advisory role.

Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate Strategy 2019-2039 ...

Documents

Transcript of Cornwall Council’s Farms Estate Strategy 2019-2039 ...