74th annual report to Parliament on smallholdings in England
Published 6 November 2025
Applies to England
© Crown copyright 2025
This publication is licensed under the terms of the Open Government Licence v3.0 except where otherwise stated. To view this licence, visit nationalarchives.gov.uk/doc/open-government-licence/version/3 or write to the Information Policy Team, The National Archives, Kew, London TW9 4DU, or email: psi@nationalarchives.gov.uk.
Where we have identified any third party copyright information you will need to obtain permission from the copyright holders concerned.
This publication is available at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/74th-annual-report-to-parliament-on-smallholdings-in-england/74th-annual-report-to-parliament-on-smallholdings-in-england
Presented to Parliament pursuant to section 59 of the Agriculture Act 1970 October 2025.
© Crown copyright 2025
Introduction
This report is required under section 59 of the 1970 Agriculture Act (1970 Act). It provides statistical details to Parliament of the land let as smallholdings by local authorities across England, for the financial year 1 April 2023 to 31 March 2024.
Local authority smallholdings, or council farms (or county farms) as they are now more commonly known, are administered under Part III of the 1970 Act. Under that legislation smallholdings authorities are required to make it their general aim to provide opportunities for persons with sufficient experience to be a farmer on their own account, as well as to have regard to the general interests of agriculture and of good estate management. These council farms are generally capable of providing full-time employment for not more than two people.
The 1970 Agriculture Act defines smallholdings authorities as county councils for England. However, there have been many changes to local authority structures since the 1970 Act and consequently, some unitary authorities and borough and district authorities have continued the responsibilities of former county councils in letting land as smallholdings. Hence, it was decided in 2015 that it is important to include data in this report from these authorities, as well as county councils where possible, to extend the coverage and value of this report in providing more accurate details of land let as smallholdings from councils across England.
Council farms have an important role to play within their communities as well as providing new entrants with opportunities to establish and develop farming businesses. These farms bring benefits to the wider public through educational visits, environmental enrichment and local food. The value of the council farm structure in supporting new entrants and progressive tenants as well as delivering wider public benefits is demonstrated in the case studies provided by Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Hertfordshire County Councils.
The data in this report are taken from the most recent annual survey on council farms conducted by Infoshare+ which includes responses from 34 local authorities that let land as smallholdings. This report includes statistical information on the area and number of smallholdings held by reporting local authorities, and details on tenancies and the financial position of the authorities in relation to their farm estates.
Defra thanks Infoshare+ and all the local authorities who have kindly provided the statistical information presented in this report and to Cambridgeshire, Gloucestershire, Devon and Hertfordshire County Councils for providing the case study information.
Statistical information on authority smallholdings
Of the 43 authorities approached (21 unitary authorities and 22 county councils) 34 submitted details of the smallholdings they let. However, some authorities did not complete the survey in full. As a result, the totals for some sections of the survey (financial information, for example) might be represented by fewer authorities than responded to the survey.
Total area of smallholding land
As of 31 March 2024, the total area of land in England estimated to be let as smallholdings was 73,400 hectares (estimated from the 29 authorities that provided data). Table 1 provides a breakdown of the estimated area let as smallholdings by reporting authorities. The land area reported as let for smallholdings was lower than the last financial year. However, it should be noted that there were 2 fewer authorities reporting area data this year. Furthermore, the area let as smallholdings is only an estimate based on the number and average size of smallholdings per authority. Therefore, the change in land area between surveys will not be accurate. The data on acquisitions and disposals indicate a decrease (0.6%) in the area of land held by reporting authorities (see Acquisitions and Disposals sections) which may be a better indicator of land area change between surveys.
Farming sectors
Each reporting authority classifies themselves to a farming sector based on the predominant farming activity (by area) carried out within that authority. The distribution (as at 31 March 2024) is shown in Figure 1. The most common sector was Mixed/General and the least common sector was Horticulture, which none of the reporting authorities stated as the predominant farming activity.
Figure 1: Percentage of authorities by predominant farming sector
| Farming sector | Per cent |
|---|---|
| Arable | 25.0 |
| Dairy | 12.5 |
| Dairy/Stock Rearing | 15.6 |
| Horticulture | 0.0 |
| Mixed/General | 40.6 |
| Stock Rearing | 6.3 |
Notes:
- Each authority is classified to one farming sector based on the predominant farming activity (by area) carried out within that authority. The farming sector definitions were established and agreed as a result of consultations between the data provider (Infoshare+) and the authorities themselves.
- Data are for the 34 authorities that provided a farm business sector.
- Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding.
Numbers of smallholding lets
The 30 authorities that provided data reported that they owned and let 2,132 smallholdings as at 31 March 2024. Table 2 provides a breakdown by each authority.
Rent due for smallholdings
For the 27 authorities that provided rent data, a total of approximately £24 million in rent was due for smallholdings as at 31 March 2024. Table 3 provides figures for the rent due by each authority. Table 4 shows average rent per hectare values by farm business sector for the 25 authorities where sector, rent and area data were all available. Of the total area of land let as smallholdings, the average rent was £367 per hectare for the 25 authorities where both rent and area data were available.
When this rental value is split into agriculture licences (equipped and bare land farms) it reveals that an equipped farm on average costs £55 (17.3%) more per hectare when compared to a bare land farm.
Acquisitions and disposals
There has been a decrease of 427 hectares (0.6%) in the area of land held by the 34 reporting authorities that provided data, as of 31 March 2024. Table 5 provides figures for land acquired and disposed of by each authority in 2023/2024: a total of 25 hectares were acquired by 3 authorities and a total of 452 hectares were sold or otherwise disposed of by 15 authorities.
Number of smallholding tenants
For the 33 authorities that provided data, there were 1,346 tenants as at 31 March 2024. Table 6 provides figures on the number of tenants by each authority in 2023/2024: 101 tenancies were granted and 127 tenancies were terminated. Table 7 provides a breakdown of tenancies granted and terminated. For the 34 authorities that provided data, a total of 48 tenancies (36 equipped farms; 12 bare land farms) were granted to new tenants. These are first time entrants to the individual estate, who have not previously occupied a council farm. In addition, there were 10 internal promotions, 0 tenancies were transferred from another estate, and 10 tenancies were ended due to the tenant leaving the estate to seek other opportunities.
Type of smallholdings tenancy
Of the 31 authorities that provided information there were a total of 236 lifetime tenancies, 121 retirement tenancies, 981 Farm Business Tenancies, as well as 303 secondary lettings. Figures for each of the authorities are provided in Tables 8. Farm Business Tenancies represent 73% of the agreements, however these can vary in duration. Figure 2 demonstrates the type of tenancy agreements in place. Lifetime tenancies represent 18% of all tenancy agreements, 20% were Farm Business Tenancies that run for less than 5 years, 18% were Farm Business Tenancies that run between 5 and 10 years, and 35% were Farm Business Tenancies that run for more than 10 years. Retirement tenancies represent 9% of all tenancy agreements.
Figure 2: Percentage of smallholdings by tenancy duration
| Tenancy duration | Per cent |
|---|---|
| Lifetime | 17.6 |
| Retirement | 9.0 |
| Farm Business Tenancy < 5 years | 20.2 |
| Farm Business Tenancy 5 - 10 years | 18.1 |
| Farm Business Tenancy 10 - 15 years | 17.3 |
| Farm Business Tenancy > 15 years | 17.8 |
Notes:
- Equipped and bare land farms only
- For the 31 authorities that provided tenancy information
- Totals may not sum to 100% due to rounding
Financial position of authorities
Total revenue in the year ending 31 March 2024 for the 20 authorities that provided complete financial data showed a total operational income of £12,167,900 against a total operational expenditure of £6,837,200, giving an operational surplus of
£5,330,700. Total non-operational income was £51,300, against a total non- operational expenditure of £425,900, giving a non-operational deficit of £374,600. The revenue account net surplus was therefore £4,956,100. Table 9 summarises the total revenue account for land held by authorities for the year ended 31 March 2024. Please note that the financial position is for the 20 authorities that provided a response for all constituent financial variables in their account. In addition, totals may be underestimations since an authority’s accounts are included even if the authority responded “Not applicable” for any of the account’s constituent financial variables. Therefore, totals are not comparable to those in other years.
Case studies
Cambridgeshire County Council
Sean Lumley – Greeves Farm, Elm
Starting in October 2024, Sean Lumley embarked on a long-term Farm Business Tenancy (FBT) of 235 acres with a bungalow and barns, at Greeves Farm, Elm in Cambridgeshire aiming to enhance both the land and the surrounding environment. Sean is an agronomist with Agrii, primarily serving Lincolnshire, Cambridgeshire, and Norfolk, while also offering specialized vegetable advice across the UK. Since graduating from Harper Adams in 2009, Sean has built a robust career in agronomy. In October 2022, he ventured into his own farming business, cultivating potatoes, onions, sugar beet, and wheat on rented land in Cambridgeshire, Lincolnshire, and Norfolk.
John Cornwell – Cranwell Farm, Leverington
John Cornwell, a 28-year-old from Sutton St James, has recently embarked on a new venture by securing a 10-year farm business tenancy for 203 acres, including a house and barns, at Cranwell Farm in Leverington, Cambridgeshire. Farming has been an integral part of John’s life since childhood, with fond memories of riding in the tractor alongside his father, who also worked in agriculture. After completing his schooling, John pursued an apprenticeship and has been dedicated to the agricultural sector ever since. He is thrilled to apply his knowledge and experience to manage the farm, working alongside his younger brother, George.
Gloucestershire County Council
Jack Arnall - Leadonvale Farm, Dymock
Following a robust re-letting process, Jack Arnall (pictured) was selected as the new tenant of Leadonvale Farm, Dymock a 128 acre mixed Gloucestershire County Council holding with effect from June 2023.
From a young age Jack was heavily involved in the family dairy farm however a change in family circumstances whilst at Hartpury College, meant returning home was no longer an option. Jack worked for a local contracting firm before establishing his own contracting business whilst also working part time for Genus.
In addition to the above, he and his partner established their own flock of sheep, rearing Ryland ewes and built a successful customer base selling lamb boxes. Jack is extremely passionate about promoting British farming, supporting local producers and keeping food miles low.
Since occupying Leadonvale, Jack continues to operate his contracting business and has reared calves for Dunbia albeit he is now increasingly rearing his own calves giving him more flexibility to react to market conditions. He has reared pigs, the produce from which has been sold locally, sells eggs from the farmgate via an honesty box system and will be buying in ewe lambs this summer ready to put to the ram. A small DIY livery yard sits alongside. His business continues to focus on low carbon production and environmental sustainability!. Farm building improvements have been made via a good co-operative working relationship with the Landlord, with whom plans are also being discussed to establish a collaborative farm shop involving other local GCC tenants with green energy and sustainable production at its heart.
Devon County Council
Sam Partridge and Carys Leaman - Duckaller Farm, Dawlish
On 25 March (Lady Day) 2023 Sam Partridge and his partner Carys Leaman took on the management of the 88-acre Duckaller Farm, Dawlish. The holding is equipped with a farmhouse and buildings and benefits from high quality free draining versatile soils.
The main agricultural enterprise is a min-till arable rotation. The arable crops are interspersed with grass ley break crops for high quality hay making. In addition to off farm agricultural contracting, Sam and Cerys have diversified on farm. They offer an on-farm holiday let together with a significant boat and caravan storage enterprise which were existing enterprises inherited with the tenancy. New additions to the farm are weddings and events, together with an outdoor play area providing play sessions for children between 0 and 5 years of age – ‘Muddle Ducks’ - which has had a very positive response.
Pete and Sadie Bullock - Endfield Farm, Sandford
Pete and Sadie Bullock moved into the 120-acre Endfield Farm in Spring 2023, they let us know how they are getting on;
“The last 12 months have been rather busy both on the farm and in the office! After renovating the parlour we began milking in June, calving began in August and saw a baptism of fire with 82 heifers and 70 cows calving. Alterations of the cubicles became a priority at the beginning of the winter which has turned into one of the longest, wettest ever!
During the winter we were selected to join Arla’s Customer Welfare Programme to supply high welfare milk to Aldi, this involves being more transparent with records (more paperwork!) and farming practices and increasing standards of welfare of the animals. We are also open to unannounced spot inspections. We must have impressed as we ended up on the supermarket billboards!!
As part of the higher animal welfare standards commitment, we have incurred some extra costs, so we have taken advantage of the current grants available from the government, eg the purchase of cow brushes (at least 1 per 100 cows). With 50% funding available it was silly not to try and get something towards them.
Back in the summer we successfully obtained funding through the Farming Equipment and Technology Fund under the Productivity and Slurry scheme for a dribble bar (in preparation for the splash plate usage ban in 2027.
We have also begun a three-year agreement under the Sustainable Farming Incentive which involves assessing soil and soil management and establishing herbal leys, while this increases workload and costs at already busy times of the year, we think there is financial and environmental gain and safeguards the farming potential of the land for future generations.
Looking towards the future we are still keen on increasing community engagement with agriculture and education and encouraging children to learn about farming and food production locally to them.”
Hertfordshire County Council
Will Mitchell & Georgia Jilley – Westmill Farm, Hitchin
Westmill Farm was one of three Hertfordshire County Council (HCC) Small Holding Farms that came to the market in 2024. All three farms were advertised nationally attracting over 150 expressions of interest.
Westmill Farm was a slightly different smallholding letting than normal, with management restrictions across 70 acres of the farm which are destined to be used for a Biodiversity Net Gain (BNG) habitat bank. The plan is to create a unique chalk grassland habitat, small areas of scrub and some new woodland parcels. As well as improvements in biodiversity and protecting the nearby chalk stream, it is planned that these BNG credits will be used by the Council for their own developments such as new schools as well as selling some units on the open market. The application process required potential tenants to submit a business plan, a rent tender, as they usually would, but also in this instance they had to submit contractor costs for creating and managing the habitat bank.
After a competitive tender and interview process Will and Georgia were selected to take on the 20-year tenancy. They were previously grazing their sheep flock across different patches of Norfolk Wildlife Trust land and were looking for an opportunity to have them all in one place.
They have bought their flock of Shetland sheep with them, who will do an excellent job at the conservation grazing required to create the biodiversity rich grassland.
Apart from growing their flock size, Will and Georgia hope to establish a small livery business at the farm and buy a shepherd’s hut to let out for glamping holidays.
This is a unique smallholding letting on HCCs Estate one which offers both the new entrant opportunity as well as additional revenue streams through creation of BNG units.
Closing summary
This report indicates that council farms continue to play an important role in the tenanted agricultural sector across England. Although the data set is incomplete it reveals that council farms cover approximately 73,400 hectares of agricultural land. This land provides approximately 2,132 holdings for around 1,346 tenant farmers.
Approximately 47% of the lettings are equipped farms (997 equipped holdings) and 48 lettings were made to new entrants during 2023/2024. The report shows that the 20 reporting authorities who submitted full financial information generated a revenue account net surplus of around £5 million in 2023/2024.
Tables
Table 1: Area of smallholdings land held by smallholdings authorities as at 31 March 2024 (hectares)
| Local authority | Equipped farm let area | Bare land farm let area | Agricultural license let area | Total let area |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 11,260 | 1,711 | 12,885 | 25,856 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 1,659 | 0 | 160 | 1,819 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 324 | 0 | 320 | 644 |
| Cornwall | 3,677 | 403 | 27 | 4,107 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon | 3,148 | 115 | 480 | 3,743 |
| Dorset | 2,088 | 123 | 133 | 2,344 |
| Durham | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 1,446 | 996 | 0 | 2,442 |
| Essex | 68 | 11 | 0 | 79 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 85 | 85 |
| Herefordshire | 108 | 94 | 0 | 202 |
| Hertfordshire | 1,075 | 325 | 272 | 1,672 |
| Hillingdon | 246 | 14 | 0 | 260 |
| Leicestershire | 2,205 | 60 | 446 | 2,711 |
| Lincolnshire | 5,583 | 1,015 | 0 | 6,598 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 107 | 10 | [x] | 117 |
| Norfolk | 5,038 | 1,461 | 84 | 6,583 |
| North Lincolnshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| North Somerset | 90 | 76 | 0 | 166 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 207 | 294 | 5 | 506 |
| Oxfordshire | 16 | 322 | 6 | 344 |
| Shropshire | 249 | 13 | 0 | 262 |
| Somerset | 531 | 519 | 29 | 1,079 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 2,252 | 77 | 277 | 2,606 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 1,117 | 126 | 264 | 1,507 |
| Swindon | 480 | 32 | 3 | 515 |
| Warwickshire | 1,546 | 380 | 1,920 | 3,846 |
| West Berkshire | 117 | 0 | 0 | 117 |
| West Sussex | 104 | 320 | 1 | 425 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 1,177 | 303 | 392 | 1,872 |
| Worcestershire | 322 | 248 | 321 | 891 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 9,048 | 46,240 | 18,110 | 73,398 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- Values are estimates of the area of land let as smallholdings by each authority. This is calculated by multiplying the number of lettings by the average size of those lettings in hectares.
Table 2: Number of smallholding lets held by smallholdings authorities as at 31 March 2024
| Local authority | Equipped farm lets | Bare land farm lets | Agricultural license lets | Total smallholdings lets |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 153 | 104 | 229 | 486 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 49 | 0 | 12 | 61 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 21 | 0 | 8 | 29 |
| Cornwall | 81 | 21 | 10 | 112 |
| Cumberland | 0 | [x] | [x] | 0 |
| Devon | 64 | 6 | 25 | 95 |
| Dorset | 41 | 7 | 9 | 57 |
| Durham | 1 | 17 | [x] | 18 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 47 | 74 | 1 | 122 |
| Essex | 2 | 2 | 0 | 4 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| Herefordshire | 3 | 2 | 0 | 5 |
| Hertfordshire | 36 | 16 | 17 | 69 |
| Hillingdon | 5 | 2 | 0 | 7 |
| Leicestershire | 65 | 3 | 36 | 104 |
| Lincolnshire | 83 | 69 | 0 | 152 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 3 | 2 | [x] | 5 |
| Norfolk | 93 | 64 | 36 | 193 |
| North Lincolnshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| North Somerset | 4 | 9 | 0 | 13 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 7 | 14 | 2 | 23 |
| Oxfordshire | 2 | 27 | 6 | 35 |
| Shropshire | 11 | 1 | 0 | 12 |
| Somerset | 19 | 11 | 9 | 39 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 63 | 6 | 21 | 90 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 34 | 11 | 11 | 56 |
| Swindon | 14 | 1 | 1 | 16 |
| Warwickshire | 47 | 33 | 80 | 160 |
| West Berkshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| West Sussex | 7 | 22 | 2 | 31 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 28 | 12 | 35 | 75 |
| Worcestershire | 12 | 30 | 17 | 59 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 997 | 566 | 569 | 2,132 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
Table 3: Rent due for smallholdings by smallholdings authorities as at 31 March 2024 (£)
| Local authority | Rent due for equipped farms | Rent due for bare land farms | Rent due for agricultural licenses | Total rent due for land let as smallholdings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 4,437,300 | 579,600 | 4,951,600 | 9,968,500 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 681,100 | 0 | 49,600 | 730,700 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 112,500 | 0 | 81,400 | 193,900 |
| Cornwall | 1,281,200 | 72,900 | 3,200 | 1,357,300 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 7,200 | 28,300 | 35,500 |
| Devon | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Dorset | 583,200 | 26,600 | 32,400 | 642,200 |
| Durham | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 395,700 | 359,300 | 100 | 755,100 |
| Essex | 8,500 | 400 | 0 | 8,900 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 30,900 | 30,900 |
| Herefordshire | 47,100 | 10,500 | 0 | 57,600 |
| Hertfordshire | 447,700 | 107,800 | 59,900 | 615,400 |
| Hillingdon | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Leicestershire | 809,800 | 13,100 | 124,900 | 947,800 |
| Lincolnshire | 1,775,500 | 343,400 | 0 | 2,118,900 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 22,800 | 2,200 | [x] | 25,000 |
| Norfolk | 2,045,300 | 449,000 | 34,300 | 2,528,600 |
| North Lincolnshire | 0 | 1,700 | [x] | 1,700 |
| North Somerset | 34,100 | 10,900 | 0 | 45,000 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 58,400 | 96,900 | 6,100 | 161,400 |
| Oxfordshire | 5,100 | 43,000 | 5,900 | 54,000 |
| Shropshire | 74,700 | 2,400 | 0 | 77,100 |
| Somerset | 110,600 | 299,000 | 12,500 | 422,100 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 924,300 | 18,600 | 73,200 | 1,016,100 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Swindon | 156,800 | 4,600 | 300 | 161,700 |
| Warwickshire | 834,900 | 77,100 | 911,900 | 1,823,900 |
| West Berkshire | 33,700 | 0 | 0 | 33,700 |
| West Sussex | 142,100 | 133,900 | 2,800 | 278,800 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Worcestershire | 111,800 | 49,500 | 44,400 | 205,700 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 15,134,200 | 2,709,600 | 6,453,700 | 24,297,500 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- All values are rounded to the nearest £100.
- Rent due refers to what could be collected if every farm paid (see ‘Glossary of terms’ section for a definition of ‘Rent from holdings - operational account’).
Table 4: Rent/hectare values for smallholding farms, expressed in terms of the authority’s farm business sector, as at 31 March 2024 (£ per hectare)
| Authority sector | Rent per hectare due for equipped farms | Rent per hectare due for bare land farms | Rent per hectare due for agricultural licenses | Total rent per hectare for land let as smallholdings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arable | 378 | 327 | 381 | 373 |
| Dairy | 364 | 226 | 266 | 348 |
| Dairy/Stock Rearing | 360 | 192 | 279 | 344 |
| Horticulture | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Mixed/General | 375 | 333 | 424 | 374 |
| Stock Rearing | 301 | 136 | 983 | 216 |
| ALL TENANCIES | 373 | 318 | 379 | 367 |
Notes:
- For authorities that provided a business sector as well as complete rent and area data (i.e. 25 out of 43 authorities).
- No authorities stated themselves as primarily Horticulture so no data are available (indicated by ‘[x]’).
Table 5: Total area acquired and disposed of by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024 (hectares)
| Local authority | Acquired - Newly acquired | Disposed - Sold/exchanged | Acquired - Formerly leased | Disposed - Leased land | Total land acquired | Total land disposed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 0 | 85 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 85 |
| Cornwall | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon | 7 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 2 |
| Dorset | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Durham | [x] | 0 | [x] | [x] | [x] | 0 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
| Essex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Herefordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hertfordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hillingdon | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Leicestershire | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 6 |
| Lincolnshire | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 0 | 0 | [x] | [x] | 0 | 0 |
| Norfolk | 15 | 86 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 86 |
| North Lincolnshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Somerset | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oxfordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shropshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Somerset | 0 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 0 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 0 | 8 | 0 | [x] | 0 | 8 |
| Swindon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Warwickshire | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| West Berkshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Sussex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 0 | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 123 |
| Worcestershire | 3 | 71 | 0 | 0 | 3 | 71 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 25 | 452 | 0 | 0 | 25 | 452 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- Total areas, comprising freehold (the number of hectares let as council farms/rural estates and owned by the authority) and leasehold (the number of hectares let as council farms/rural estates but not owned by the authority) areas.
Table 6: Number of smallholding tenancies granted for the first time or terminated by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024
| Local authority | Number of tenancies in 2024 | Net change since 2023 | Tenancies granted | Tenancies ceased |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 183 | 0 | 12 | 12 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 43 | -2 | 3 | 5 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 9 | -4 | 0 | 4 |
| Cornwall | 89 | -4 | 4 | 8 |
| Cumberland | 45 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon | 70 | -1 | 8 | 9 |
| Dorset | 48 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Durham | 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 85 | -5 | 5 | 10 |
| Essex | 3 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 2 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Herefordshire | 5 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Hertfordshire | 49 | -1 | 1 | 2 |
| Hillingdon | 7 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| Leicestershire | 59 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| Lincolnshire | 152 | -11 | 21 | 32 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 5 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Norfolk | 99 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| North Lincolnshire | 2 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| North Somerset | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 21 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Oxfordshire | 29 | 0 | 5 | 5 |
| Shropshire | 12 | -2 | 0 | 2 |
| Somerset | 30 | -1 | 3 | 4 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 66 | 4 | 5 | 1 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 43 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| Swindon | 11 | -1 | 0 | 1 |
| Warwickshire | 80 | 3 | 22 | 19 |
| West Berkshire | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Sussex | 29 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 40 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| Worcestershire | [x] | [x] | 0 | 3 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 1,346 | -23 | 101 | 127 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- Equipped and bare land farms only.
Table 7: Specific details of smallholding tenancies granted and ended by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024 (number of tenancies)
| Local authority | New tenants - Equipped farms | New tenants - Bare land farms | Internal promotion | Transfer to other estates | Leave estate for other opportunities |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 2 |
| Cornwall | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Devon | 5 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Dorset | 1 | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Durham | [x] | 0 | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Essex | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Herefordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hertfordshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Hillingdon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Leicestershire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Lincolnshire | 4 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 3 | 2 | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Norfolk | 1 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| North Lincolnshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Somerset | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Oxfordshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Shropshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Somerset | 0 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 4 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Swindon | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Warwickshire | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| West Berkshire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| West Sussex | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Worcestershire | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 36 | 12 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- Equipped and bare land farms only.
- ‘New tenants’ are lettings to first time entrants to the individual estate (i.e. those who have not previously occupied a smallholdings authority farm).
Table 8: Breakdown of the number of smallholding tenancies held between April 2023 and March 2024
| Local authority | Lifetime | Retirement | Farm Business Tenancies | Secondary lettings | Total lettings and tenancies |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bedford | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Brighton & Hove | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Buckinghamshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cambridgeshire | 31 | 0 | 152 | 80 | 263 |
| Central Bedfordshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Cheshire East | 16 | 8 | 19 | 1 | 44 |
| Cheshire West and Chester | 4 | 3 | 2 | 0 | 9 |
| Cornwall | 10 | 11 | 68 | 13 | 102 |
| Cumberland | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
| Devon | 5 | 4 | 61 | 26 | 96 |
| Dorset | 4 | 4 | 40 | 7 | 55 |
| Durham | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| East Riding of Yorkshire | 16 | 10 | 59 | 36 | 121 |
| Essex | 0 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 3 |
| Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hampshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Hartlepool | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 2 |
| Herefordshire | 0 | 1 | 4 | 0 | 5 |
| Hertfordshire | 8 | 3 | 38 | 14 | 63 |
| Hillingdon | 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| Leicestershire | 7 | 12 | 40 | 23 | 82 |
| Lincolnshire | 39 | 16 | 97 | 0 | 152 |
| Medway | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Milton Keynes | 0 | 0 | 5 | [x] | 5 |
| Norfolk | 6 | 8 | 85 | 58 | 157 |
| North Lincolnshire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| North Somerset | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 13 |
| North Yorkshire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Nottinghamshire | 4 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 21 |
| Oxfordshire | 1 | 0 | 28 | 0 | 29 |
| Shropshire | 6 | 2 | 4 | 1 | 13 |
| Somerset | 8 | 13 | 9 | 8 | 38 |
| South Gloucestershire | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Staffordshire | 6 | 4 | 56 | 18 | 84 |
| Suffolk | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] | [x] |
| Surrey | 15 | 0 | 29 | 1 | 45 |
| Swindon | 1 | 0 | 10 | 3 | 14 |
| Warwickshire | 9 | 9 | 62 | [x] | 80 |
| West Berkshire | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 2 |
| West Sussex | 5 | 2 | 22 | [x] | 29 |
| Westmorland and Furness | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Wiltshire | 9 | 3 | 28 | 12 | 52 |
| Worcestershire | 19 | 7 | 16 | 0 | 42 |
| York | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| TOTAL | 236 | 121 | 981 | 303 | 1,641 |
Notes:
- Column totals (‘TOTAL’) are underestimations due to an absence of information (indicated by ‘[x]’).
- Equipped and bare land farms only.
Table 9: Revenue account for land held by smallholdings authorities between April 2023 and March 2024
| Table 9a: Operational account income | |
|---|---|
| Operational account - Income | £ |
| Rent from holdings | 11,119,200 |
| Other rents | 333,600 |
| Other income | 715,100 |
| TOTAL | 12,167,900 |
| Table 9b: Operational account expenditure | |
|---|---|
| Operational account - Expenditure | £ |
| Repairs and maintenance | 4,025,600 |
| Rents, rates, annuities and water charges | 545,300 |
| Net tenant rights valuations | 203,300 |
| Estate management | 1,854,000 |
| Other expenditure | 209,000 |
| TOTAL | 6,837,200 |
| Table 9c: Non-operational account income | ||
|---|---|---|
| Non-operational account - Income | £ | |
| Indirect income | 51,300 | |
| TOTAL | 51,300 |
| Table 9d: Non-operational account expenditure | |
|---|---|
| Non-operational account - Expenditure | £ |
| Central support costs | 267,900 |
| Other expenditure | 158,000 |
| TOTAL | 425,900 |
| Table 9e: Revenue account net surplus | |
|---|---|
| Revenue account net surplus | £ |
| Operational account surplus | 5,330,700 |
| Non-operational account deficit | -374,600 |
| NET SURPLUS | 4,956,100 |
Notes:
- For authorities that provided complete financial information (i.e. 20 out of 43 authorities).
- Totals may be underestimations since an authority’s accounts are included even if the authority responded “Not applicable” for any of the account’s constituent financial variables.
- All values are rounded to the nearest £100.
Glossary of terms
Agricultural letting farms - Farms possessing, for example, grazing licences, contract farming agreements, 364 day licences/agricultural lettings for less than one year, etc.
Bare land farms - Farms comprising land only, including short term lets.
Equipped farms - Farms with a farmhouse, farm buildings or both.
Farm Business Tenancies - These tenancies comprise all principal lettings entered into under the provisions of the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995 and relating to the original term of the current letting.
Lifetime tenancies - These tenancies are for those lettings made prior to the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986.
New tenants - These tenancies are lettings to first time entrants to the individual estate, i.e. those who have not previously occupied a local authority farm.
Number of smallholding lets - This is equal to the number of equipped farm lets plus the number of bare land farm lets plus the number of agricultural lets.
Number of smallholding tenancies - These comprise equipped and bare land farms only. Joint tenancies are counted as a single entity. Where tenants occupy more than one farm they have only been counted once. Hence the total number of tenants may be less than the number of farms.
Rent due for land let as smallholdings (£) - Rent due refers to what would be expected to be collected if all farms/licenses are occupied and if every farm paid. This is equal to rent due for equipped farms plus rent due for bare land farms plus rent due for agricultural licence farms. Abatements, allowances, rent forgone and not collected are disregarded for these figures.
Retirement tenancies - These tenancies are for tenants that may be required to vacate holdings when they reach the age of 65 or prevailing retirement age,
i.e. lettings made under the provisions of the Agricultural Holdings Act 1986, but before the Agricultural Tenancies Act 1995.
Secondary lettings - Secondary lettings describe additional land let as part of a Farm Business Tenancy to tenants of principal holdings, i.e. equipped or bare land holdings and managed as an integral part of principal holding.
Total area acquired and disposed of by local authorities (hectares) - This is comprised of freehold (the number of hectares let as council farms/rural estates and owned by the authority) and leasehold (the number of hectares let as council farms/rural estates but not owned by the authority) areas.
Glossary of terms employed within the operational and non- operational accounts
Operational account
Income
Rent from holdings (£) - This is net rent from land being farmed, including grazing licenses, after deductions of allowances, abatements and rent not collected. Only farm rents are included, including secondary lettings.
Other rents (£) -This is rent from cottage tenancies, commercial lettings, staff housing, wasteland, woodland, telecom sites, wind turbines and rent received from non-Farm Business Tenancies.
Other income (£) - This includes royalties, wayleaves, easements, shooting and fishing rights, licences to extract gravel, insurance claims, sales of timber, trees, produce, materials, farm equipment and vehicles, etc., other fees and charges etc. This also includes single farm payments or environmental initiatives paid direct to the estate. This does not include contributions by tenants towards revenue improvements, repairs to equipment, rates, water charges etc.
Expenditure
Repairs and maintenance (£) - This includes revenue expenditure on repairs and maintenance of houses, buildings, drainage and ditching work. This is net of any amounts recovered from tenants but excludes grant-aided schemes of a capital nature. This also includes corporately funded property initiatives, e.g. asbestos,
electrical tests and inspections, structural and tree surveys, as well as Legionnaires’ disease testing. This also includes the cost of associated manual labour forces, plants and materials.
Rents, rates, annuities and water charges (£) - This includes rents, rates, utility charges (e.g. water, electricity), tithes and perpetual annuities, net of recovery of rates and water charges.
Net tenant right valuations (£) - This includes expenditure paid by the landlord to an outgoing tenant, less income received from an incoming tenant for tenant right valuations and dilapidations. This also includes any milk quota compensation payments charged to revenue. This excludes capital payments for equipment/buildings.
Estate management (£) - This includes professional (e.g. surveyors), administrative and clerical support employee costs, office accommodation charges, including expenditure on repairs and maintenance, transport costs, other sundry expenses, etc. as well as any other ad-hoc specialist advice (e.g. payments to consultants).
Employee costs include salaries, national insurance, training, pension, removal and resettlement costs, conference expenses, etc. This also includes the net cost
(e.g. client/commissioning costs) of contracting out estate management functions.
Other expenditure (£) - This includes the cost of cleaning materials, fire and farm buildings insurance, furniture and fittings, equipment, tools and materials, transport and moveable plant, vehicles and vehicle running costs, etc.
Non-operational account
Indirect income (£) - This includes revenue grants, interest received and other non- operational income. This also includes publication sales, recovery of fees and charges, etc.
Central support costs (£) - This includes charges received from other departments within the estate not identified within the Estate Management section,
e.g. legal/secretariat, financial (including audit), valuation (excluding corporate disposals), personnel and IT service costs.
Other expenditure (£) - This includes subscriptions, external audit fees, stamp duty, external legal and professional fees, etc.