Shropshire Council seeks land agent to manage its smallholdings

Shropshire Council is seeking a land agent to manage its smallholdings and the agricultural land that it owns. The agent will manage the land for the next three years, beginning 1 April 2019.

The council owns an agricultural estate of around 692 acres. This includes 16 freehold smallholdings ranging from 7.68 to 107.36 acres, and three cottages. It also has three leasehold properties.

Smallholding

Since 2005, the council’s policy has allowed individual smallholdings to be sold as they became vacant, sold to the existing tenants or direct descendants on request, or allowed tenants to surrender their tenancy.

A later amendment to this policy in 2016 allowed the sale of smallholdings with sitting tenants on the open market, individually, as a whole or in lots.

Since the introduction of this policy, eight smallholdings have been sold.

It is the remaining smallholdings and cottages that the council owns that a land agent is being sought to manage.

Steve Charmley, Shropshire Council’s deputy Leader, and Cabinet member for corporate and commercial support, said:

“Shropshire is a rural county, with agriculture being a predominant employer and major part of the economy.

“By employing a land agent with the right expertise to manage the properties, we can continue to provide opportunities for people who want to get into farming.”

For further information please visit http://shropshire.gov.uk/media/11981/docv-005-contract-finder-notice.pdf