There is significant disappointment among some councillors as Gloucestershire County Council plans to continue selling off council-owned farmland, described by critics as ‘flogging off the family silver.’
The council’s Liberal Democrat leaders have agreed to proceed with implementing and updating the authority’s rural estate strategy. The current plan, covering 2016 to 2030 and established under the previous Conservative administration, includes a policy of progressive rationalisation aiming for an estate size of approximately 5,600 acres across about 40 retained holdings.
However, Green Party councillor Chloe Turner (Minchinhampton) expressed serious concerns about the Liberal Democrats' approach. She highlighted that the party had previously supported a motion calling for an ‘acre for acre’ policy, whereby each acre of farmland sold would be replaced by the purchase of another acre.
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In a written question, Cllr Turner said: “I find it profoundly disappointing that cabinet are proposing to continue to flog the family silver in the form of ‘rationalising’ the rural estate. The ‘acre for acre’ policy was proposed by the Lib Dems as a revision to the council’s strategy in February 2022. The party’s councillors supported the Green motion 904 in July 2022 to maintain the current acreage, and Lib Dem members of the Rural Estate Task Group in 2023 joined other members, including me and my Green colleague, in supporting an acreage replacement policy.”
She added that voters would have reasonably expected a Liberal Democrat administration to value, maintain, and even expand the county farms as an important asset.
Cllr Turner questioned Councillor Colin Hay (Lib Dem, All Saints and Oakley), the cabinet member for the rural estate, about the change in position from supporting the ‘acre for acre’ policy. She also inquired whether the council’s broader built estate had been fully audited for potential sales before deciding to reduce the county farmland, which offers significant societal, environmental, and nature benefits.
In response, Cllr Hay stated that the updated plan does not focus solely on land disposals. A significant element of the refresh is the introduction of a formal acquisitions policy for the rural estate. Officers have been tasked with developing criteria for future acquisitions and identifying opportunities where land purchases could support the council’s strategic priorities and improve the estate’s long-term sustainability.
While this approach does not constitute an explicit ‘acre for acre’ replacement policy, it does provide the council with the flexibility to acquire land when it delivers strategic, environmental, operational, or financial benefits. The intention is to ensure that the estate’s long-term setup is fit for purpose, financially sustainable, and capable of delivering a wide range of outcomes - including supporting new entrants into farming and enhancing the environment.
Cllr Hay also confirmed that the council regularly reviews its wider property holdings, noting that the rationalisation is not limited to the rural estate but is part of a broader strategic approach to the council’s assets.