Petition over council farm eviction hits 1,800 signatures

Bruce Sinclair, Local Democracy Reporter

A petition calling for a full review and debate of Pembrokeshire’s “not fit for purpose” county farm policy has attracted nearly 2,000 signatures, triggering it being debated by councillors at a future meeting.

The Pembrokeshire County Council e-petition was launched by tenants being forced to leave their council-owned farm which is host to a Good Food Guide accredited restaurant, and attracted 1,822 signatures.

Paternoster Farm near Hundleton, which has a restaurant in the old milking shed, has featured in the Good Food Guide for the last three years.

‘Earthy and rustic’

The restaurant is run by former family solicitor, Michelle Evans, with this year’s Good Food Guide describing Paternoster Farm as ‘earthy and rustic’ with deliciousness, warmth and strength of recommendation all described as good, while the restaurant’s uniqueness was rated as very good.

However, the acclaimed business built up over the last four years is now under threat, as the ten-year farm tenancy with Pembrokeshire County Council comes to an end.

In the e-petition to Pembrokeshire County Council, which has now closed, Leum Evans asked: “We call on Pembrokeshire County Council to conduct a full and thorough review of county farm policy.

“We call for a declaration that current county farm policy is not fit for purpose when it fails to encourage diversification in a way that adds value to a farm’s own produce, keeps the produce within the farm, and feeds the local community, when policy fails to support a holding such as Paternoster Farm.

“We call for a motion of no confidence in both county farm policy, and the county farm estate department. We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to commission an independent review of farm policy by suitably qualified (independent) third parties.

“We call for a full debate on the future of the county farm estate, and whether its continued existence, in its current form, can even be justified. We call upon Pembrokeshire County Council to commission how Public Procurement Policy could effect a link between county farms, and school meals in the county.”

Diversification

The petition went on to say: “Current county farm policy has been shown to support neither farm diversification nor integration into the community. This has been illustrated by the recent treatment of the current tenants of Paternoster Farm.

“If county farm policy does not support and encourage our type of farming enterprise, one which farms the holding to its fullest whilst caring for the land, farms regeneratively, provides employment, fosters community links, supports a wealth of local businesses, supports local schools, feeds farm produce to the community every single week of the year, then it cannot possibly be said to be fit for purpose.”

It claims £50m of public money is invested in county farms for 42 tenants, adding: “Is this a fair and equitable distribution of local authority resources when county farm policy does nothing to encourage any benefit to the wider community?”

It finished: “It is all very well to seek to help new entrants into farming, but what are the authority really trying to achieve? Farming for farming’s sake is not enough. The authority has to ask, who will benefit, and to what extent?”

Pembrokeshire County Council has previously said that proposals at Paternoster were in line with council policy, with novice farmers being offered a smaller farm while they get established in the industry before moving on to bigger establishments.

“Pembrokeshire County Council owns a farm estate for the expressed purpose of providing those who wish to farm a way of entering into the industry,” said a council spokesman.

“To fulfil this function, tenancies are not for life but are for a fixed term, to enable tenants to ‘move on’ to larger farm holdings, as these tenants are being offered the opportunity to do.”

The council said that the 10-year lease entered into with Michelle and her family reflected this policy, with them now offered a tenancy at a larger council farm holding.

Anyone who lives, works or studies within the Pembrokeshire County Council area may sign or organise a petition. This includes anyone under the age of 18.

If the petition gets 500 signatures, the creator will have an opportunity to debate it at a full council meeting.